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I used to play an arcade game back in 1987 (first year high school) and I can't remember what it was called. The screen scrolled from the top (very much like 1942) but you flew a spaceship.

Some defeated enemies dropped stars and collecting each one progressed an upgrade selection along the bottom of the screen with speed-up, different weapons, etc. When you had moved to the upgrade you wanted you selected it.

As you continued to select the same upgrade (for a weapon) your ship gained extra 'modules' and became wider, eventually reaching nearly full width of the screen — and being very powerful.

I have an idea the title had some sort of 'wing' connotation but that may be wrong. I'd love to play it again but without the name that's impossible.

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  • 3
    I can't really see a computer mentioned, so isn't that rather a question for Arquade?
    – Raffzahn
    Aug 7, 2021 at 14:41
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    Sorry, it could be. I'm brand new here and don't know my way around.
    – Al Smith
    Aug 7, 2021 at 14:50
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    @Raffzahn Off-topic on Arqade.
    – wizzwizz4 ♦
    Aug 7, 2021 at 16:15
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    @Raffzahn Do we have consensus on that? There are currently zero close-votes, and I don't remember any meta discussions concluding off-topicness (only that Arqade shouldn't point people here).
    – wizzwizz4 ♦
    Aug 7, 2021 at 17:07
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    Well, I didn't do a close as I expected a move. And yes, this is retro COMPUTING. Already questions about what game someone had on his C64 are kinda fringe - "which kind of whack-a-mole-game was located in my childhood arcade" questions seem way over the edge of computing. Gaming may be an application of computing, but not topic in itself. Remember that we even closed questions regarding the very first full fledged processor systems in cars as being off topic.
    – Raffzahn
    Aug 7, 2021 at 19:52

2 Answers 2

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Sounds like Slap Fight.

I only ever played it on the Commodore 64 but I believe there was an arcade version.

https://www.lemon64.com/?mainurl=https%3A//www.lemon64.com/games/details.php%3FID%3D2343

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  • Almost definitely Slap Fight.
    – Alan B
    Aug 12, 2021 at 10:27
  • That's the one! I wasn't even close to the name (and it still doesn't sound familiar) but that is the game I played. Thank you! Now to somehow find a machine or a gameboard for it. Worst case I'm buying a C64 and finding a copy on there.
    – Al Smith
    Aug 25, 2021 at 16:00
  • I had the same problem until I found it several years ago. Remember playing it once as a kid when my brother’s friend brought it around one day. Of course he took the disk home so once I turned off the C65, I couldn’t play it again. :(
    – Greg W
    Aug 25, 2021 at 23:22
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This sounds rather like Gemini Wing, and is the right time period. Screenshots are from http://www.shmups.com/reviews/geminiwing/index.html

enter image description here

However, this game doesn't have the changing ship mechanic you describe.

Another possibility is B-Wings / Battle Wings, where power ups change the shape and size of your ship as described.

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  • B-Wings is close, very similar mechanic but does not have the power up 'bar' across the bottom. I'm now thinking there was an audible "wing up" as you selected a ship enhancement so perhaps "wing" wasn't in the name.
    – Al Smith
    Aug 11, 2021 at 16:20

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