Probably one of the most pirated games in computer history (right up there with California Dreams' Blockout), Stargoose is a cute little top-down shooter starring you as cough a futuristic goose.
Aside from the usual assortment of enemy ships and ground-based defenses to shoot at, Stargoose features several neat ideas. In addition to shooting the baddies with your pea-shooter guns and your missiles, you must collect the 6 multicolored crystals to advance to the next stage. The bonus runs are not played from the top-down view but in 3D tunnels. These tunnels are the only places you can pick up new weapons and shields, without the nuisance of enemies.
Overall, Stargoose provides good ol' fashioned shooter fun that should keep newbies happy, although veterans will find it too easy, too short, and a bit repetitive. The game is also notable for being one of the first 256-color VGA games ever made.
Review By HOTUD
English 
Comments and reviews
Also, HOTUD is wrong, this is not a 256-color VGA game, it only goes up to 16-color EGA. (There was also a CGA version.)
I guess this is a mixup with the Atari ST or Amiga versions that used palette effects (but are IMO uglier.)
Re: INDSTR
It was widely pirated because someone back in the day decided to attach a text file claiming the game was freeware when they uploaded it somewhere. People downloaded it, believed this, and copied it around, including unknowingly putting the game on various shareware/freeware disks and CDs.
Perhaps this was mainly a North America thing, with the developers in the UK being unaware.
This is the same game as "Star Goose" (just an alternate title) and the pages should probably be merged.
A scan European version manual can be found here:
https://www.oldgames.sk/en/game/star-goose/
The US version's manual had some differences though, mainly a rewrite of some aspects of the storyline.
This was one game that I could manage the first few levels but somehow I got to a point I couldn’t get past.
Rockets N/M
Fire SPACE
UP/DOWN/LEFT/RIGHT
Of note to UK viewers... The designers of the game (S. Cain and G. Everett) were programmers at Imagine, at the time of the infamous 'Mega Games'.
I played Star Goose together with my brother: I was "driving" and my brother was "shooting and reloading the missiles". That was really fun and after many weeks we solved all levels in perfection...
I played this for thousands of hours as a teenager. The last levels are very hard. If you screw up you start at the beginning. I was able to finish the game several times. Such good memories.
Strangely I've never heard of it. I wonder if this claim about it being one of the most pirated games is true? Also I wonder whether the reason for that was because it was one of the first VGA games? Regardless, it actually looks pretty interesting..
Looks can be deceiving. Although this game looks boring, it's so intense it'll keep you busy for hours. At least it did that to me when I was a kid. Very basic controls and very basic gameplay ensures that you'll have plenty of time to get frustrated at the enormously difficulty of this game.
In this game, you're a spaceship and need to clear a course. It's filled with enemies, both static and dynamic, mines, pluviometers for some odd reason and traps. Shooting at them'll decrease your ammo, flying into them'll decrease your shield. If you survive long enough to have this happen, you can even run out of fuel. Luckily, there're refill tablets spread around across the course and you frequently see a tunnel filled with refills which you can capture, so you'll be able to last longer in this tedious game.
Stargoose is only for the hardcore gamers of this genre. Have you finished Xenon II? Did you clear Last Of The Eichhoff and was Zone 66 a piece of cake to you? Then try your luck at this one and experience what it's like to be beaten by the game instead of beating the game.
No comment nor review for this game at the moment.