Dropzone (Europe)

In Dropzone, players control a small spacecraft tasked with protecting and rescuing astronauts, known as "Blips", from relentless waves of alien attacks. The game takes place on a continuously horizontally scrolling area, where players must move agilely to react to threats from all directions.

Each level begins with a certain number of Blips hovering in space. Your primary objective is to keep them safe and then collect them. Aliens appear in various forms and with different abilities. Some enemies, like the "Pudding", simply move and need to be destroyed. Meanwhile, others like the "Saucer" and "Jumper" will actively attack and abduct Blips. If a Blip is attacked or abducted, it will fall freely downwards. The player must quickly fly down and use their spacecraft to "catch" that Blip before it disappears off-screen or is destroyed.

After collecting a Blip, players need to transport them to a safe area, typically a central processing unit (CPU) or a designated Blip drop-off point. This requires precision and speed, as you still have to dodge and destroy enemies while carrying a Blip. Each Blip safely returned increases your score. Completing a level requires collecting all Blips and destroying enough enemies to clear the area.

Players can use basic weaponry, and sometimes power-ups will appear after destroying certain types of enemies. These power-ups can include temporary shields, faster movement speed, or smart bombs capable of clearing multiple enemies at once. However, power-ups are often limited, forcing players to manage resources carefully. Dropzone demands good piloting skills, quick reflexes, and the ability to prioritize targets to succeed in protecting and rescuing Blips from the alien onslaught.