Polaris

Released by Taito in July 1980, Polaris is a pioneering fixed-screen shooter that introduced dynamic shifts between sea, air, and land environments. Players pilot a fighter jet, aiming to destroy enemy fortresses while dodging ground-based threats and aerial bombardments. The game is distinguished by the variety of enemy movement patterns and a sophisticated level of graphic expression for an arcade title of that era. Today, it remains celebrated by historians and fans alike as a symbol of the technical evolution during the dawn of arcade gaming.

In this game, the player pilots a submarine and battles enemy forces, including fighter planes that bomb from the sky, frigates patrolling the sea surface, and sea mines drifting underwater. The objective of each stage is to shoot down all aerial targets, using missiles that can only be fired directly overhead. It is a fixed-screen shooter themed around naval warfare.