Classic Apogee shareware energy from 1993, rereleased in 2013 and still sounding like pure DOS-era joy. Major Stryker is a vertical shoot-em-up, and the soundtrack by Bobby Prince and Robert Prince has that unmistakable OPL FM synth character that defined PC gaming in the early 90s.
Read more
The "Apogee Theme" opens things with the signature fanfare that launched a thousand shareware discs. "Rock It" and "Super Sonic" deliver the high-speed arcade energy you need when dodging alien fire, while "So Sad, You're Dead" has the audacity to be a genuinely catchy game-over track.
"Funky, Funky Spaceway" leans into this goofy groove that only a DOS game would attempt, and "Handsome Tom" is just... a track called Handsome Tom. No explanation needed, apparently. The track titled ''wierd'' (misspelling and all) and the "Segueway" closer give the whole album this charmingly rough-around-the-edges personality.
"Kissing The Sky" and "Soaring To Dizzy Heights" actually manage to be beautiful despite the hardware limitations. This is the sound of PC gaming before soundcards got fancy, and it's still a blast.