Grandstand Star Force
 | |
| The Star Force as drawn on page 1 of Grandstand's instruction booklet, with the adaptor plug entering the socket on the right. No freely licensed photograph has been found. | |
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Epoch for Grandstand (Adam Imports Ltd, Harrogate)[1][2] |
| Type | Tabletop electronic game |
| Released | 1984[2][3] |
| CPU | NEC D7528C-016 (Handheld Museum reading)[2] |
| Memory | — |
| Storage | — |
| Display | Multicoloured vacuum fluorescent display[4] |
| Sound | Sound effects, with a button to turn them off[1] |
| Input | Joystick (left and right), firing button, start, skill level select and phase select buttons, sound button, power switch[1] |
| Power | Four C (Duracell MN1400) cells, or the Grandstand Universal Mains Adaptor set to negative[1] |
| OS / Firmware | — |
| Model no. | 11055 (Handheld Museum)[2] |
Grandstand Star Force is a battery-powered tabletop space game with a multicoloured vacuum fluorescent display (VFD), made by Epoch and sold in the UK by Grandstand, dated 1984 by the Handheld Museum and a dealer's museum list.[2][3] Epoch sold it under the same name.[2] The player's Space Fighter fights waves of Death Fighters through seven phases, ending in an attack on an enemy port of catapult-launched fighters; a phase select button lets the player start from any phase.[1] It was among the last of Grandstand's VFD tabletop games, and takes the same battery cover as the earlier Epoch games Astro Wars, Scramble and Firefox F-7.[3][5]
History
[edit | edit source]The Grandstand booklet gives the distributor as Adam Imports Ltd, Ripon Way, Harrogate, a member of the Adam Leisure Group PLC, and was printed in Japan; it carries no date.[1] The Handheld Museum dates both the Grandstand and the Epoch versions to 1984, and a dealer's museum page calls Star Force "the last in the arcade series" of Grandstand's tabletop games.[2][3] The Centre for Computing History holds a boxed example without a date; its box text reads "Multi-coloured fluorescent display. Four skill levels. Seven phases. Joystick fighter control. Dramatic sound effects. Optional silent mode."[4]
The Handheld Museum gives the Grandstand model number as 11055.[2] No second source for the number has been found. A collector on the Handheld Museum forum identifies the uncommon Yeno Super Galaxy II as the same game.[6]
Hardware
[edit | edit source]| Part | Detail |
|---|---|
| Microcontroller | NEC D7528C-016, as read by the Handheld Museum |
| Display | Multicoloured VFD; part number not recorded |
| Sound | Sound effects, switchable off with the sound button |
| Controls | Joystick (left and right), firing button, start, skill level select, phase select, sound button, power switch |
| Power | Four C cells (6 V); adaptor socket on the right-hand side of the case |
Microcontroller from the Handheld Museum;[2] display from the box text;[4] controls, power and the socket position from the Grandstand booklet's drawing and text.[1]
Star Force is not emulated in MAME, and no photograph of its board has been published as a still image; retro_restos's 2023 teardown video shows the inside.[7] Its microcontroller, as read by the Handheld Museum, is not one of the NEC μPD552 or μPD553 parts identified in Grandstand's earlier Epoch games, so their power-supply findings may not carry over. It is from the same NEC D7528C family as the microcontroller of the Firefox F-7, which an owner's schematic labels D7528C 011.[2][8][9] It does take the Epoch battery cover shared with Astro Wars, Scramble and Firefox F-7.[5]
The game
[edit | edit source]The player moves the Space Fighter left and right with the joystick and fires with the firing button. The skill level select button sets one of four levels before play, each with its own number of lives and pace:[1]
| Level | Lives | Pace |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | Normal |
| 2 | 7 | Moderate |
| 3 | 7 | Fast |
| 4 | 5 | Very fast |
At switch-on the game is set to level 1 and phase 1; the phase select button chooses any of the seven phases as the starting point, and START begins play. A life is lost when the Space Fighter is hit by a Death Fighter's laser or by anti-aircraft fire.[1]
The seven phases:[1]
- Death Fighters come down from the top in various patterns; destroying 12 ends the phase.
- Twelve Death Fighters circling at the upper left attack.
- Two squadrons of six come down and split up to attack; they cannot attack from behind.
- Six Death Fighters from each lower corner gather in two rows at the top, then attack in circles.
- Twelve Death Fighters appear at the upper left and try to surround the Space Fighter.
- The Space Fighter enters the enemy port, where Death Fighters stand on catapults that fire anti-aircraft missiles. The fire button now launches torpedoes to the left and right; 12 hits end the phase.
- Death Fighters take off from the catapults and one attacks from behind. Laser and torpedo both fire. Hitting a vacant catapult with a torpedo destroys the enemy "Space Seaplane" and scores 50 points for each remaining life.
In phases 1 to 5 and 7 a Death Fighter hit by the laser scores 10 to 30 points depending on where it is hit, and a torpedo hit scores 10. The game ends when no lives remain or at the perfect score of 3,000.[1]
Batteries and power
[edit | edit source]Grandstand recommends four Duracell MN1400 (C) cells and says the game will not work properly on weak batteries; if it malfunctions or the display is erratic, check or replace them. Switch off after play and take the cells out if the game is not used for long periods.[1]
For mains use the booklet names the Grandstand Universal Mains Adaptor, not included, with the polarity switch set to negative; it gives no voltage. Its drawing shows the adaptor plug entering a socket on the right-hand side of the case.[1] No Epoch leaflet for Star Force has been found. Epoch's leaflet for Galaxy II and Radio Shack's manual for Epoch's Astro Thunder both specify 6 V with the centre pin negative; measure any adaptor before connecting it.[10][11] See Grandstand Star Force General Maintenance#DC socket and adaptor and Grandstand Universal Mains Adaptor.
Repair
[edit | edit source]Star Force has its own repair guides:
- Grandstand Star Force General Maintenance: batteries and contacts, the DC socket, the controls and what is known of the inside.
- Grandstand Star Force Troubleshooting Guide: what should happen at power-on, symptoms and the faults reported.
Much less repair information has been published for Star Force than for the earlier Epoch games. Two repairs are on YouTube: retro_restos's game (2023) had an intermittent power socket, a broken screen mount, unresponsive controls and a bad joystick, and Repairing Faulty Tech's (2025) would not power on; their narration could not be retrieved for these pages.[7][12] The battery contacts are the same part as in Astro Wars.[13] Check that the sound switch is on before treating the game as silent.[1] Because its microcontroller differs from the NEC parts in Astro Wars and Scramble, do not assume the Astro Wars power-section part numbers apply without comparing the boards.[2]
Documentation
[edit | edit source]- Grandstand Star Force instruction booklet: controls, skill levels, the seven phases, scoring, batteries and adaptor.
- Centre for Computing History record CH36762 with the box text.
Related pages
[edit | edit source]- Grandstand Star Force General Maintenance
- Grandstand Star Force Troubleshooting Guide
- Grandstand Astro Wars, Grandstand Scramble and Grandstand Firefox F-7: earlier Epoch games with the same battery cover.
- Grandstand Universal Mains Adaptor
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 Grandstand, Star Force instruction booklet (distributed by Adam Imports Ltd, Ripon Way, Harrogate; printed in Japan; no date printed), hosted here as File:Grandstand Star Force Instructions.pdf (PDF page numbers): p. 1, control drawing with the adaptor plug entering a socket on the right-hand side, and batteries box (four Duracell MN1400; Universal Mains Adaptor on negative polarity; weak-battery warning; care note); p. 2, sound button, four skill levels with 9, 7, 7 and 5 lives, seven phases and the phase select button; p. 3, joystick and firing button; pp. 4-6, the phases and scoring; p. 7, a perfect score of 3,000.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 Handheld Museum, "Grandstand Star Force" (retrieved 2026-10-18): 1984, VFD, four C cells, model 11055, "CPU: NEC D7528C-016"; Grandstand release of Epoch's Star Force. Also "Epoch Star Force": 1984, VFD, four C cells.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Retro Games (Chillout Games), "Grandstand" museum page (retrieved 2026-10-18). Dealer's list of Grandstand tabletop games with years: Scramble 1982, "licensed from Epoch", perfect game 3,000 points; Firefox F-7 1983, six phases, three skill levels, twin speakers, perfect game 1,000 points; Star Force 1984, "the last in the arcade series".
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Centre for Computing History, "Star Force Electronic Space Battle", CH36762 (retrieved 2026-10-18): Grandstand; box text "Multi-coloured fluorescent display. Four skill levels. Seven phases. Joystick fighter control. Dramatic sound effects. Optional silent mode. Uses four Duracell MN1400 alkaline batteries or Grandstand Universal Mains Adaptor"; date not recorded.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 YoxxxoY Jorge, "Battery cover Epoch electronic games", Thingiverse 3399673 (2019), archived on the Internet Archive (retrieved 2026-10-18). 3D-printable battery cover; the designer lists Astro Thunder, Astro Thunder 7, Firefox F-7, Astro Command, Astro Wars, Space Defender, Galaxy II, Star Force and Scramble. CC BY 4.0.
- ↑ Handheld Museum forum, "Epoch Star Force", 2012-2019 (retrieved 2026-10-18), high-score thread: the game is fast; a member notes that the uncommon Yeno Super Galaxy II is "the same as Epoch and Grandstand's Star Force".
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 retro_restos, "Vintage Electronic Grandstand Star Force Teardown & Repair. Broken Screen, Power Fix & Bad Joystick", YouTube, 21 June 2023 (description read 2026-10-18; the transcript could not be retrieved): "a rare opportunity to see inside the Star Force game"; the game was grubby, with an intermittent power socket, a broken screen mount and unresponsive controls, which the video works through.
- ↑ Philip Bryden, "Grandstand Firefox F7" schematic, three sheets ("Power rail", "Data", "Control Board"), KiCad 6, revision 1, 8 June 2022, PDF on MEGA linked from his video (retrieved 2026-10-18). Drawn by the owner from his own boards and described by him as a first attempt that may need revision. It shows the microcontroller labelled D7528C 011 and a second chip labelled D1771C 011; the display labelled 7AM33T, with its filament on display pins 1 and 2 and 30 and 31; a ten-pin transformer TX-30 driven by transistor S04 (882), whose base is driven by S03 (C945); diodes S05 to S12; electrolytic capacitors C01 to C04 and other capacitors C05 to C15, without values; a 5 MHz resonator X01 (FCR5.0M); and a ten-way cable L01 to the control board, carrying 6 V DC on pin 4. Control board: the power switch; up, down, left and right joystick contacts; select, start and fire; a "sound L" switch for the small piezo speaker and a "sound R" switch for the large one; and a switched DC socket whose centre pin is the negative (ground) side.
- ↑ MAME source, hh_ucom4.cpp at commit d404316 (retrieved 2026-10-18). Driver notes, written from real boards, for Epoch Invader From Space (PCB 36010(A/B); NEC uCOM-44 MCU labelled D552C 054; cyan VFD NEC FIP9AM18T; UK release by Grandstand), Epoch Galaxy II (PCB 19096/96062; uCOM-43 labelled D553C 153; cyan and red VFD NEC FIP10xM20T, rev B no. 1-8 and rev D no. 2-21 with different graphics; UK release by Grandstand as Astro Wars), Epoch Astro Command (PCB 96111/96112; D553C 202; NEC FIP9AM20T no. 42-42; UK release by Grandstand as Scramble), Tomy Pac-Man (PCB TN-08 2E108E01; D553C 160; NEC FIP8AM18T no. 2-21; round yellow case; UK release by Grandstand as Munchman) and Tomy Caveman (PCB TN-12 2E114E03; D553C 209; NEC FIP8AM20T no. 2-42; UK release by Grandstand). The file header explains the NEC FIP part numbers (the first figure is the number of grids) and notes that VFD colours fade after decades.
- ↑ Epoch, Galaxy II instruction leaflet (Epoch Corporation, Englewood, New Jersey; © 1981 Epoch Company Ltd, Tokyo; made in Japan), hosted here as File:Epoch Galaxy II Instructions.pdf: p. 2, four C cells, or an adapter of 6 V DC, 250-300 mA, with a polarity symbol showing the centre pin negative.
- ↑ Radio Shack, Astro Thunder owner's manual (custom manufactured for Radio Shack; printed in Japan), hosted here as File:Radio Shack Astro Thunder Manual.pdf. The same game as the Firefox F-7. p. 1: four C cells, or Radio Shack's 273-1650 adapter on its 6 V range with the centre tip set negative (270-7001 for 240 V in the UK); check the batteries if the game malfunctions or the display is erratic; "Even leakproof type batteries can leak damaging chemicals, which will ruin your unit permanently". p. 2: left and right sound switches. p. 7: maintenance (keep dry, no heat, no harsh chemicals, fresh alkaline cells).
- ↑ Repairing Faulty Tech, "Grandstand STAR FORCE 80's game won't power on - Can I fix it?", YouTube, 13 April 2025 (description read 2026-10-18; the transcript could not be retrieved): a Star Force that would not power on; the description does not give the fault or the outcome.
- ↑ retro_restos, "Grandstand Astro Wars Service & Repair from Ebay Vintage Games Bundle", YouTube, 2 October 2024 (transcript read 2026-10-18). Strip-down service: carbon contacts cleaned; power slider contacts bent for spring and greased; fire button spring stretched slightly (2:00-4:00). A stretched battery spring was unsoldered, reformed with pliers and refitted; the Star Force has "exactly the same battery contact" (4:00-8:00). The Fresnel screen, star backdrop and front screen come out; the front screen was polished and its back cleaned with glass cleaner (10:00-12:00). "Astro Wars is notorious for throwing the batteries out when you're trying to put them in" (16:00).