Screenshots1 / 2
Solar Quest
太阳探索
Solar Quest is a 1981 arcade game developed by Cinematronics, presented in black-and-white vector graphics. Despite being listed under RPG, it functions as a space shooter in the vein of Lunar Lander and Asteroids. Players pilot a spacecraft around a central sun, defending it from enemy UFOs that attempt to absorb its energy. The ship must navigate gravitational pull from the sun while firing at waves of incoming attackers. Fuel management is a core mechanic, requiring players to collect fuel pods or risk being stranded. The game uses a rotational thrust control scheme typical of vector-based space shooters. Enemy waves increase in speed and number as the game progresses, raising difficulty across successive stages.
- Developer
- Cinematronics
- Released
- 1981
- Platform
- Arcade
- Genre
- RPG
- Players
- 1P
- Rating
- 4.5 / 5 (2.5K)
- Last updated
Solar Quest Controls — Arcade Keyboard Keys
Default keyboard bindings for Solar Quest on our in-browser Arcade emulator. Plug in a USB or Bluetooth gamepad to auto-detect mappings, or rebind any key from the emulator settings menu.
| Keyboard | Console button | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| ↑ | Joystick Up | Move up |
| ↓ | Joystick Down | Move down |
| ← | Joystick Left | Move left |
| → | Joystick Right | Move right |
| X | Button 1 | Primary action (jump / confirm) |
| Z | Button 2 | Secondary action (attack / cancel) |
| S | Button 3 | Tertiary action |
| A | Button 4 | Quaternary action |
| Q | Button 5 | Fifth button |
| W | Button 6 | Sixth button |
| 5 | Insert Coin | Insert coin |
| 1 | 1P Start | Start / Pause |
Coin and Start are convention "Insert Coin: 5" and "1P Start: 1". Some arcade boards expect specific button mappings — check the in-game prompts on coin-up.
Rebind any key from the EmulatorJS in-game settings menu (gear icon → Controls). A connected gamepad auto-maps to the same buttons.
Solar Quest Longplay & Gameplay Videos
Watch a full playthrough of Solar Quest on Arcade before you dive in — recommended for getting a feel for the game's pacing, story beats, and difficulty curve.
Watch longplay on YouTube
"Solar Quest" Arcade longplay 1981
External references
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Solar Quest released?
Solar Quest was released in 1981 for the Arcade.
Who developed Solar Quest?
Solar Quest was developed by Cinematronics, available to play in your browser on RetroGameSpace.
How many players does Solar Quest support?
Solar Quest is a single-player RPG game for the Arcade.
What type of game is Solar Quest?
Solar Quest is a RPG game for the Arcade, playable instantly in your browser — no downloads, no installs.
How can I play Solar Quest for free?
Open this page and click "Play Now" — Solar Quest runs free in your browser via WebAssembly emulation. No account, no payment, no installer.
Do I need to download anything to play Solar Quest in the browser?
No. Solar Quest streams from a public archive into a browser-side Arcade emulator. Nothing is installed on your computer.
Can I save my progress in Solar Quest?
Yes. Save states are stored in your browser (IndexedDB) per game, and you can also use any in-game save the original Arcade cartridge supported.
Does Solar Quest work on mobile devices?
Yes — the Arcade emulator runs on iOS Safari and Android Chrome. Touch controls overlay the game; landscape mode is recommended.
Is it legal to play Solar Quest this way?
RetroGameSpace is a transient caching reverse-proxy and does not host first-party copies of Solar Quest. Game files are fetched on demand from publicly-accessible archives. You are responsible for compliance with your local laws and the bring-your-own-ROM principle.
