Lightening Force--Quest for the Darkstar, <i> For Genesis by Sega, $29.99 </i>

Space may be the final frontier, but it’s been pretty well explored by video game makers.

So it’s great to find a new cart that does things a little differently or does the same things better.

Such a find is Sega’s Lightening Force--Quest for the Darkstar. The price is amazing for such a solid, entertaining cart; the only misstep is the strange spelling of lightning.

Lightening Force focuses on the Galaxy Federation’s battle to find and wipe out the Lohun Empire’s battle computer, thought to be destroyed during a fierce war. The computer was really only damaged and has been seized by another Federation enemy, the Kha-Oss Legion.

If they get it working, it will pinpoint the Federation’s weaknesses and allow the Lohun gang and the Kha-Oss bunch to revive the bloody conflict.

Into the breach--you, one of the Empire’s top fighter pilots.

There are 10 increasingly difficult stages to this nonstop action adventure. Strite, the opening round, takes you to Vios, training planet for the Kha-Oss army. Combat takes place in the sky and beneath the waves of this cloudy world.

Other stages take you to a desert battlefield, an icy sea, a huge cave of vital military importance and, finally, to the Versus stage, when you take on the computer itself and its multi-armed robot defender.

First stop is the configuration screen, where you can set the buttons to your liking, select engine power from 25% to 100%, pick a difficulty level, choose up to four extra ships and eavesdrop on sound effects and music.

Those thoughtful Sega folks have given you six continues, and they come in handy. Lose all your ships and the continue puts you back at the start of your current stage, rather than all the way back to the beginning.

There are 10 weapons; you get two to start. Snag flying icons to access such killers as homing photon energy bursts, a five-direction missile spread and the ultimate weapon, the thunder sword, a monster blast of energy that will send those alien slimes back to their holes far, far away. You can also collect a shield that is quite valuable in certain frantic sections. Hang on to it as long as you can.

Graphics are spectacular; complex and colorful, they provide a feast for the eyes and are almost distracting. I lost several lives trying to check out a particularly tasty piece of scenery while battling a fleet of bad guys.

Control is also excellent. One of the best features is the ease of switching between weapons on the fly; some work better than others in certain situations, and it’s great to grab just the right gun when you need it.

And who dreamed up the bosses? Stage 1’s monster rises from the sea waving a vicious armored swinging tail, and it’s not the best of the lot.

How they can sell this great game so cheaply is beyond me, given some of the junk that goes for $50-$60. If you love a good space shooter, this is one of the best, approaching my personal favorite, R-Type.