Star Control I & II

Missed this title back in the day as my PC-Gaming Adventures started around 95. As probably most people on GOG I try not to judge games by their graphics although I have to admit in the beginning this game presented me with quite a challenge in that department as did the fact that it is a pre-mouse game. All the more astounding is the vastness of gaming experience this title offers with just 5 buttons. The story is more than good, the game-play is addictive and it takes only about 15 minutes for your imagination to kick in and fill in the blanks and smooth the rough edges of the 1992 graphics. Get it, you will not be disappointed.

Having played hundreds (if not thousands) of games since 1983, if there was a single game that I remember with the most fondness and that I would definitly pick as my single all-time favorite game because it gave me the best gaming experience and amazement, that would definitly be Star Control II. It influenced my whole life because I am a SF fan by heart since then. Back in 1992 it was so full of ideas, so ahead of it's time and at the same time a gripping, funny, grand-scale galactic space opera with such an interesting story and always some stars more to explore that I simply could not get enough of it. There are still fans around today who even made a HD remake in 2013 which I recommend to get instead for a bit of a more modern UI (look for "Ur-Quan Masters HD").

First of all, my thanks go out to all the Gods of Gaming for seeing fit to inspire GoG to bring this series back. Now, on to the review! I first played Star Control 1 WAAAAY back in the day on my Sega Genesis system. It was a fun little game. Not terribly deep as stories go, but the space ship combat was great and I definitely enjoyed the planet-taking strategy portion of the game as well. And then it happened..... A few years later, a new Star Control game came out, but I didn't have a means of playing it. Luckily my friend was stupid rich and his parents had actually gotten him the Panasonic 3D0 and a copy of the game. (for those of you who didn't know, the 3D0 version was actually better than the PC version as the alien conversations were actually voice-acted!) I was in love (with the game...not my friend). We spent hours pouring over this bastion of gaming awesomeness. Flying the Vindicator from star system to star system, raping planets of their mineral wealth and capturing entire species of critters to be sold as guinea pigs to the Melnorme, swapping insults with a space dog and giggling like idiots about boinking a blue space babe (hey, we were in 8th grade...what else would you expect?). Simply put, Star Control II is still top dog on my gaming G.O.A.T. list. Even compared against the massive triple-A titles of today, nothing stands out in my memory as being a more perfect game. If you haven't played it before, BUY IT IMMEDIATELY! If you have...well...BUY IT IMMEDIATELY ANYWAY! You will not be disappointed.

SC1 and 2 were both excellent games. Having said that, the only reason to buy this pack is for SC1... SC2 has been released in an improved format as freeware (look up "Ur Quan Masters project") SC1's campaign mode is pretty decent, as it plays on a randomly generated map every time, so it will always be different. This is really the only reason to pay for this. The super melee mode is offered in SC2, so if thats all that interests you, just go download SC2. SC2's combat plays identical to the combat in SC1, featuring more ships (with the loss of three of the original ships in the story mode, still present in the melee mode) and features a much more vast exploration map and an interactive feature with each race. again... only buy it if you really want Star Control 1. SC2 is by far the superior entry in the series and you can get it for free.

Star Control 1 is okay I guess. Fun space combat, but simple. Star Control 2 is another beast altogether, and is one of the greatest games of all time.