Space Sim First Look: X-Wing (April 1, 1991)

[Bandit LOAF]

LucasArts - the company previously best known for ripping of Sierra's "Quest" adventure games -- is at it again... and this time they're taking aim at Wing Commander! Presumably impressed with Wing Commander's stellar sales, Lucas announced "X-Wing" at the recent Comdex show - a space shooter which puts the player in the cockpit of the X-Wing space fighter featured in several Star Wars films.

As you can see from the screenshots below, this thing isn't going to hold a candle to Wing Commander. Look at that ugly gray cockpit -- with damage measured in percents? And what are they fighting, a puke-yellow square? Did we need more evidence that textured bitmaps and not 3D objects were the wave of the future?

The game is being developed by Larry Holland and the rest of the team which brought you Battlehawks 1942 and Battle of Britain. Big mistake, LucasArts! This kind of game needs an epic storyteller and not some flight school washout. Imagine Andy Hollis running Wing Commander instead of Chris Roberts!

So, be wary of this title. I think it's going to help prove why there hasn't been a 'Star Wars' movie in eight years!

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Original update published on April 1, 1991

 

[wcnut]

Hey lay off, I happen to think this one of the greatest games ever to come out of L.A., and is definitely one of my all time favorites. And is a strong representative for the golden age of Pc gaming. For the time period, this was top quality, especially if you had all the upgrades and the B-wing expansion. Me, I just got the collectors Cd when that came out. There is more then enough room for more then one favorite classic Space Sim game. Granted this is probably an April 1st joke, but Its a little harsh against the competition. I can only wish that L.A. Had continued to release such well thought out games through the decades. But as we all know, they have not.

 

[Bandit LOAF]

The update is a joke about our own bias, not an actual criticism of X-Wing. X-Wing is an amazing game, all the more so because it's *not* a clone of Wing Commander.

WC broke all the sales records and Lucasarts - which had declined to license Star Wars to Origin for it in the first place - ordered Larry Holland to develop a clone. He deserves a lot of credit for coming up with a *unique* take on the concept that plays very differently from Wing Commander... to the point of contradicting concepts behind the Star Wars movies to achieve this in the first place (ie, X-Wing is slow and strategic instead of fast and full of action... and it largely ignores storyline in favor of more complex scenarios.)

 

[LeHah]

While I perfer the gaming series which this website honors, I wouldn't be here if it weren't for X-Wing and TIE Fighter being what they are.

 

[ELTEE]

X-Wing and Falcon 3.0 were my first two computer games. I remember the crash course I undertook in the art of boot disks - but man, was it worth it.

It was probably just a result of being so little, but playing those games (along with WC) for the first time made it feel like anything was possible...


...that is, of course, until that damned FRG Redemption mission in X-Wing.

 

[QuailPilot]

Ahhh X-wing...the first game our family ever bought. It's still a family favorite too, and we still play it alot.

My favorite mission...Tour of Duty 1 Mission 2

It's just you in an A-Wing with no missiles... and hundreds of enemies. (or it seemed lack that back then)