Wing Commander III on the 3DO

dave4shmups

Spaceman
Has anyone on these forums played the 3DO port of Wing Commander III, and if so, is it any good? I have a 3DO and I know that there's a flight stick that was released for it, so I'm thinking that that would make playing the game more enjoyable. I know that Wing Commander III is available on gog.com, but I don't think it has any controller support.
 
The 3DO port of Wing Commander III is excellent and it's significantly different from the PC release! They redesigned all of the missions to make them more action oriented to better fit the console and the result is a really neat, different experience -- almost 'Wing Commander 3.5'. Gameplay graphics aren't as high quality as the PC release but they feel appropriate... and the movies are actually a little better (AND there are a few that were cut from the PC release!)

The GOG release of the PC version should support your controllers just fine, though - it runs through DOSBox which lets you simulate a classic joystick with whatever you're using.
 
The 3DO port of Wing Commander III is excellent and it's significantly different from the PC release! They redesigned all of the missions to make them more action oriented to better fit the console and the result is a really neat, different experience -- almost 'Wing Commander 3.5'. Gameplay graphics aren't as high quality as the PC release but they feel appropriate... and the movies are actually a little better (AND there are a few that were cut from the PC release!)

The GOG release of the PC version should support your controllers just fine, though - it runs through DOSBox which lets you simulate a classic joystick with whatever you're using.

What are the controls like with the standard 3-button controller? I know it also has shoulder buttons, but that's what concerns me.
 
They're fairly awkward, they never really mastered porting Wing Commander with a controller. But it does support the 3DO Flightstick Pro which is a great improvement.
 
I remember recently trying Super WC on 3do and the controls killed me. I didn’t know about that flightstick option though but still without a keyboard it’ll be pretty rough. From what I played Super WC looked absolutely great I just got my ass kicked super fast lol.
 
GOG.com is just using standard protocols to translate pretty much any USB joystick/controller to the game's inputs. You probably won't get any advanced features, but most modern joysticks should work fine.
 
WC3 3DO question. I'm going to playing on original hardware once I get my 3DO, hooked up via S-VIDEO to a XRGB-mini go-between device that should make it look good on a modern TV. I've been watching some of Bandit LOAF's playthrough on All Wings Considered (*waves* cool channel guys 'n gals!) and am wondering - given the option, would you folks recommend interlacing to add perceived sharpness, or should I keep it "solid" for the best experience.

It's been a long time since I played WC3 (at the time, PC version), but I sort of have fond memories of interlaced movies on that version...which is raising the question.

Also, would this same advice apply to Super Wing Commander?

Thanks!
 
Fair enough. Yeah...I'll have to see how they both look in person and decide. Any opinions certainly welcome, tho'!
 
When given the option, I tend to prefer non-interlaced, but it depends on the quality of the device you're using the smooth it out. If it looks weird, then change it back.
 
Good to know - thanks all. Seems like the consensus here and for 3DO in general is not to play interlaced, but I'll try a few different things with it and see what I prefer. Leaning towards not now. I have both games (SWC and III) and the Flightstick Pro in; now I just need the 3DO itself. =oP
 
Got everything and was able to try this out tonight! I ended up getting a UK unit for the 3DO and didn't think about the UK power plug, so I ended up having to get a power converter as well, but well worth it!

First, in regard to scanlines and my earlier question, yeah - definitely prefer it on the 3DO with scanlines off. They're just way too prominent for this version. It's one of those things I had to see in person, and it's completely obvious that I shouldn't use them. =oP

I'm actually very surprised by how well WC3 runs on this thing - the videos are nice and snappy/skippable, which I wasn't expecting, and the combat is great fun! I definitely see what Bandit LOAF means by a lot more action oriented, but it's *fun*! I thought the poorer ship graphics would bother me from the videos more than they do - it actually looks fine and runs quite well, and things like the color comms are really neat!

Happy to say the Flightstick I got is good too! I do have to have the trim controls adjusted a bit for whatever reason (I don't think you can do a calibration routine on the 3DO?), but it's very pleasantly playable and quite similar to the PC experience in that regard. The buttons will take some getting used to but aren't bad, and the default mappings for WC3 are pretty good!

Overall, very happy with the equipment I got, and looking forward to experiencing both this and Super Wing Commander.

P.S.: Oh, and I learned something new! 3DO's output traditional stereo (white plug, red plug), but I noticed WC3 had the Dolby Surround logo at startup. You can use Pro Logic for 3D sound if you have a receiver that supports it. I never knew 3D sound could be generated from just a stereo signal. :confused: I'm still not sure I understand the how of that...
 
P.S.: Oh, and I learned something new! 3DO's output traditional stereo (white plug, red plug), but I noticed WC3 had the Dolby Surround logo at startup. You can use Pro Logic for 3D sound if you have a receiver that supports it. I never knew 3D sound could be generated from just a stereo signal. :confused: I'm still not sure I understand the how of that...

There's a way that it processes the signal to create the extra channels. Generally speaking whatever is identical in the right and left gets put in the center channel. The surround channels are encoded/decoded by using a phase shift. There's a bit more to it than that but those are the basics. TV shows like Star Trek TNG were great on a surround setup because you would get the thrumming of the ship core and other ambient ship sounds all around.
 
Wow! I never even realized - cool stuff! =) I'm sure it was amazing for TNG! Thanks for the explanation!
 
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