Star Control

by Sega

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000035XNI
• Item Weight: 8 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #21,245 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I hate the Androsynth...., April 6, 2007

By 

Ethan D Van Vorst (Salisbury, NC USA) - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Star Control (Video Game)

This is one of those classic games that carved it's own niche into the gaming world when it was first released over a decade ago. Sporting a slick graphics and music (for the time the MOD files the game used for music were top of the line) pairing the player was introduced into the battle between two different warring factions. The "Alliance of Free Stars" and the "Ur-Quan Hierarchy", each side featuring 7 unique ships with thier own specific sets of strengths and weaknesses.

As backstory goes (as related by the game's instruction booklet) a rampaging species known as the Ur-Quan, large green catepillar creatures, began pushing through into the immediate area of space, subjugating each species as they went. With each new conquest the Ur-Quan forces grew stronger, forcing these new species to join them as Battle Thralls. The Chenjesu, noble crystalline creatures from the Procyon star system, began to receive signals of the Ur-Quan, and their subsequent victories, and frantically began to gather a competing alliance of the free star-faring races. Earth was the final race to be recruited and joined the ranks of the Alliance of Free Stars.

As stated before each race has 7 unique shipsets, ranging from the overpowerful Ur-Quan Dreadnought (the "flagship" of the Hierarchy), which fires powerful fusion blasts and as a secondary weapon can launch waves of autonomous fighters, to the small Umgah Drone, which is a weak and barely manueverable ship which fires a short ranged radiation cone. The Alliance sports the Chenjesu Broodhome craft, which can fire long range crystal shards which can shatter in proximity to an enemy ship. In addition it can launch DOGI's, small, autonomous spheres which track enemy ships and bleed the energy out of them when they make physical contact.

The game played out something akin to a hi tech chess match of sorts. For instance, a match between a Mycon Podship (homing plasmoids and the ability to regenerate new crew) and the slow but manueverable Earthling Cruiser (which fires homing nuclear missiles, and can intercept incoming projectiles with surplus SDI lasers), will probably be won by the Cruiser. But place a Cruiser against the much faster and more agile Spathi Discriminator (firing multiple energy projectiles, and having a secondary ability to fire rear-tracking, short range missiles) might end up a completely different way. Exploring the different matchups between ships kept players busy for many, many hours devising strategies to conquer the opposing side, and because of this the game developed a cult-following, with each fan having a favorite ship and set of strategies to employ against opponents (both computer and human).

The game is a masterpiece of design, simple and yet at the same time effective. The sequel, Star Control II: The Ur-Quan Masters, is most certainly the gold standard of the genre, and legions of fans will agree. Visit "The Pages of Now and Forever" to learn more about both games and about the possibility of a future release.

If I've earned your vote for giving a positive review from this narrative, then please feel free to leave a comment listing your favorite ship from the game. Me? I'm an Earthling Cruiser fan all the way!

5.0 out of 5 stars Good For It's Time, February 1, 2010

By 

P. Collier "RPG Fanatic05" (Idaho) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Star Control (Video Game)

After owning this game for several weeks I can say that this game was ahead of it's time. It is actually a really neat game for the Genesis. Like most genesis games it gets a little repetative after you play it for a while but it is genuinely a fun game and shows a lot of creativity on the part of the designers. Really a groundbreaking game for it's day.

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Game I Ever Bought On Amazon.com, August 9, 2006

By 

Webmaster Mark (Oklahoma, USA) - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Star Control (Video Game)

Superb! This game is almost exactly like the Amiga version!

Mark,