Startopia (Jewel Case)

by Square Enix

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00079MUXE
• Media: CD-ROM
• Release Date: December 27, 2004
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #27,219 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun Strategy Game, May 11, 2008

By 

_blackfire_ - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Startopia (Jewel Case) (CD-ROM)

I remember getting this game when it first came out and playing it for hours on end. I replayed it in just the last couple weeks, and I remembered how much fun it was and so completely addictive it is!

I do, however, want to mention that this CD is for 95B/98/ME. I have it running on Windows XP, but after a certain point the computer locks up and I can't get past it. I will restart the game and once it gets to the same spot again it locks up again.

I know that MuckyFoot is no more, so there won't be any 'official' updates, but if there was ever a game to be re-released for current software and hardware, this would be the one.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Still a Favorite, February 15, 2008

By 

Lisa Shea "medieval swordfighting enthusiast" - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Startopia (Jewel Case) (CD-ROM)

A sim game set on an alien space station, StarTopia also has a great Douglas-Adams style sense of humor.

The player takes the role of an administrator, responsible for gaining revenue (in the form of energy) by convincing guests to spend money at the station. To do this, the player must keep the station running and build plenty of attractions for the guests. The station is divided into three decks - the technical deck where the more business-like events take place (housing buildings like Sick Bays, Research Laboratories, Docking Bays, and Security Control), the recreation deck where you will put most of the buildings that you want your guests to spend money at (such as various stores, hotels, and bars), and the biodeck, where you can conform the terrain to match your guests' particular preferences. There are a multitude of alien species (no humans, which is fairly unique). These range from the standard Gray aliens to the piggish Groulien Salt Hogs to the monk-like Zedem. Each alien race has a unique specialty - the Grays are best at medical pursuits, the two-headed Turakeen are great researchers, the Salt Hogs will do the dirty work that other races disdain, and so on. You can hire a guest (the more skilled he or she is, the more expensive he or she will be) and they will staff whichever building they prefer racially.

Most of your structures and equipment comes in pre-packaged boxes. Right clicking unpacks these boxes and gives you a blueprint. Some blueprints are solid structures that can't be changed, while others are modular rooms that can be made larger or smaller and must be filled with equipment to work. When laid down, the building will be constructed by your Scuzzers - maintenance droids that, depending on their model, will either walk, roll, or hover. You don't have control of the entire space station at first; it's divided into sections on each deck that you must pay energy to access (by opening the giant bulkheads that separate the compartments). Rival factions (which may be rivals either in a peaceful, financial sense or in a more violent and hostile sense) may exist on the station as well, and these rivals will have their own bulkheads in separate parts of the station.

There is a story mode, a sandbox mode (with many changeable variables), and a multiplayer mode (though whether or not it works with GameTap is questionable). There aren't a lot of recurring characters except for Arona, the greedy, swindling merchant who you have to rely on at certain points in the game.

The graphics have held up pretty well despite their age; the aliens and the design of the structures are still pretty neat looking and well done. As a sort of neat touch, the station is curved slightly (the entire thing is a donut shape) which can be kind of seen as you move through the various segments. The sound is really well done as well; there's a separate "voice" for every alien race, and the music changes depending on which level of the station you are on - quiet and serene on the engineering deck, wild and exciting on the pleasure deck, and on the Biodeck there's only ambient noises.

Out of all the "tycoon" games that I've played, this one is still my favorite and still the most unique. I would definitely say it is still a fun and viable game.

9/10.

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars SimCity, But Much Better, July 28, 2005

By 

Lone Wolf "Lone Wolf" (USA) - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Startopia (Jewel Case) (CD-ROM)

The game is the same as SimCity, but there's no annoying and costly monthly fee!

The network gaming feature doesn't work well, and it uses gamespy, but playing over a LAN works great.

Compared to the graphics of current games, Startopia is only average, but the fun factor is high, making it a joy to play.

Battles between other players is an option, but the game mainly focuses on city expansion.

The BioDeck level proves to be a special challenge presented to players as a terraforming minigame, from a moonscape to a wooded forest with animals. Of course, the terraforming experience takes time to evolve from nothing into something.

Depending on your choices, terraforming can produce special resources that you would normally have to buy or create.

Events, such as solar flares, can add unexpected challenges to the game. Such settings can be toggled, and the frequency of their occurrence can be set.

There is a handful of different aliens in the game, and each specializes in a different job. Their roles range from Security to Medical Sickbay Personnel, Researchers, and Monks. (The Monks can produce over 5000 credits, used for tasks such as powering the station or buying resources and buildings.)

The fun factor is well worth the price!