Star Control May Be Making a Comeback

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Steve Anderson
The Video Store Guy
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Star Control May Be Making a Comeback

Oh, this is exciting! Not so long ago, word came out that Master of Orion was to be getting a new coat of paint, assorted voice actors, and some real star power. Now, new reports suggest that another former PC classic gaming line, Star Control, is also getting a renovation.

The original, which was mostly focused on ship combat, came out way back in 1990. Its sequel--the one that in a lot of ways really fired up the series by turning it into an RPG with space combat--came out just two years later. It became a cult classic to the point where fans made a complete version for public consumption, currently found under "The Ur-Quan Masters." A masterwork of comedy, action, and twists, users cruised the galaxy in search of resources and friendly races to ally with and offer their own special breed of ship with which to take on the Ur-Quan and its collective of Battle Thrall races, who in turn were beset upon by the Ur-Quan. A third installment came out later, capitalizing on the events of the second.

If it seems like I repeated myself, it's because I did, sort of. There are two breeds of Ur-Quan, you see; the race split in two after a doctrinal conflict over how best to respond to a clearly hostile universe. The Ur-Quan Kohr-Ah, who lost the right to call themselves Ur-Quan, believed the best way was to kill absolutely everything. The Ur-Quan Kzer-Za, who won the right to call themselves Ur-Quan, instead believed it was better to control the universe, either by co-opting it as subordinate Battle Thralls who helped fight, or as prisoner races, kept on their own planet underneath impenetrable shields.

What exactly the new version will be about is unclear, and its release date even less so. Though the word is that it's going to stick to Star Control 2's classic formula in many respects, and that's good news. There's also word it will be a prequel of sorts, dealing with an alien ship crash-landing on Triton, which leads to Star Control's foundation.

The whole thing is good news, in point of fact; the new Master of Orion was good as it was, but with this further classic shot of gaming, things only get better. We've got a lot of exciting new gaming options coming up, and calling on the best of the past is a smart idea. It can only go so far--we need originals to make tomorrow's throwbacks--but there's certainly room for the classics.

We'll likely see how this all turns out soon enough, but there's certainly a lot to be excited for.


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