Classic Review Captures Academy Excitement

Here's another retro review from Heart of the Tiger. This is a 1993 preview of Wing Commander Academy by Computer Games Strategy Plus magazine, a frequent source of tantalizing WC info in the '90s. In recent years, we've encountered a few people who were surprised that Origin sold this mission builder as a standalone boxed game. It's a relatively barebones product by today's standards, but in 1993, fans were clamoring for such an item, and the ability to easily create simple missions made a very worthwhile purchase. The author does a great job of conveying the level of fun and excitement this package brought to fans!

There were fans of the original Wing Commander who complained that all that story stuff just got in the way of a really good action game. If you're one of them, then Wing Commander Academy is right up your alley. No nifty-keeno cut scenes, no sappy love interest, no boring mission briefings to sit thru, just plenty of kitty-cats to toast. Without the excess weight of those graphics and sound goodies the game weighs in at a trim 5 megs in size. So, unlike its predecessors, it is not a struggle to find space to keep it on your hard disk for that quick dogfight fix. Drag out the good joystick, 'cause the cheap one won't last very long with this game.

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Trading missions with other players will not be difficult though, as each mission file is only 1.5k. However, there is no way to lock or encrypt a mission, so your carefully set trap isn't guaranteed to surprise anybody, since they can just hop right into the editor and see the whole setup before they fly it.

But despire by nagging for more, this is one fun game. If you want to get your blood pumping, this'll do it. I had a very hard time writing this review; not because I had writer's block, or any of a million other mundane reasons, but because I had to stop playing to do it... So if ya'll will excuse me now, I have some kitty butt to kick...

Brings back memories of getting my EMS set up in order to play!