We've got two classic game reviews today from Winter 1996-1997 (or summer for the Southerners). One is short & fat and one tall & skinny. They creep a bit closer to modern times than some of the other GamePro scans Jonathan Stone has been able to dig up. Privateer 2 launched in December 1996. It was a relatively quiet launch with dates uncertain and a nasty bug forcing some last minute fixes. British Wing Commander fans back in 1996 had to rough up Hal Taffin or risk falling off the story's path, but rough and tumble privateers weren't about to pay him for information anyways. Wing Commander 4 for the Playstation launched a couple months later. Although parts of the game were eliminated to fit on four discs, we got some neat small extras. The WC4 PSX website produced this exciting letter from Dr. Brody to Captain Eisen which helped us firmly establish the dates that the game took place.
PROTIP: Save your torpedoes. They're the only ordnance that can take out certain rebel ships.
Another helpful tip from GamePro. I'll remember that next time I'm playing X-Wing!
While we're on the topic of paired reviews, it might be neat to take a look at two Wing Commander Movie analyses by the church. The ChildCare Action Project: Christian Analysis of American Culture liked the action, effects and casting, but faulted the movie's story a bit. In a rare move, the CAP Report believes Wing Commander actually got a slightly more restrictive rating in the US than it deserved. They would have expected a PG instead of a PG13. This is in stark contrast to many other PG13 movies in their database being branded the work of the devil. They gave it a 73/100 with points docked for things such as "sharp-toothed demon" looking Kilrathi, "22 uses of the three/four letter word," "open-mouth kissing" and other sins.
There were somewhat graphic battle deaths, some sex talk and innuendo, some booze and drinking, and a few other issues of unacceptable programming such as the usual plethora of foul language. One of the male pilots was seen atop a female pilot with his face on one of her breasts. Though both were fully clothed I suppose the comments and implications were strong enough to leave nothing to the imagination, which I suppose was the reason for the PG-13 rating.
Christian Spotlight On The Movies gave the film a two-star rating with average moral overtones. The scenes between Rosie and Maniac appears to have torpedoed the movie for Christians. This reviewer wasn't quite hip to the "Pilgrim" thing and replaced it with "pioneers" of spurious genetic origin.
Wing Commander followed somewhat closely from the computer games series. Some of the characters were the same. A lot of it seemed very different from the game play...
In short, not a good movie for Christians. [ If our reviews have been helpful to you, please prayerfully consider a donation to help pay the expenses for making this service available to you and your family! Donations are tax-deductible. ]
The review also received a couple of positive and well thought out responses from frequent visitors of the site that are worth checking out for a more balanced perspective.
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