Space Rogue

Space Rogue has to be the beginning of my love of games. Firstly you are on a scouting mission when you see the mother ship go up in a ball of flames. Stranded in space, stuck in a ship, good start. The graphics aren’t all that great but considering the game was released in the mid 80’s there aren’t bad. It has that classic arcade game look. The game is pretty much free roaming, though there is a storyline you should get around to following sometime.

The ability to free-roam allows you to travel around and explore the universe. It isn’t one of those games in which you have a long boring trip between places. There are pirates, merchants and wormholes to keep you entertained.
I wouldn’t suggest taking on the pirates until you have spent a good deal of time trading between space stations. The more you trade, the more money you get, the better you can make your ship. You go from star systems to star system through wormholes. These wormholes are multi-coloured rings you need to steer the ship through. Some of the wormholes are pretty straight other loop and twist and until you have some upgrades on your ship you just will not make it through them. The game allows for many different views which were lacking from other 3D games of this time. Through wormholes and when you are in a dog fight you see through the cockpit as in most flight simulators.
When you are travelling through a star system, you use a navigation grid. Within space stations you have a traditional over head view. One of the best things about this game is the freedom to choose whatever path that takes your fancy. Become a trader and make lots of money, become a pirate and be a wanted man or follow the plot docking at space stations getting as much information from the NPC’s as possible. If you really want to go to the bar and get drunk, it is rather amusing to watch. What kind of game would it be without a game within the game. In most of the space stations you will find an arcade machine. The game’s plot is to kill all the alien ants and their nest before they kill you. It is highly entertaining, almost as much fun as the main game itself.
This game will keep you entertained for hours on end.