I picked this game up recently at the goodwill in another county. It was 2.99, which I have to admit to myself was not the best deal I could have picked up. Since starting this blog, I have kind of looked for one of these gems.

As I have mentioned in the last review, this is FMV game for the computer (DOS actually). The game was released in 1994, at this time the FMV game was going to be the wave of the future (at the goodwill on the shelves with cassette tapes). Alot of adventure games, just started using the technology, for example Police Quest 4, Gabriel Knight 2: The Beast Within, Phantasmagoria, and of course Night Trap.

Space Pirates slipped by me as a kid. It was created by American Laser Games, mostly known for Mad Dog Mcgree and Space Ace. I loved Mad Dog when I was a kid. I was the fastest draw at the arcade (at least that is what I wanted to think). I remember Mad Dog costing a whole dollar to play then, when all the other games where 50 cents. If any of you played Mad Dog, you will recognize one of the actors in Space Pirates. The old man that you talked to is in both games. After a little research. I found that this was an arcade cabinet as well.

The story involves around the evil Captain Talon, he is the guy on the cover who looks like a reject from Mutant League Football. He captures a ship of colonists and you the “Star Ranger” must save them. There is only one weapon that kills Talon and that is the star splitter cannon. So if you can’t tell it is not getting points for the story line.

The gameplay itself is just like Mad Dog, but in space... with pirates (this is way before Space Pirates where cool). It is a shoot gallery. You wait for the enemy to jump out and shoot them. It is all just memorizing where the enemies where going to jump out. I played the game on easy and after getting shot once (when the enemy shoots once and they never miss) you have to go back to the beginning of the level. It is hard on a boring level after I die at that part I know where the enemy is coming from for next time. Don’t shoot and civilians, They look just like any of the other people in the game. There is one scene where this mutated thing comes running at with its arms swinging in the air. My first reaction is that crazy thing is going to kill me. NO, he is not. He wants to give you a message in his mutant English hybrid.





Ok, all games have there good side right, the scenes where you are not doing anything and are watching a movie is great. This game has some of the cheesiest acting in a game I have ever scene. Everyone must check out the Youtube clip of the game. It looks like a high school production put it on. I cannot believe we thought this was the future of games. If you just want to laugh this is the game for you.

So, for the verdict 2 self-help books out of 5 . This is only because it is funny but not meaning to be. I usually tease the next review but I do not known what it will be. So it going to be a surprise next week.