41. Alpha Centauri
Today we’re posting the last of issue two’s hardcover-only content — and, maybe by coincidence, the last of the games voted into this issue with which I have zero experience. From here on out, it’s all familiar titles that everyone loves, like Silver Surfer for NES and that one game where you beat up Osama bin Laden as the final boss. (No, not Assassin’s Creed. The other one.)
7 thoughts on “GameSpite Quarterly 2, #41: Alpha Centauri”
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Man, I had a demo of this that I played to death.
…There’s a lot of games that fit this description. I wonder if demo culture’s changed, or I just stopped doing that.
It’s kind of ironic, I bought this to play for myself, but never got around to it. My brother did, though, and played the crap out of it. Looked like it would be a lot of fun, in any case. I know some people love Civilization, but the sci-fi bent to this just makes it more appealing. Kind of like Master of Orion II. :)
Silver Surfer is one of the single most frustrating (and worst) games I’ve ever played. I love it.
Oh, but Silver Surfer’s music is AWESOME. Tim and Geoff Follin really nailed it. There are some really impressive tricks that make you wonder if they somehow slipped some extra hardware into the NES sound chip.
Alpha Cent is basically Civilization if you had to (or got to) make units from the parts you’ve researched. For some people, that’s awesome and flexible, and for others, it’s completely tedious.
I agree that the game has lost a lot with age, but man, at its peak? Alpha Centauri was so, so good.
Bio Force Ape?
Custom units are neat, but I maintain the really great thing about AC was the diplomacy. Factions led by strongly defined characters with consistent viewpoints on various social issues they REALLY feel strongly about, and who provide all the tech quotes for added depth. Plus I just get a kick out of all the personal slander going on between particular leaders.
The blind tech tree is also neat. Always kinda bugged me in Civ how you can decide to research, specifically, the wheel, or monarchy. What exactly are my scientists doing between deciding this is a concept worth pursuing and being done that takes so long? Focusing on a basic area and getting what pops out makes a lot more sense.