Seeing those flying letters always fills me with a warm, fuzzy feeling. I've followed ADG basically since episode #7 or so, and it's always so nice seeing a new entry.
I dont know why this made me think of Space Bats of Doom, now i hope to see it here someday. When i got internet a long time ago i went looking for the game and found out it has 3 or 4 sequels, that was nuts
Oh wow, I love it when your videos unlock a memory. I'd totally forgotten about this one, but I know I played it back in the day. Being a fan of both Star Control and Wing Commander, how could I not? But I also recall getting bored with it pretty quickly, likely for the same reasons you mentioned.
@@Wormetti I mean, it's obscure for the concept of an "escort" mission. If this were a scouting mission to clear a path then that would be a different story. :P
BTW I've had time to catch up on this game now: in the last campaign, mission 15 one doesn't need to actually hex edit to skip - the shuttle mentioned in the briefing is just travelling 'north/up' from nav point 2 from the start, so if you're quick enough you can afterburner there without too much chasing needed
I just gave it a whirl and it actually feels really great to play. Honestly, if there was analog turning and the acceleration and drift was bit more nuanced, it'd be a pretty great little game. But I can see what you mean about it getting a bit repetitive.
Wasn't there a (possibly mouse-controlled) 3D rail shooter game with this specific group of games (with Starfire) that was also Shareware? Or at least a game with the same ship rendered in polygons? I still remember the exploding-Earth Game Over screen from one of them.
Actually not. The inspiration for PixelShips was primarily Pokémon and Gradius III. In fact, while making PixelShips I would often listen to fan-made MIDIs of Gradius III music! ;)
Is it just me, or do the ships that one escorts look like they're wrapped around by a red ribbon with a little golden bell--like a giant space-borne Lindt Bunny. :P
Star Hammer The Vanguard Propecy is actually the third Star Hammer game. There was Star Hammer Tactics released between the two but closer in gameplay to a 2D Vanguard Prophecy then to this. Edit;: IMO this is much closer to a main series Wing Commander game then Armada or Privateer. Armada is a tactics game where if you want you can fly one of the Fighters or Bombers you command. Privateer is a lot like Elite in Wing Commander's setting. You're a civilian with a small ship and are free to run cargo, smuggle, pirate, fight pirates, terrorists or either sides military and militia or follow a story campagin getting money to buy another ship or gear for your current ship.
I made note of the mobile game during the credits. It barely lasted long in the iOS store before it was pulled due to poor sales so I felt the sequel more people would be familiar with would be The Vanguard Prophecy. :B
@@Pixelmusement The original release was on Playstation Portable. The iOS release was a port of the PSP game. EDIT: I knew I had that too. There was a PC Port on Desura. Exactly as defunct now as the Playstation Minis store.
@@joe--cool Hunh... I somehow failed to notice that... Yeah, it actually came out on a bunch of platforms, yet didn't seem to stay on sale for long on any of them. :/
@@Pixelmusement Yeah it's a bit sad. The game is a kinda fun in 2 player hotseat mode. With a some more stuff added to the campaign and maybe fancier graphics it might have sold better.
4:12 Uh huh, okay. So the Sloboids are a conqueror species, sure. But the fact that they're an organic non-robitic species means they procreate, right? That measn they have children, and _babies._ So unless the game is positing that they're BORN evil (which has very 1930s German propagandist vibes 😒), then the player's mission to commit total-genocide isn't exactly justifiable no matter how the story tries to spin it. 🤨 I don't know if it's dubious or just amateur writing. 🤔
Seeing those flying letters always fills me with a warm, fuzzy feeling. I've followed ADG basically since episode #7 or so, and it's always so nice seeing a new entry.
Ah, Star Hammer... I pretty much regarded this as "Wing Commander 2D" too, have very fond memories of it!
I dont know why this made me think of Space Bats of Doom, now i hope to see it here someday. When i got internet a long time ago i went looking for the game and found out it has 3 or 4 sequels, that was nuts
Star Hammer: The game which I confuse in my head for Solar Winds: The Escape.
Solar winds is such a trip, love it!
thank you for this comment, I was trying to remember the name of that game!
Thank you for covering this. I played the shareware back in the day, and forgot what it was called when looking for it recently.
"A craft called ADC"
The Ancient DOS Computer? ;)
Oh wow, I love it when your videos unlock a memory. I'd totally forgotten about this one, but I know I played it back in the day. Being a fan of both Star Control and Wing Commander, how could I not? But I also recall getting bored with it pretty quickly, likely for the same reasons you mentioned.
"Technically this level is literally impossible... ... ... Here's how I beat it." :D
Impossible only when played as intended. It's like REQUIRING a speedrun strat which involves glitches in order to beat a game at all. :P
@@Pixelmusement flying ahead doesn't sound too obscure to be unintended but I haven't played the game, so maybe you're right
@@Wormetti I mean, it's obscure for the concept of an "escort" mission. If this were a scouting mission to clear a path then that would be a different story. :P
I loved this game - I guess I only had the shareware version so going to spend a few hours on this again! Thanks for covering
BTW I've had time to catch up on this game now: in the last campaign, mission 15 one doesn't need to actually hex edit to skip - the shuttle mentioned in the briefing is just travelling 'north/up' from nav point 2 from the start, so if you're quick enough you can afterburner there without too much chasing needed
I kinda forgot about this game - quite liked it back in the day!
I just gave it a whirl and it actually feels really great to play. Honestly, if there was analog turning and the acceleration and drift was bit more nuanced, it'd be a pretty great little game. But I can see what you mean about it getting a bit repetitive.
Wasn't there a (possibly mouse-controlled) 3D rail shooter game with this specific group of games (with Starfire) that was also Shareware? Or at least a game with the same ship rendered in polygons? I still remember the exploding-Earth Game Over screen from one of them.
Is it just me or PixelShips enjoys some inspiration from this? :)
Actually not. The inspiration for PixelShips was primarily Pokémon and Gradius III. In fact, while making PixelShips I would often listen to fan-made MIDIs of Gradius III music! ;)
Is it just me, or do the ships that one escorts look like they're wrapped around by a red ribbon with a little golden bell--like a giant space-borne Lindt Bunny. :P
aww man, I totally played the shareware version!
Is there another game that uses those graphics? Feels like seen the spaceship graphic style somewhere else...
Just found it on MobyGames: it's Starfire (1992) from same author. Pretty cool, still remember playing this!
Star Hammer The Vanguard Propecy is actually the third Star Hammer game. There was Star Hammer Tactics released between the two but closer in gameplay to a 2D Vanguard Prophecy then to this.
Edit;: IMO this is much closer to a main series Wing Commander game then Armada or Privateer. Armada is a tactics game where if you want you can fly one of the Fighters or Bombers you command. Privateer is a lot like Elite in Wing Commander's setting. You're a civilian with a small ship and are free to run cargo, smuggle, pirate, fight pirates, terrorists or either sides military and militia or follow a story campagin getting money to buy another ship or gear for your current ship.
I made note of the mobile game during the credits. It barely lasted long in the iOS store before it was pulled due to poor sales so I felt the sequel more people would be familiar with would be The Vanguard Prophecy. :B
@@Pixelmusement The original release was on Playstation Portable. The iOS release was a port of the PSP game.
EDIT: I knew I had that too. There was a PC Port on Desura. Exactly as defunct now as the Playstation Minis store.
@@joe--cool Hunh... I somehow failed to notice that... Yeah, it actually came out on a bunch of platforms, yet didn't seem to stay on sale for long on any of them. :/
@@Pixelmusement Yeah it's a bit sad. The game is a kinda fun in 2 player hotseat mode. With a some more stuff added to the campaign and maybe fancier graphics it might have sold better.
It reminds me of Asteroids lol.
I love seeing your methodology for reverse engineering gameplay mechanics.
4:12 Uh huh, okay. So the Sloboids are a conqueror species, sure. But the fact that they're an organic non-robitic species means they procreate, right? That measn they have children, and _babies._ So unless the game is positing that they're BORN evil (which has very 1930s German propagandist vibes 😒), then the player's mission to commit total-genocide isn't exactly justifiable no matter how the story tries to spin it. 🤨 I don't know if it's dubious or just amateur writing. 🤔
Amateur writing, almost certainly. :P
I think you have too much free time 😏
Not enough really, but since making ADG is my primary responsibility most of the time I do have goes towards it. :P
@@Pixelmusement 👍👍
"very basic"
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