Get Star Control!

So you’ve decided that reading about Star Control isn’t enough? Want to try it yourself? Good for you! You’ll certainly have a swell time, assuming you manage to procure the games. That isn’t always easy though, as the games are old and can be quite challenging to track down. Still, we’re here to help and will do our best to get you sat down in front of your computer with some Star Control goodness.

Star Control

Picture 1: Star Control

Star Control I is the oldest game in the series, and nowadays your best bet for getting it is either a bargain bin somewhere or and eBay. Keep in mind that original copies often come on floppies rather than CD’s and that the game was also sold in collections such as the SC1&SCII collection featuring both games on one CD. Old as it may be, the game isn’t abandonware so we don’t recommend you try to find it that way. Once you’ve got your hands on a copy, you need to figure out how to run it. The game requires Dos, which means most operating systems are out. DOSBox is your best bet here. It’s an emulator that allows you to run Dos from the comfort of your own computer, without hunting down that elusive 286 somewhere. Getting things to run can be a bit challenging, so if you need help ask around on the forum.

Picture 2: Star control 1+2

There’s also a remake in the works, by Dragon. If everything goes as planned you’ll be able to play a souped up 3D version of the game in the near future. Dragon is graciously making this in his spare time, so there’s no set timetable. For the impatient, he has a forum thread over here.

Star Control II

Picture 3: Star Control II and UQM

If you want to play an original copy of the game, you’re in the same boat as those who want SC I. Luckily, there is a port to modern systems called “The Ur-Quan Masters” for legal reasons. This port offers you the chance to play an original PC or 3DO version of the game on most modern systems. There are also plenty of customization options, such as new music. As a bonus for those who only played the game on PC, the port also features the full voice pack from the 3DO system. Go here to find out more.

Star Control 3

Picture 3: Star Control 3

Back to the bargain bin and eBay I’m afraid. No fan projects around here, and things aren’t likely to change. If you do get a copy of the game, the same DOSBox troubles apply here as well. While this isn’t the most popular game in the series, we’ll do our best to help you get it up and running as well.

StarCon

Picture 4: StarCon

This is the follow up to Star Control 3, a game that was never released. For many years, we knew nothing of it, except what little could be gleamed from a few videos. Recently, a mysterious presence called dreamer appeared upon our forum and gave us the game as an amazxing gift. Before that starlord was doing his best to give us a copy. Threads of interest on the subject can be found here and here. We're not currently hosting the game, but if you ask around it's easy enough to find.