Retro Review: Star Wars: Tie Fighter

- Tie Fighter is available on GoG! www.gog.com/game/star_wars_tie...
- If you don't have a joystick, this should get you set up fairly cheaply: www.amazon.com/Extreme-3D-Pro-...
- Excellent reading about the life and death of mainstream flight sims: mostlyfilm.com/2011/07/27/air-...
- The 1995 DOS version (included with the GoG purchase) is the one you want. Steer clear of the 1998 Windows re-release (also included in the GoG purchase. It can be confusing.) 1998 gimped the music tech and broke the torpedos, modding is required to partially restore DOS version's quality.
- A helpful guide on getting the 1995 CD-ROM DOS version up to date, as well as configuring it with Xbox pads, check here: www.savingcontent.com/2014/08/...
- NOTE: This guide also includes some tips on upgrading the music quality, ctrl-F for "MT-32" if you want to try that.
- The game will only auto-config about three buttons on your joystick for you. For the rest, make your own custom joystick scheme with JoyToKey: joytokey.net/en/
- I mapped "match speeds" "change weapons" and "toggle laser link" and the next/prev targets to my extra joystick buttons. You can do whatever.
- The Thinking Trooper is from www.etsy.com/listing/18387773...

[@spoffproduction]

For my buddy and me, X-wings was a co-op game. He piloted, with the joystick, while I was his trusty astromech using the keyboard. Sounds geek and yes it was. It was another way to play.

[@samtheweebo]

I did that too once or twice :D

[@torg1]

Are you me? This is exactly how I played the game

[@AudieHolland]

Nah, "X-wing" *not* "X-wings" should be played by a single player. You'll be stuck with braindead wingmen who like nothing more than getting shot up and blown up by enemies nearby. Even the so-called "veteran" wingmen were goners in a mission or two. Finishing "X-wing" without any cheats was an honour thing for me. I finally did it, back in the day, after having wrecked one perfectly good joystick (before learning that doing the 'Wotan-weave' or simply spiraling with the button depressed was a much more efficient way of escaping enemy laser bolts. But really, "Tie Figher" was a vast improvement over "X-wing." It had better design, different, customisable levels of difficulty, etc. "X-wing" had only one level of difficulty: 'next to impossible.' Example: in one mission, you have to board an Imperial Nebulon-B Frigate, "aided" by six Y-wings. In the movies, proton cannon had the advantage of not being hindered by any active shields on a target. But in the game, you had to first destroy the shields, then you could instantly disable the target. However, the Y-wings were being controlled by drone pilots even worse than the regular 'AI'-wingmen. They would not use their torpedoes but they would uselessly fire their protoncannon which were stopped by the frigate's massive shields. In the end I completed this mission by ordering the Y-wings to *stay the hell away* from the frigate. After destroying 9 or so Tie-fighters, I then started attacking the Nebulon-B Frigate in my A-wing figher. Alone. With two laser cannon and also having to disengage to recharge my shields, it took literally ages before the starship's shields were down. Then I ordered the useless (less than) Y-wings to stop napping and give the ship a few shots of protonfire. After having completed the entire game I abandoned it and never looked back. "Tie-fighter," on the other hand, is an actual game with decent gameplay.

[@dgerdi]

Steve Gravel a great way! Just saying

[@JoeFF85]

My best friend switched off from pilot to Astromech, too!

[@MagicAccent]

"Your will be flying the Tie Bomber designated Alpha 1, you will have no wingmen. The main enemy force will consist of A-wings, X-wings and Corellian corvettes, entrenched in a heavily mined area. Scan all mines and enemy craft for information about the imperial traitor. Deliver your findings to Admiral Harkovs SSD, and await special instructions. There are no reinforcements available for this mission." 0_o "Good luck pilot!"

[@NephritduGrey]

+MagicAccent "Your mission, should you choose/decide to accept it, ..."

[@221b]

+MagicAccent Don't forget that you also have to inspect and disable a fleeing ship that jumps to hyperspace five seconds after the mission begins, so that it can be boarded by a troop transport with a hull made of tissue paper. Still love the game, though.

[@TangFiend1]

"Reinforcements will be available. Two assault gunboats from flight Mu will enter 13k away and engage the Y-wings. "

[@DarkRaptor99]

Some of the expansion pack missions were freaking insane

[@orumonuldor1340]

Yeah, that sounds about right.

[@bloodrunsclear]

I'm kind of amazed that the idea of 'playing the bad guys' hasn't been really present in more games. The conflict between the secret theocracy and the military grunts made for a compelling story. Also the notion of being completely disposable instead of 'the chosen one' is something sadly lacking in a lot of games.

[@YoStu242]

In movies there's immediate outcry from "those" people if it doesn't please them. As with recent movie Joker, there's campaign against it because story is sympatethically viewed from bad guy's perspective. I suppose same goes with games too.

[@eLJaybud]

Disney consumers. I hate them all.

[@Spectreofwar]

@@YoStu242 I think it depends on which story or which presentation. There are a handful of bad guys in cinema we totally root for: John Wick, for example, is an assassin and contract killer - not a good guy. True, in the movies he goes after other bad guys, but fans are rabid over him. Speaking of the Joker, Heath Ledger's presentation was so good I have no doubt that people would have gone nuts to see HIS Joker's origin story. GoT had a handful (Jaime Lannister definitely counted as a bad guy early on, as did Sandor Clegane, but audiences loved seeing more of them and rooted for them) and of course there's Loki from the MCU - who I heard is getting his own series(?). So you may be onto something about needing to please people, but I don't think that's so much about the movie using a bad guy as a protagonist as much as it is about the presentation on the whole; there are too many movies to count that have a good guy in the starring role that people downright hated.

[@Webshooters1]

@@Spectreofwar Well as the saying goes, a hero is only as good as their villain.

[@Brackynews]

Getting a full medal case in X-Wing and Tie is just the god damn best feeling.

[@zef3k]

+Brackynews I was 6 or 7 when Tie came out and I still remember how great getting medals was. And also the photon torpedoes were awesome.

[@gearsofMEAT]

+zefyr0s dude come on photon torpedoes only exist in the lame realm of star trek. Proton Torpedo

[@billyumbraskey8135]

honestly are you even a fan

[@eLJaybud]

🤦

[@TheNewFlesh]

X-Wing and TIE Fighter are the reasons that I can't extract fun from Elite: Dangerous. They set the bar too high.

[@joopezixzixzix]

+TheNewFlesh Elite is too arcadey to be compared to a full-blown flight sim like tie fighter. Hopefully SC will give us a good twitch-style flight sim, they are certainly adding a lot of depth/customization to the controls but whether they can get the flight model to work or not remains to be seen.

[@danieleigler2716]

+TheNewFlesh that and elite isn't exactly compelling... the universe is literally 200,000 light years across,.. but only an inch deep.

[@TaurionMartell]

+Daniel Eigler thats deep

[@tillmannfischer]

+Taurion Martell Apparently not deep enough... ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

[@joopezixzixzix]

Daniel Eigler AFAIK the elite 'universe' has depth and real world building, it's just not implemented into the game-play, atm factions and 'encounters' feel like diablo loot.

[@mikes7423]

TIE FIGHTER: Still to date, one of the best games to have ever graced PC.

[@nklin6]

I just bought a joystick so i could replay this game

[@LUNATIC75]

I always preferred X-Wings atmosphere, but Tie Fighter was the better (and less rage quitty) game. Those were the days. For the Empire!

[@eLJaybud]

Atmosphere... Are you sure? Let the hate flow through you.

[@necromorph1109]

Just like that you could play the "bad guys" No way could you do that now. Especially after the Disney take over.

[@willlauzon3744]

FOR THE EMPIRE!

[@atreides213]

'Battlefront is an authentic Star Wars experience'. Yeah, because as we all know, your average run of the mill rebel trooper had access to fucking jet packs and were drip fed bacta so their health regenerated ludicrously fast. Give me a break.

[@SugaryCoyote]

+atreides213 They say as Luke Skywalker runs around Hoth in his Return of the Jedi clothing.

[@atreides213]

+SugaryCoyote What? You want us to put Luke in a different costume depending on his environment? Do you think we're trying to make an EFFORT or something?

[@Bloggerboy1000]

+atreides213 Muh immersion!

[@Bloggerboy1000]

inoffensive coddler Good point.

[@specialagentgeralt9763]

+atreides213 Don't forget the the most disciplined and fanatical soldiers in the galaxy running around with their helmets off carrying Tuskan Raider rifles! Or how we just magically teleport away from the battlefield into a vehicle... Beam me up Scotty! Oh wait - wrong franchise >__>

[@specialagentgeralt9763]

A perfect example of where priorities were 20 years ago vs today. Back then it was about passion and truly trying to push the limit of technology. It was an age of technological discovery. Today it's less about that and more about fulfilling quotas and profit. I have no doubt that there are many developers out there that have nothing short of a desire to make the game of their dreams but the massive companies and grand marketing schemes of today will never let creativity truly blossom. Not while there is money to be made and a consumer to provide it. It's no longer about pushing the bar but rather delivering the generic norms that people have come to expect with the latest graphics and a new number slapped next to the title. Quantity over quality and simple function over one of a kind experience. Games are shallow and only their surface appeal gets any real polish rather than actually making something deep that requires time and passion to get into. Tragic really...

[@surject]

Hmmm, maybe you should give Star Citizen a shot.

[@catiseith]

Now that was an awesome nostalgia trip! For all the video I had a big smile in my face, and I could almost feel that long stick in my hand... That... didn't sound right... at all...

[@Gothmatix]

+CaitSeith That is the internet :)

[@Ariksu]

+CaitSeith Alpha one this is Delta one! Secondary mission objective complete. The emperor will be pleased.

[@catiseith]

***** Sweet! But, can we use ink instead of an electric bolt for my tattoo? Last time I couldn't shake hands without giving electric shocks for two days...

[@id104335409]

Aaah, those good old days when you were pulling your stick to it's limits.

[@SeedofCreed]

I'd be so down for a new TIE Fighter game. If they were worried about alienating potential players with a complex control scheme, they could have a "arcade" option, that's simplified but lacks the in-depth control.

[@askagorn]

+LP Hovercraft Never compromise

[@Bladsmith]

+kanalgrävare Except that's not a compromise, that's a game mode.

[@askagorn]

***** Sacrificing development time to please casuals

[@Bladsmith]

kanalgrävare Casuals are also allowed to enjoy games and give devs money.

[@SidheKnight]

+kanalgrävare They could patch it in later.

[@TheTyjah]

I just got the game on Steam last night and in full screen mode. I agree about the fact that having every key on the keyboard do something makes it more immersive and interesting, because of the learning curve which makes you feel accomplishment the more you master it to become a true elite tie fighter pilot. So many good memories of playing this game as a kid.

[@Bitscreed]

I still have my TIE Fighter Collector's CD-ROM edition disc, in its original jewel case. It's criminal that we haven't had a faithful remaster for modern systems.

[@-Gumbo]

X-wing is being overhauled. 'XWVM' and it should have VR.

[@ytucharliesierra]

gog.com is selling it ready for download and play on your Win10 for a good price. They include a fully configured portable Dos routine that launches the game. Very neat!

[@Keihryon]

@@-Gumbo That is a fan-made overhall, which will most likely mean a cease and desist order soon. If it hasn't already.

[@KrazzeeKane]

​@rigsby2222 that mod will never release at this damn rate. They started development in 2018, and it's now almost 2024 and there is no playable version of it. They've instead decided to apparently spend the next year or so ripping out all star wars references and such, so essentially killing the X Wing part of XWVM. It simply doesn't look as exciting as it used to--personally I recommend the Tie Fighter Total Conversion for XWing Alliance. It is absolutely stunning and fully playable now, they don't do the stupidity of XWVM and keep everything completely closed and not even allow people to play any alphas or betas. I have my severe issues with any programmers who act that way in regards to mods of other peolples games. There is an inherent hypocrisy in people being protective of their mod which is using other people's art and code anyway lol

[@theangrymilitant]

TIE Fighter Total Conversion for X-Wing Alliance is nothing short of incredible. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

[@PrimePixelHD]

I still have hope for another Jedi Knight or Republic Commando game...

[@gino456123789]

+Prime A Jedi Knight III would have me giddy not gonna lie.. Maybe Imperial Commando's? lol

[@tonepursuit7110]

+John “Red” Guzzi I thought Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy WAS part III?

[@gino456123789]

El Manimal Not that I know of?

[@PrimePixelHD]

+John “Red” Guzzi Technically Academy is Jedi Knight III, but the series is a bit confusing in naming, with Dark Forces being the first entry and an expansion pack for Dark Forces 2 being the first 'Jedi Knight'.

[@PrimePixelHD]

+Prime *Cant edit on mobile* Dark Forces 2 was the first Jedi Knight, I mistakenly remembered only the expansion being called that.

[@Cplblue]

X-Wing, TIE Fighter, and of course X-Wing vs TIE Fighter were god damn fun. I spent countless hours as a kid playing those games. Used to play against my neighbor friend back in the old days. Really wish they'd remake them with today's graphics. Hopefully, with the resurgence of space sims, we maybe lucky to see one.

[@mykeprior3436]

Bump from the dead. XvT was the goat for PvP on Dial-up.

[@Fortonor]

I've just had flashbacks to a very distant time, sitting in front of a primitive PC with a barely working joystick, confused and lost but immersed up to my ears right into the world of my childhood's favorite movies. I very nearly forgotten that at some point games could construct this good of a suspension of disbelief. It also just dawned on me how heavily another beloved classic game from a slightly more recent memory borrowed from Tie Fighter. I'm talking about Descent: Freespace of course. Damn, remembering these games makes me really miss the old days. :D

[@ThisIsMyFullName]

Star Wars: Tie Fighter reminds me of how far away we've come from immersive games. Not in a visual sense, but in an emotional way. There's very long between games that actually makes you feel like you're a part of the game, and not just someone watching the game.

[@xisumavoid]

Great video! Love what you do :-) Really enjoyed the retro game, bit of a flash back to playing the x-wing equivalent for MS-DOS, i loved it, but it always crashed a few levels in :-)

[@SliceOfFish]

+xisumavoid you are everywhere :)

[@Cleath78]

Yo xisuma

[@PauLtus_B]

Those cloaked figure missions would be DLC nowadays...

[@datalor3698]

That and "revealed bonus goals" for 8.99...

[@guilhermecaiado5384]

And till, people will ask for a Remake, full of microtransactions, paid DLCs and stuff.

[@scootcha]

A-wings: OP then, OP now

[@bduddy55555]

+stumpz OP? Nah. Weak weapons and fragile as fuck. They're just annoying.

[@ReyndommVideos]

+bduddy55555 Make for good suicide bombers, though.

[@scootcha]

bduddy55555 Yeah, and invincibility shield sure does make them fragile.

[@Faethin]

+stumpz Yeah, flying an A-Wing almost made me feel bad for the poor schmucks flying around in TIE Fighters. That is, until they introduced the Assault Gunboat and the invisible TIE.

[@jawafreak230]

+stumpz and Now :(

[@robbhays8077]

To me, this is the best video game ever created.

[@darthhole6818]

The 90s had a lot of great games. One of my favourites of all times (while it is a bit glitchy and a bit easy) is the first Dungeon Keeper. I fucking love that game.

[@rffg781]

Seconded!

[@nklin6]

Im replaying it today

[@yousircantknow8987]

Tie Fighter and X-Wing: Better designed games than anything out today.

[@Lirky77]

I was there when Tie Fighter came out. Best game of my life. Recently, I purchased the MAC version on GoG to put it on my videoprojector screen. A dream, finally, came true. 20 years ago movie like screen didn't exist (cheap ones anyway).

[@JimHabash]

I played the entire game through, and was addicted to it in 1995-96, absolutely absorbed into it. Just a fabulous game. Such a fabulous game. Unbelievable.

[@James_Bee]

I loved this game. Ironically, the parallels to current events... scary.

[@jonikoskinen5334]

Damnit George, your videos just keep getting better. It just works.

[@ivirusgame]

Once again you cement your titular position as best game's journalist on KZbin. All the best to you and your family for 2016.

[@Howlrunner82]

and thats why the Empire will always be cooler then the Rebels with their shielded X-Wings...Imps have skills

[@jawafreak230]

+Howlrunner82 haha, right?

[@AudieHolland]

Imperials also have massive numbers of easily replacable Tie-fighter cannonfodder.

[@legatus_newt]

This video showered me with good memories from my gaming childhood. I might go back and play this game again.

[@Spectacular_Insanity]

I have X-Wing Alliance from gog. One of my favorite Star Wars games of all time.

[@Nutricula87]

What an amazing review! So well done and in depth.

[@JackieFroSTALKER]

As someone who only recently got around to watching the original trilogy, I feel like I have so much to catch up on with all these games and books and things!

[@viktorsandstrom5281]

You make incredibly well thought out videos.

[@Agito56]

I’m sad that you’re gameplay video is gone. Your Wasteland run and Tie Fighter gameplay was so fun to watch.

[@showersmoker]

Amazing review! I just installed Tie fighter last night! Busted out my joystick and everything. It was hard to stop playing. Game holds up very well. Remember to go into compatibility mode and run the game in 256 colors if you're playing on Windows 7.

[@Thomas-mt3xx]

Great review because you talk about the game mechanics but also about why it's special to you. I like that it immerses you and that, sadly, is lost today in most games where KD is all players are after...

[@RichyWow]

That was my favorite review of yours SBH, cheers!

[@buildings_and_food]

it's great hearinf about games that you love. I've never played tie fighter but I kinda want to now - and never would have without your video!

[@makosn]

I played the hell out of this back in the day, great to see it finally hit GoG. Another great retro review, cheers.

[@pho3nix-]

Great review! this took me back memory lane.

[@chakky533]

Recently a lot of references and videos have been made to this game, yet this is is the only review that has actually explained and presented why it seems so beloved. thanks for this video!

[@jbal6956]

Most of the things George says in this video also apply to the fantastic Freespace 2, if anyone has a hankering for a great old space game.

[@ChadTheGamingDad]

Nice video. The X-Wing series is my favorite..all time. I smile when I hook up my PC to my 4K tv and load up the special edition with graphics and sound .. I just think of how my teenage mind would have been blown to see how I play my favorite game today.

[@gungriffen]

I've been playing MechWarrior Online and Warthunder and on both the Joystick is next to useless. Forums upon forums say that it's because the Joystick is an inferior piece of hardware next to the mouse and it was abandoned for not being very good. I spent dozens (close to a hundred) of hours on War Thunder trying to get the Joystick to "feel" right. Even now it feels ...ok or more like slightly less than ok. I got bored one day and loaded up X-Wing vs Tie Fighter, no fucking around at all with the options I could not believe that all I had to do was plug in my joystick and it was perfect. The turning, fine controlling, easy acquisitions everything. It was just plug in play! This has restored my faith in the Joystick and casted a long shadow of doubt that companies just don't give a fuck anymore on even trying to get it right.

[@vp-retro]

+Gungriffen A control instrument for a more, "Civilized" gaming age...

[@erdervv]

+Gungriffen depend what mode you play, it's useless in AB and RB, but you really can't play simulator battles without a joystick, it's quite fun to use it in those.

[@Neverhoodian]

My favorite Star Wars game critiqued by my favorite KZbin channel! This was certainly a pleasant surprise in my subscription feed! As weird as this may sound, Tie Fighter played a major role in shaping my growth as a person. I was eight years old when my parents got it for me as a Christmas present. While the solid technical and gameplay elements played major roles, it was the game's portrayal of the Empire in a positive light that really hooked me. I had never really considered alternate points of view and shades of gray morality up until then, and Tie Fighter pulled it off so convincingly that I was thoroughly entranced. I knew that the Empire was an oppressive and tyrannical regime from the films, yet I couldn't help myself from wholeheartedly adopting the Imperial mindset during my play sessions. It helped me to better grasp concepts of morality and conflict, how your average soldier is fighting for what they believe is right, regardless of the side they're on. After all, you weren't a bad guy in Tie Fighter; you were simply maintaining peace and stability by fending off terrorist insurgents and other agents of chaos (an interpretation that took on a whole new thought-provoking degree in the post 9-11 world). Even my viewing of the Star Wars films took on a whole different perspective; I found myself wondering during certain scenes if all those dead Stormtroopers and Tie pilots would be missed by their squadmates, or if they left behind grieving families back home. In this sense, Tie Fighter immersed me in the universe in a way no other Star Wars product has; it dared to challenge the strict light vs. dark duality and give a face to the faceless.

[@RetroPowerUp]

Tie Fighter was hands down one of my favorite Star Wars PC games ever. I spent so many hours in that game.

[@animal10.05]

The most memorable part of the game is sludging through what seems like hundreds of missions to finally act as escort to the emperor himself and to just instantly destroy him and to feel like you were the most successful undercover spy that has ever existed.

[@matfantastic1]

Just discovered your channel through Reddit. It's really cool! Subscribed.

[@TheBigBigSean]

Loved this game when I was 16-17. Star Wars in the 90s was some of my favorite stuff.

[@kimchipower]

Just wanted to say that this review is a really good example of why I like your reviews in general. You don't waste time going over the plot and the basic control schematics...I can look all that stuff up on my own. Rather, you spend a lot of time articulating exactly why the game was enjoyable and how the specific design features factor towards that. I played X-Wing back in the day, but my PC's lacking performance prevented me from fully enjoying the game. Watching this review really makes me want to nab this game on GOG and shell for a flight sim joystick. Kudos.

[@ricardocruz6322]

A very nice review! Please do the SW Squadrons review too when it comes out!😁

[@sardukar1234]

been waiting 20 years for a remake of this and xwing alliance

[@LawmanIL]

LOVE this game. Still have my boxed DOS version with the 1.44 floppies. Glad to see it finally getting the internet love it deserves!

[@zetec]

This is the love letter for my favorite game that I've been waiting for. Thank you.

[@-CrimsoN-]

I only recently played Tie Fighter this year for the first time and I absolutely love it! I even managed to get it setup with my TWCS throttle and sidewinder force feedback 2. I had to use joytokey to sort of emulate, but it works surprisingly well and actually makes the game significantly easier from what I've seen.

[@huxleypig69]

Still playing, and loving this game in 2020.

[@Autotrope]

Mention the music! Unlike modern Star Wars games it has an original score which still incorporates some Star Wars themes while inventing new ones.

[@Feark]

Agreed, I would love an updated graphic, like the 1998 version, but it has to be the midi sounds (atleast an updated one that sounds similar and changed dependent on the battle situation. The ultimate version would be a VR ported one!

[@paganarh]

One of my most favourite SW games of all time, it actually introduced me to the movie series. "X-Wing vs.TIE fighter" was great too, but nothing beats the experience of being a cannon fodder for huge Imperium and survive no matter what, versus sitting in an heavily armored and shielded fightercraft, fulfilling some "destiny" or something.

[@duncanforster9199]

Utterly love this game, have since I was 14! Got it on GOG as soon as it was available and got myself a flight stick, 20 quid total spend, 60 hours plus killing rebel scum, pirates, dissidents etc. Heaven

[@davidmariopratt]

Very well said! You hit everything I've noticed upon my time with this sim. I often think to get another copy myself and delve back into itS. It is a great game!

[@MCJeeba]

Great video as always. Keep up the good work.

[@paulyb6458]

Pissed away so much of my youth on this game. And loved every minute, hour, day....

[@tbranch227]

I would love for a hi-fidelty sim to come out for star wars again. X-wing and Tie-fighter were great to play and really immersive in my favorite part of the star wars universe.

[@davidlanzafame8609]

Thank you so much for this wonderful reminder of a game that dominated my waking hours as a teenager. It's amazing to see how that game expanded on the such a simple idea about being an Imperial pilot, and doing so with such confidence. Good luck trying to make a game like that now. So again, thank. I think I'm going to mosey over to GOG.com for now.

[@NotAnAveragePerson]

"The physical sensation of pulling, pushing and struggling your stick against the motions on the screen can't be beat." -Super Bunnyhop 2015

[@atarileaf]

One of my all time favorite DOS games from the 90s

[@JakeyFlake]

God i loved this game, to this day one of my all time favs. Very few games create the feeling of being just one small (but decisive) part of a huge battle as well as Tie Fighter did.

[@wayner396]

Wore out 2 of my mom's computer mouses playing x-wing, b-wing, and tie-fighter. Then I got a joystick for Christmas. I love those games. Wish we'd get some more soon.

[@hipflask]

Excellent review. Love this game

[@Hokie200proof]

Awesome review man, I just started my own Let's Play and agree with all of this 100%.

[@ladislausferreus2742]

Nice to hear that you appreciate mainstream accessible sim-like games. And on that topic, have you heard or played the Mechwarrior series? I think those games do a very good job of delivering a simulator experience without being simulators. Would really love if you did retro reviews of those games.

[@arrrgee]

These were my games back in the day, played X-wing, Tie Fighter and X-wing Aliance over and over and over!!

[@youwayo]

Quite possible the most underrated best star wars game. The fact that this game solely focuses on the empire is enough to be awesome.

[@mitrooper]

This game was not underrated back in 1994.

[@DJBucca]

it's amazing to see how much influence this game had on flight games of the future

[@HabeasPorpoise]

This is a refreshingly well written review

[@mrweatherby]

"An 'authentic Star Wars experience' is redundant." "What's a Jakku?" Alright.

[@DarkRaptor99]

Jeez 21 years ago damn I feel old!!! One of my favorite old school PC games!! I used to do a replay every few years for the longest time!! I will say some of the later missions are borderline insane!!

[@jtno2]

Great retro review!

[@jaeusa160]

110% agree with this review and video. I got TIE Fighter many many years after it came out for a few bucks from some misc store as a kid, and it was just such an excellent immersive gameplay experience, especially due to all the minor and almost irrelevant things you had influence over as a player. It's a shame in many ways flight sims died off as a genre, because TIE Fighter really showed how you could take the facets and complexity of a flight sim, and put it in an environment with plenty of action and worldbuilding. I'm not sure how well a graphically updated version would do, because I'm not sure any developers (or the money behind said developers) would make a game with the sheer breadth of commands and features in TIE Fighter. It feels like too many companies are too focused on an ease of access and marketability to just let someone create such a needlessly complex but also highly rewarding experience, as TIE Fighter was.

[@Antonluisre]

I remember growing up playing tie fighter and IL2 Sturmovik. Great games

[@punk_rock_music_teacher]

This is where I learned about most of the ships and lore. I got this sweet collectors pack with Rebel Assault 1, 2, Dark Forces, and Tie Fighters.

[@thebigzapfer8696]

Not only are these a masterpiece, the posters were awesome!

[@lynxissiodorensis2319]

I totally agree. TIE Fighter was a phenomenal experience.

[@theologamer]

great analysis, thanks for the content!

[@tearharvester]

This is one of my all time favorite games . LOVE IT !!!!!

[@mendez704]

Excellent review for an excellent game

[@nielspp]

Great Video Review. I agree with everything you said. I would love if they would make the exact same game, just with newer graphics.

[@2wheelsoffroad730]

Imperial Engineering: "Lets power our spaceships with a AAA battery."

[@commandersune6536]

Great retro review. One of my favorite games ever. Tie fighter was the best in the series. I prefered using the mouse, felt like I had more precision. Like a fps with mouse vs controller.

[@Rooftop-Ali-BR]

I was addicted to this game and also Jane's Combat ATF Gold. God i miss those days😍

[@StevenKelley]

ATF was amazing. It came out in the 90s yet had the F22 and F35. modern planes in the 21st century crazy how long they've been in development!

[@Kuromatsu1]

I'd be really keen to see you analyze / review something like 1998's Battlezone by Activision given the grace you have in describing the nuances of Tie Fighter. Solid video.

[@bluedistortions]

THANK YOU "...that may have been a good thing, back from when you may have only had one or two new games to play all summer.." Thank you for being one of the only game reviewers on the entire internet to mention what should be obvious. I'm so sick of hearing, "an outdated relic of quarter munching arcade games." Hell no, it was exactly as you said, the average kid in the 80s and 90s only got a few new games per season. We wanted that challenge, it was hugely disappointing to get a new game and beat it in one or two tries. Why is this forgotten?

[@DasIllu]

Back when i was playing this, i broke my hand and with the cast i could not handle a joystick. But i had two free finger so i bought a trackball and continued playing. It worked surpringly well. No End-Of-Mouse-Pad dilemma, and fast turns where just violently spinning the ball. And when it came to aiming you had the benefit of mouse-like precission.

[@kukko83]

My god this game (still) is good! Tie Fighter and X-Wing before it, took a sizeable chunk of my childhood with them. We played in turns with my friend, to complete missions that sometimes took about one trillion trial and error runs to beat them. Some of the escort/defend missions were just sadistic. If you weren't precise enough with your timing, the squadron of Y-Wings could get away from you and lay a barrage of photon torpedoes on the craft you were supposed to protect. Leading into you failing the mission. The most frustrating part was, that in many cases this was the aftermath of something like twenty minutes of floating around in space, waiting for the mission critical crafts to arrive on the scene. It would be over in seconds and you'd have to play it all over again. But the atmosphere is just so good and immersive! You can really feel like you're part of the universe. Mainly, because you're not some invincible hero, but just a regular pilot making your way up the ranks.

[@Kalroth]

X-wing gold edition was by far my favorite game as a child. I played it so much that I would have dreams in which I was an ace pilot for the rebel alliance but the inside of the cockpit was my joystick and keyboard. I've never again found a gaming experience that engaging, but star citizen is getting pretty damn close.

[@shaitan9204]

If I recall correctly the developers of both X-Wing & Tie-Fighter developed WW2 flight sims beforehand which is why sim the aspects & missions were so good

[@QuestcastPenandPaper]

On the spot as always! Tie Fighter was a bit before my time but i have to say it grips me much more than Battlefront.

[@gungriffen]

Some Star Wars context of the time. In the 90s Star Wars had grown with it's fan base. Star Wars was seen as adult content with thick deep novels and flight Sims. It wasn't till Episode 1 Star Wars (Jar Jar) was brought back to being more of a youthful property once more.

[@jackau08]

Tie fighter was the best space fly sim of its time. Today, there be a few youngsters capable of handling all those controls. I still remember how accomplished I felt when I beat a surveillance mission in tie fighter without firing a shot and constantly have a trial of a wing/xwing on my tail. I for one can’t wait for a game as deep with modernised graphics in VR. Hack, it be a sure system seller for VR.