Let's Play Starflight! 1: These Guys Look Familiar...

[Dogsport1]

I've actually been trying to think of the name of this game for a few months. Unfortunately I was pretty young when we had it, so I wasn't sure where to start searching. Oddly enough I found it by searching for the old copy protection method. Guess that old cardboard wheel was pretty distinctive. Anyway, thanks for posting!

[trueblu8]

I used to love playing this game as a kid. Great video and narration by the way. I am looking forward to watching your other vids to see where you got with this game as I don't remember ever beating it or accomplishing anything noteworthy other than meeting the minstrels and finding a red herring. Lol.

[freespace2dotcom]

I prefer the Genesis/Megadrive version. That's the one I remember from my childhood. I think it's still superior to a lot of later, similar games.

[AxelQC]

How can I get this to work on my Mac? I loved this game!

[hoganfoundation]

Thanks for the memories haha. I also played this all night when it first came out.

[CommanderGalos]

My foodness gracios... I bought this way way back in the day! I played in on an old Hewlett Packard 3200 with one on of the first RGB monitors! Man, those days before Windows made an appearance... where you had to learn how DOS worked... those were the innovation days! And let's not forget the map it came with the game! All those floppy disks the game used.

Thanks for bringing back those happy memories!

[temite80]

You sound just like Brent Spiner.. Cool game! Just released on GoG.com btw.. w w w .gog.com/en/gamecard/starfligh­t_1_2 

[Terf1988]

My friends and fiends! As a Good Old Games fan, I thought I'd let you know that this game, as well as Starflight 2, was just re-released on GOG.com; they're bundled together for 6 bucks! (As well as some goodies, DRM-free, etc.) :)

[wintirmute]

one of the best games ever! also one of the first i played. my dad got it for me when i was in elementary school, then proceeded to be too busy to load it onto the computer for several weeks, till i got fed up and just dove in myself. the manual entirely as an in game briefing was epic. took me several years to beat and also marked the point in time i surpassed my parents in computer skills. never looked back. ;)

[bren5209]

Oh yes I use to play with on dual-floppy (5.25') on PC XT...I have to make so much backup so I don't start from scratch!! I never got to finish the game as so much to explore. Maybe one day. :)

[lightingbird]

Damn i loved this game. I wish there was a modern game like this.

[hunter03GT]

I had this for SEGA Genesis and it was so much fun. The manual for the game was actually a compilation of captain logs from other ships that had coordinates that you would use to find clues for missions.

[IcouldBNE1]

Use to play this on a Tandy 1000 computer with no hard drive.

[crossdavidl]

Firefly in my Starflight?

You sir are just fantastic. Thanks for the nostalgia.

[Ayelis]

@ViridianGames The communications expert was JAYNE yo. xD

Simon: I was curious... What is his job on this ship?

Mal: ... Public relations.

[thegarlandtree]

best game of all time, hands down.

[jmat1969]

my dad when i was a young boy showed this to me and i got everything and all minerals!!!!!!!

[gjc82071]

1 of the best games ever made! Even in today's world of gigabyte sized games on DVD, 3-D graphics, online play, etc, I find myself periodically drawn to this game. I have never completed it, but I have Starflight "binges" where every year or so, or sometimes a few times per year, I will play this game for anywhere from several hours to a few days. Along with Colonial Conquest, Questron & Mega'Lo Mania/Tyrants!, it's 1 of my all time favorite games. Kudos to the designers! Great video BTW!

[camaroman]

I remember wanting to to play this game so bad when I was a kid. Staring at the box while at radioshack, one could only use their imagination. My Tandy 1000 only had 256K memory so I had to go with games like space quest.

[gjc82071]

@camaroman In 1987 I was 16yo & making like $500+ a week off the books & I remember buying a Tandy 1000 (HX or EX?), specifically to play a single game. "Empire: Wargame of the Century!" (& Command HQ) By the time I bought a 640k RAM upgrade & a TV adapter (no monitor) + the game, I was well over $1,000 to play 1 game! A game I can now download FREE & play on DOSBOX/PC. BTW, have you played Starflight on emulator/PC? I have it/played on DOS, C64 & Sega emulators. Still a great game!

[Buckeye67]

Starflight remains one of the most epic computer games I've ever played.

[DOSBoxMom]

This was one of the first games I ever played on an MS-DOS computer. My previous computer gaming experience had all been with a C64, so my spouse & I didn't realize when we bought our first IBM clone that 2 floppy drives might be a good idea! (We had the 2nd floppy drive installed about 2 weeks after we bought that computer (so early 1989), and about a year later invested in EGA graphics and a hard drive (a whole 20MB, I think -- and at the time we couldn't imagine ever filling it up!:) )

[BigEarlJohnson]

HI, BigEarlJohnson here again! It's been awhile. Thanks for all the great posts about Starflight. It's great to see how it is still remembered. I still hope that one day I'll have an opportunity to do a remake. Until then it's just really nice nostalgia.

[indragmail]

@BigEarlJohnson If you still have the old code, we can start the remake.

[Whatever4690]

I really liked the opening music for the amiga version.

[Outlander11]

anyway to get past the DRM on the Mac version?

[DEFkon001]

One of the most under-rated games of all time. Does anyone else see many similarities between this and the now super popular "Minecraft"? Exploring randomly generated worlds, mining, etc etc. To anyone looking for a remake of starflight, I'd say check it out if you haven't already. It's a different type of game, but it borrows much of the "spirit" of Starflight. and it's highly mod friendly. ;)

[captainmic]

cool game. waiting for a 3D remake, where you can discover whole planets by walking through a 3D world. combined with spaceflight like elite or frontier. i have a dream...

[taironus]

Best Game EVER!!! I still tell all of my friends about this game. I even have the full game and code wheel on 5.25 disc downstairs. This was the first epic game that ever came out. Most everything that came after it used elements of it throughout. It took a long time for me to find a game that had such draw and such a great storyline. I personally liked SF2 just as much!

[gjc82071]

I of the coolest & most unique game ever created. I have played (& still do) this game on Sega Genesis & C64 (emulators). A modern sequel would be great. Maybe incorporate a little multi-player action. Exploring & gathering resources is so cool. BTW, ever seen aC64 game called "Corsair" (1990) Loadstar/Softdisk Publishing, Inc.? It slightly reminds me of this game.

[1337ASM]

MAN I HAD THIS FOR THE SEGA MEGADRIVE!!! this is a sweet game...

[bitesh]

a tip: pick androids for navigation and engineering at the beginning of the game, until u have the cash to train proper veloxi navigators and engineers (or one navigator/engineering)

[BlueStateChronicle]

That was a great game!

[wildenights]

I love Starflight!

[bassage13]

I loved this on Sega Genesis. I have been hoping for a new game like this for years. The closest I've seen was Armada for Dreamcast, but it just wasn't as good as Starflight.

[StupidVideosMT]

I love how you used the firefly characters for your crew! Firefly = best future/space show ever! Of coarse, when I was playing it, that show hadn't been made yet.

I wish I still had the old Mac OS so I could play Starflight again. Thanks for the video!

[Diamondfist1]

Testimony from a newcomer to the series, this is a digital gem. I've just recently became interested in Sci-Fi RPGs, and there aren't a lot of good ones, but Starflight is definitely one of the good ones. I found one on eBay a few months ago, and I love it. Also, I feel so lucky to have a talented gamer like ViridianGames to show us this great game.

[sabre1976]

Anyone have any idea if they are going to make a SF 3?

[tekbro]

Ahh, yes...the game that fueled my life-long love of the space-sim video game genre.

[21Blitz]

i have the sega version Rom on the computer now, this game was one of my favs. Had some boring spots ans what not but hell, who doesent want to explore the galaxy and find the unknown

[DEFkon001]

I had the sega version years ago, it was one of my favorites as well. It had slightly better visuals, but I don't think that matters so much because the charm of this game for me was that most of it took shape in your imagination. Every time I disembarked I envisioned something like the scenes from ALIEN when they landed etc. Heck I think I even captained the ISS Nostromo on one playthrough. lol

The only other game like this that captured my "Starship" imagination was I-WAR.

[21Blitz]

I agree, now it was somthing when I found Earth, and all the old ruins from the old empire, a funny part was on one of the ruins it said in the year 2000 when man created a way to entertain them selves by staring and enteracting on a 2D screen (like your looking at now), that it mark the path for the end of humanity,lol

[DEP717]

This was a classic, so detailed, even for today as far as plot and back story.

Wish someone would update this.

[sweatyeti]

Oh, man. Thanks so much for posting this. I had so much fun playing Starflight, and I got all nostalgic watching this video.

This game made such a powerful impression on me, it drove me to find similar games like it, but I haven't found any (at least not any that are freely available on the internet). I eventually cracked and have been trying to work on creating a similar game since. This video has been very inspiring for me. Thanks again for posting and many thanks to Starflight's creators.

[bluntd1]

VERY CLASSIC...When I was in high school I spent hours playing this...anybody know where I could get a copy?

[sisuhockey]

Definitely a classic - greatest game ever. The fractal planet generator was ingenious - so much content on two 720k floppies!

The original is abandonware - you can get it a a few sites. Abandonia is one. You'll need to use Dosbox. That's how I played through Starflight 1 & 2 a year or two ago. Don't bother with Protostar - it's crap by comparison.

[trueblu8]

@sisuhockey How the heck can you play the amiga version? I've downloaded it and everything but it freezes when trying to load. I'm using the winuae emulator.

[wildenights]

CLASSIC!!!!

[ahtivision]

Yeah! Already wiring my C64! Back to the roots.

[Nalern]

Hmmm I wonder if there are some Firefly references here? ;)

[rebelanarch]

you mean star trek references. firefly wasn't made in the f-ing 70s or 80s , damnit.. what are you? doc manhanttan? get your timeline, right!

[Nalern]

The names of all his chars were from the show Firefly..... There are no Firefly references built into the game, just the ones that he, the player, entered.

[rebelanarch]

in that case, i'm to out of touch to care.

[piplupsingularity]

0:50 w00t! go star trek!

[Hrefnesholt]

Awesome game!

[zprodigy]

What a great idea for a LP. :)

[Diamondfist1]

Thank you for this video. Are you able to choose a different ship later on, or is this the only ship you get in the game?

[Jarnin1]

That's the only ship you get.

[OzoneTX]

This was the first game I bought for my ibm xt (using dual floppy drives and later the EGA upgrade!). We played it many a night for "just a little while" (i.e. until sunrise).

[Asgier3]

naming your people after the crew of Serenity lol.. Awesome

[BigEarlJohnson]

Hi. I was the designer of this game and built it with my equally naive and ambitious friends. Ancient history now. Thanks for the nice blast from the past. I like your narration. --Greg Johnson

[shoyoninja]

If this is true then you have also my thanks, this is one of the best games I ever played. Very challenging, and complex. To me, Starflight and Ultima 5 are the best games ever.

It´s really sad that nowdays a game that would require you to take some notes and really THINK would probably not sell.

Again, thank you.

[ViridianGames]

Thank you very much for making this game. Not only was it sci-fi based when just about every other RPG was doing the fantasy thing, but technologically it was way ahead of its time. Despite its limitations (I would KILL for mouse support) it remains one of my favorite games.

[R0YB0T]

Ever play the genesis version?

[blorgensteen]

@ViridianGames I still have my copy. first video game i ever played on my XT. AT. This is a game that deserves a truly worthy modern incarnation.

l

[trueblu8]

@blorgensteen Agreed. I have often wondered what would be the modern equivalent of this game today.

[Eladriell]

@BigEarlJohnson

Played this on the Mega Drive back in the day, still go back to it sometimes...Many happy memories, incredible game. Thank you.

[glyph29]

@BigEarlJohnson Wow, I LOVE this game, even now, that I'm 35. Nothing ever captured my imagination that led to the same reverence for which I hold this game. Thanks so much, Greg!

[trueblu8]

@glyph29 Agreed. And I'm going to be 38 this March. Awesome game. I wish they'd make a sequel.

[Jaya365]

@BigEarlJohnson hey greg i loved this game back in the day and spent hours on it despite the limitations it was very immersive, are you still making games if so which ones? you should be proud of this one thanks man

[ForcedToSignUp]

@BigEarlJohnson Your game needs a remake. ;)

[Thedrizzle404]

@BigEarlJohnson

the problem with today's developers is they dont seem to have the ambition devs did back in the day. i recall this being one of the best pc games ive played to date. i wish modern games would use the raw power available to them and make incredible games.

[DethariusX]

@BigEarlJohnson You are a brilliant man! This is still my favorite game, its quality has no equal even by today's standards.

[Whatever4690]

@DethariusX Try star control 2,its basically an improved starflight,but the original still is great,second one sucked i thought.

[Whatever4690]

@BigEarlJohnson Really i loved that game,ive still got it boxed away,you were the inspiration for starcontrol 2 as well,was there any way to talk to those uhlek guys in 1,i tried everything i could think of.

[rebelanarch]

well, i hate how it would take you maybe years to explore the sector and figure out the main quest without a guide. and after player the 2 PC versions of starflight, the sega version feels broken. in the sega ver., you get killed more easier, run out of fuel madly fast, and landing on planets become a major pain. terrible port

[CiCiSFU]

This game is awesome. Loved the sequel too.

The freedom you had in this game was not seen since.

[Snotnarok]

I played this (really another version on SEGA Genesis) such a great game.

[lordmikethegreat]

I almost had to drop out of school thanks to this game!

[chrissphinx]

much better than Necroinaba's Let's Play (even if i'm a fan of the genesis version), nice work

[Blar408]

I laughed when you named your characters after Firefly characters. My mom loves that show, and I could only think of her laughing as well.

[Zeldafoo9]

great game, but the genesis version has much better graphics and sound.

[Maximusmadrica]

This comment made me sad. :(

[Zeldafoo9]

and why is that?

[Eikinkloster]

The Genesis has also some simplifications. The original take off, for instance, was 3D-ish. The ship looks super serious in the computer versions (obviously inspired by the Discovery in 2001 a Sapace Odissey), and like a toy in Genesis.

There was one of the many failed remake attempts, Starflight Revisited, that used the model of the box, which is Star Trek ish.

I've played DOS, Genesis, and AtariST version. The Atari was the one I liked the most.

One of these days I'll try the Mac version.

[knicksfan89]

it was

[wheelsiscool]

i love this game thanks for reminding me about it

[pallirao]

Thanks so much for doing a LP for this game! I loved playing it back in the day and can't wait to see it all again.

[Video182]

This game is brilliant, you would think they could write an equivalent game of software in this day and age but to date no improvement on the original. I used to love the mining