Wing Commander (video game)

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Wing Commander
Developer(s)Origin Systems
Publisher(s)Origin Systems
Director(s)Chris Roberts
Producer(s)Chris Roberts
Warren Spector
Designer(s)Chris Roberts
Writer(s)Jeff George
Composer(s)George Alistair Sanger
David Govett
Platform(s)
MS-DOS
Release
September 26, 1990
  • September 26, 1990 (MS-DOS)
    March 1, 1992 (SNES)
    September 1992 (Amiga)[1]
    June 1, 1993 (Amiga CD32)
    March 1994 (Sega CD)
    August 1995 (Mac)[2]
    November 30, 1996 (Windows 95)
Genre(s)Space flight simulation
Mode(s)Single-player

Wing Commander is the first game in Chris Roberts' space flight simulation Wing Commander franchise by Origin Systems. The game was first released for MS-DOS on September 26, 1990, and was later ported to the Amiga, CD32 (256-color), Sega CD and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and re-released for the PC as Wing Commander I in 1994. An enhanced remake Super Wing Commander was made for the 3DO in 1994, and later ported to the Macintosh.

Two expansion packs for the game were released: Wing Commander: The Secret Missions in November 1990 and Wing Commander: The Secret Missions 2: Crusade in March 1991.[3]

The game was considered a major step forward for space dogfight games, featuring graphics, audio, and a story campaign that invited comparison to the Star Wars films. Set in the year 2654 and characterized by Chris Roberts as "World War II in space", it features a multinational cast of pilots from the "Terran Confederation" flying missions against the predatory, aggressive Kilrathi, a feline warrior race (heavily inspired by the Kzinti of Larry Niven's Known Space universe).[4]

  1. ^ "Work in Progress: Wing Commander". The One (46): 31. July 1992. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  2. ^ Feeley, Jim; Pearlstein, Joanna (August 1995). "New Products - Super Wing Commander". Macworld. International Data Group: 50.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference bible was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Hamilton, Geoff; Jones, Brian (May 12, 2010). Encyclopedia of American Popular Fiction. Facts On File. p. 254. ISBN 978-0-8160-7157-9. Retrieved April 6, 2020.