Origin’s ‘Wing Commander’: A Tour de Force Is With You

Origin’s “Wing Commander” space combat simula tion has already attracted considerable attention among hard-core computer game players. The computing press raved. Sales soared and a sequel, “Wing Commander II,” is expected late this spring.

But let’s check the O-rings on that rocket: “Wing Commander” is basically your above-average space shoot ‘em up. And it’s really for kids, not adults.

“Wing Commander” takes place at the front lines of the great future war between the Terran Confederation and the Kilrathi Empire. You are the newest member of the elite starfighter pilot team assigned to the carrier Tiger’s Claw.

Your assignment: Blast those Kilrathi hairballs back to the 20th Century. Your goal: Become the baddest rocket jockey on this side of the galaxy.

The game’s appeal is obvious. The graphics are light-years ahead of most other flight simulations. The action is fast and furious.

And the bare elements of a story holding the 40 increasingly more challenging tactical combat sequences together have an agreeable, entertaining wit and swagger to them.

Indeed, the entire game is like the space-combat scenes of the original “Star Wars.” Add a political confrontation straight out of “Star Trek,” and how could a teen-ager hooked on prime-time smart bombing resist?

Since “Wing Commander” is basically a glorified arcade game, there is not much there for game players who value character, plot or problem solving over hand-eye coordination.

That noted, the designers deserve credit for developing quite an arcade game. “Wing Commander” makes full use of the graphics, sound and memory capabilities of modern personal computers.

It’s a technical tour de force.

WING COMMANDER

Rating: ***

IBM and compatibles; 640K required; VGA; joystick recommended. List: $69.95. “The Secret Missions”

update, $19.95. “Wing Commander II: Vengeance of the Kilrathi” expected late spring, $69.95.

Computer games are rated on a five-star system, from one star for poor to five for excellent.

Computer games are rated on a five-star system, from one star for poor to five for excellent.