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Welcome to Game Collector, where GameSpot hunts for great deals on games so you don't have to. This week's edition features a list of immersive science-fiction-themed simulations from the past several years at the best prices available anywhere. If you've been looking for an elusive sci-fi simulation game and haven't had any luck, or if you've been wanting to get into this genre in PC gaming, then Game Collector is the perfect place to start.
MechWarrior 2: 31st Century Combat (1995)
Street Price: $8
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MechWarrior 2 is a classic. It's set in the 31st century, and revolves around warring clans that use massive, bipedal war robots called "mechs." The Wolf and Jade Falcon Clans are vying for control of planet Terra, each sending armies of heavily armed robots against each other in a cycle of violence. As a new pilot for either side, you must win missions for your clan to rise through the ranks. And did we mention you get to pilot a giant robot?
Heavy Gear II (1999)
Street Price: $10
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Heavy Gear II is a superb futuristic combat simulation of armored mobile suits. As a member of an elite special-ops unit, you are outfitted with top equipment and transported to planet Caprice, where you advance by fighting through a variety of battlefields, including swamps, grasslands, volcanic areas, arctic zones, and urban base sites, with squadmates at your side.
Wing Commander: Prophecy (1997)
Street Price: $20
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Prophecy is the fifth installment in the famous Wing Commander series, and the most visually impressive. As rookie Confederation pilot Lance Casey, you're engaged in a massive deep-space war against a new alien threat. You'll take out massive cruisers and transports, and you'll encounter immense battleships armed with devastating weapons. The game introduces new characters and has some old favorites, such as Mark Hamill as Christopher Blair and Tom Wilson as Maniac.
TIE Fighter: Collector's CD-ROM (1995)
Street Price: $19
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Drawing from the Star Wars universe, the original space combat game puts you in the cockpit of one of Darth Vader's fighter ships. The game has a mix of spacecraft available, which helps keep mission diversity high. The Collector's CD-ROM gives the game a facelift and brings the total number of available missions to over 100. The graphics resolution goes up to 640x480 as well, making this remake of the classic space sim essential.
Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance (1999)
Street Price: $13
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In X-Wing Alliance, you play as Ace Azzameen, the youngest son in a family of merchant traders who become embroiled in the growing conflict between the Rebel Alliance and the Empire. In the 53 missions, you guide Ace from a novice to a major player in the culminating Battle of Endor against the Empire's second Death Star. And you even get to fly the Millenium Falcon in the game's final missions.
Independence War Deluxe Edition (1999)
Street Price: $24
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In Independence War you get to pilot a small capital ship, the Dreadnought. Earth is in the middle of a decades-old guerrilla war with the colorful Indies, a motley collection of former colonists who have formed their own political organization. Your character is a new captain in Earth's Commonwealth Navy. The game weaves an intricate and memorable story, which makes it one of the best sci-fi simulations to date. This edition contains the 1998 space flight simulation and an additional short campaign.
Descent: Freespace--The Great War (1998)
Street Price: $10
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Combining the best elements of the X-Wing and Wing Commander series, Descent: Freespace had a lot going for it, but didn't enjoy the same mainstream success as the games that inspired it. The game features 30 single-player missions in the branching campaign and 20 multiplayer missions. It also has a rather intriguing plot in which an unknown, practically invulnerable alien race is threatening the known universe. You'll have to pilot a number of powerful spacecraft against this vicious species.
FreeSpace 2 (1999)
Street Price: $20
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One of the best-looking games of all time, FreeSpace 2 picks up 32 years after the events of the original game. It improves on every aspect of the original game, and features many epic space battles involving gigantic capital ships. The game's graphics still look outstanding--the missions taking place within colorful nebulae are especially impressive. FreeSpace 2 was one of GameSpot's nominees for best game of '99.
X: Beyond the Frontier (1999)
Street Price: $5
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X harkens back to the open-ended design of classic space sims like Elite and Privateer. It puts you in control of Earth's first light-speed spacecraft, the X Prototype. But something goes wrong during the first test flight, and you find yourself transported to a distant, alien galaxy. You encounter an alien race fixated on trade and profit. They give you a few credits to get back on your feet, but they also leave you with a debt that they expect you to pay back soon. Thus begins the epic quest in X.
Allegiance (2000)
Street Price: $21
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Allegiance belongs to an increasingly popular type of online game that encourages cooperative competitive play. The game features the excitement of a space combat sim, thanks to its great graphics and its variety of spacecraft, yet what really sets it apart is how its combination of real-time strategy elements and various support roles with dogfighting to create an original gameplay experience. Allegiance wasn't commercially successful, but definitely deserves your attention.
Star Trek: Klingon Academy (2000)
Street Price: $13
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Klingon Academy is the long-awaited sequel to Starfleet Academy. It's set prior to the movie Star Trek VI. The game even features actors from the movie in the abundant and well-produced full-motion-video cutscenes. Essentially, Klingon Academy provides an entertaining examination of Klingon culture and motivations, as you learn to pilot capital ships. In addition, almost every type of ship that appeared in the original TV series or the movies appears in the game.
Be sure to visit GameBuyer to find more great deals on both classic and recently released computer games.
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