sci-fi

If you are a fan (like myself) of the series, then this game is a must have. While I love Star Wars, I always thought the Vipers and the Battlestars were better looking than x-wings and Star Destroyers. The graphics in this game are excellent, and with the soundtrack, digitally captured sound effects, and the evil Cylons popping up on your com channel to tell you how futile it is to resist, the game is great fun. You really feel like you are piloting a Colonial Viper Mark II, especially when you "kick in your turbos" and the KSHWOOOOOSH sound and vapor trails blast you off.
The only downside is the lack of a save game feature. The game will automatically save for you at certain points, but that point might be at the end of a five stage level. Guess what happens if you die on the last stage of a 45 minute long adventure? YOU GET TO START ALL OVER AGAIN FROM THE BEGINNING. Trust me, this will make you want to shoot your television with a 12 guage shotgun. Much frustration and property damage could have been prevented with a simple "quicksave" option.
All in all the game is awesome, especially for fans of the old show, and soon to be premiered new show, as the game blends them both together. Hopefully, somebody will come up with some cheats or walkthroughs to help you through the game, as it took me a long time to get past phase 3 of mission 1, "watch your buddies backs", which is reminiscent of the frustrating and nearly impossible "protect the transports" from Star Wars: X-Wing. If you can remember that game, take your "shoot the screen with shotgun" factor and triple it.

After reading several of the reviews, I decided to wait until the price dropped below $30. Within a few hours, I had completed the first 3 missions, and had not experienced the emotional frustration everyone else is talking about.
First of all, the game is very, very similar to the old X-wing game. With X-wing, there was about 30 keyboard-based commands which had to be learned throughout the game in order to be successful. With Battlestar, as long as you read the directions, you can get it down to about 10 necessary buttons....no where nearly as complicated as X-wing, and you don't have to take your eyes off the screen to hit W, S, +, or -.
One advantage to the game is that it actually requires some sort of skill. The new Star Wars games seem to incorporate the theory that the person who can hit the fire button the most times wins. With Battlestar, there is an energy level that does not allow you to just hold down turbo and fire the entire time. Also, your movements and time delay have a direct impact on finishing the mission.
As stated in every review, there is no "autosave" button to store progress in the middle of the mission. But then again, there are many games that are like this (Mechassault, Nightfire (007), XIII, Clone Wars, just to name a few). If you liked X-wing, and you like the concept of Battlestar, this is a great game.

This game will frustrate you unless you read the manual.
Once you read the manual you will be able to take advantage of 2 crucial things: multi-target homing missiles; and identifying primary objective targets. Without the latter you will get NOWHERE in the game.

Pros:

- Fans will appreciate the art work that can be unlocked in the game- including Ralph Mc Quarrie paintings.
- You get to check-off one of your childhood todos- ie fly a Viper. You get to fly from within the cockpit of the viper as well as cylon marauder. If you press and hold the Y button while in this view, your viewpoint turns slightly as if you are turning your head- so you can see to the left and right of your cockit.
- Cutscenes are pretty cool - but unfornately are very grainy.
- Game is more enjoyable when you have read the manual and are better able to control the Viper's systems.
- Your weapons automatically aim at a target to a limited degree- this gives it the same feel as in the original series. I think more space-sims should do this.
- Sound effects of laser cannons and turbo are from the original series.
- Game soundtrack is an updated version of the score from the original series.

Cons:
- The game is hard and there are no cheats. You have to do things pretty quickly or you will miss your opportunity.
- Expect to have to sit thru the first mission at least twice to get through it. First time to get used to the controls. Second time to fully grok the controls from what you've read in the manual. And maybe one more time to really win the mission.
- Game sequences between saves are long so if you die you have to start all over.
- Cutscenes are grainy.

This game is not worth paying full price, but now that it has hit the bargain bins, I think it is well worth it. Come on, you get to finally check off that "fly a viper" item in your geek-childhood-todo-list. You know the one I'm talking about, the one right below: "Fly down the trench and destroy the Death Star"