First there was Elite. And some time later there was Wing Commander. In between however, there was this. Released in 1989 by Origin, it was a sophisticated cross between space fighter, trader and RPG. And it worked... surprisingly well actually. Well enough for Zzap!64 to award it a Gold Medal. Well enough for it to consume 4 weeks of my life in solving the problems. Welcome to the world of the Space Rogue...

Similar to Elite, there was a smart package associated with the product. I guess they could afford to, as this was a disc only game. Besides the disc (yes, just one disc) you got a command card; guide to your new ship; a short novella setting the scene; a map of the 8 known systems (the Far Arm); a flyer for a new game called "Hive"; and a cardboard sheet with two cutout and fold ships from the game. Impressive!

The time is approximately 400 years in the future. Man has spread out into the galaxies beyond and colonised. But the secret of lightspeed travel still eludes us. The only means of travel between nearby systems are via wormholes, dangerous places that sometimes swallow ships, but the only means to progress quickly. There are many "networks" of systems throughout the galaxy, but they are isolated from each other... until such time a way is found to speed between them. A reward has been offered to anyone discovering such a means...

You are the son of a jeweller. Your father had hoped you would follow in his trade, but you always had your heart on the stars. However your first assignment aboard a trading vessel resulted in disaster. You had been chosen to inspect an abandoned ship close to a wormhole. Upon entering, you discover nothing wrong and that the ship appears to be in perfect order. Suddenly from nowhere, ten Manchi ships emerged and destroyed the trading vessel. Manchi, large vociferous insect like creatures, are this game's Thargoids. They fight to the death, and take no prisoners. Maybe they are angry? Maybe this is something you have to discover in your travels...? The game "Hive" has you blasting Manchi scum on infected planets. Guess the Federation doesn't like them. But why do they attack? All you heard is that they don't survive wormholes... you smile.

You assess the situation. You have a decent, if underpowered ship. You have some trading knowledge from your father, a means by which to earn money and hopefully avenge your crewmates' deaths. But that is all. You are alone, without a clue where to begin or what to do. Your ship indicates you are in the Karonus system.

Fortunately there is a space station in the current sector, and from there you begin your adventure. First of all, you must pass your pilots license. Without it, you cannot become a trader. Once you have passed, you can set your sights on a small trading run between Karonus and Gryphon. Once more money is in the bank, you can upgrade your ship with better weapons and armour, and then spread out into the other 6 systems that make the small net you are part of.

As you explore further, you discover all is not well. Pirates attack at regular intervals. Manchi appear from nowhere. Deception and subplots are rife. Somehow it is your destiny to right all that has gone wrong, and discover the reason behind the Federation/Manchi conflict...

There are two distinct parts of the game: space flight and space station. In space flight mode, you have a window on the world viewing forwards. Other ships may appear and either fly by or attack you. There are several options available to you in times of conflict. First there is your lasers. You start with weak garnet variety, but can upgrade to beryl then sapphire. The best option are the particle beams; these are the same power as the sapphire but cut straight through shields and directly hit the armour plating. Your second option are missiles. These come in a number of flavours also. Plasma Torpedoes are straight fire and forget missiles without any guidence. SM-1s are heat seeking with more punch. Nova missiles are similar to SM-1s but with double the damage. Four of these can take out any ship, even the Federation's most powerful cruiser, the Titan.

You have two methods of flight control to choose from. For beginners and those people who don't want to think about things, there is Cruise control (nothing to do with Speed 2!). Your thrusters will automatically steer you in the direction you point the ship. The other option is Newtonian control. This applies the principals of Newtonian motion; in other words, you will continue to move in a straight line until you directly apply thrust to change direction. This makes strafing easier as you can set your direction and then just rotate the ship to keep your lasers pointed on the target.

Your TAC will keep you informed of the status of the attacking ship, its armour, shields, weapons capability and how it is attacking. This can range from circle (circle to avoid fire), close (flyby attacks) to the obvious ram! Of course, the nature and difficulty of the attack depends on the lifestyle you choose for yourself. In the beginning, trading is the only way to earn money. Later, when the ship has been upgraded, you could try either piracy or bounty hunting instead. It is your decision, but obviously the Federation's ships will be after you if you attack innocent traders, whilst the pirate ships will be out in force if you start hunting them down.

Assuming you make it to a space station, what then? This is where the second part of the game comes in, as you explore each outpost. The first thing on the agenda is to buy and sell your wares. These range from computers to food, and include some "illegal" items. You can carry these, but risk detection on entering a space post (and having your cargo seized). Still, it pays well. You can upgrade your weapons, shields and armour to keep you alive. There are bars to chat and drink at, plus many secret areas to search for clues. Just stay alive huh? There's a rumour one outpost is abandoned after a monster went loose there...

Small subplots emerge when you meet certain people. An excitable girl tells you about the new game called "Hive"; a droid is lonely because he is missing his mate; a scientist is experimenting with words on aliens. All come together to create a believable atmosphere. You can trying finding the Duchess Avenstar, ruler of one sector of the galaxy, but is there more to her than meets the eye? If you choose pirating ways, then it would be a good idea to locate Mr Gut. He will tell you to go prove your worth... by destroying a Titan! Succeed and who knows where you will go?

As time goes on, as you explore more and research, you discover there is a reason behind the Manchi attacks, and it involves going to their world. But without known means of travelling that fast, how can you possibly get there? All will be revealed in the world of the Space Rogue...

So what is there to say about the game itself? The first thing you notice are the graphics. Better than Elite in every way, though not quite as fast as those in Mercenary. But then, these are filled in, and they shift. Certainly I was impressed. Everything else is functional, but clear, allowing you a clear perspective on what the situation is. Sound is sparse but distinct, lasers firing, ships exploding and so on.

But it is the whole atmosphere and environment of the game that drew me in. You almost feel as if you are part of the Far Arm, travelling the lanes, fighting off pirates and making your living. And then you have to think laterally round some of the problems that you face. Consider your options and decisions wisely, for there is often no second chance. And upgrade your ship as quickly as possible, for these are dangerous times, and who knows what lurks out there. Okay, compared to Elite there are very few systems to explore, but there is more them usually than just the outpost. There are secrets to be found and deals to be made. It will take ages to figure out everything. This is one of the C64's classic disc only game brigade and no questions asked...