Starflight

From Sega Retro

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Starflight MDTitleScreen.png

Starflight
System(s): Sega Mega Drive
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer:
Genre: Simulation

















Number of players: 1
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Mega Drive
US
$69.9569.95[2] 701401
Sega Mega Drive
EU
E013SMXI

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Starflight is a 1986 simulation game for home computers by Binary Systems and Electronic Arts ported to the Sega Mega Drive in 1991.

Gameplay

You control an astronaut in a space program who uses the program's limited funds to set up a spaceflight that completes a variety of missions. You do this by first building your crew and ship, then taking them off into space to explore.

Completing these missions gives the player MU (monetary units). Other very important sources of MU are digging for metals and suggestion planets colonization.

Fuel usage, gravity, temperature, weight load etc. must be considered during all missions, enhancing the simulation experience.

Compared to the PC original, most of the graphics have been updated. The game came with a space map as pack-in. The instruction manual contains the story of a starship captain, which can be used as a walkthrough, although not every item location was revealed.

It should be noted that the player is never forced to actually complete a mission, one might fly and explore as long as there are enough resources. The game however has an ending that requires a sequence of discoveries to be made: Uncover the reasons for the so called "flaring" phenomena and destroy the source of it.

History

Legacy

The game got a sequel called Starflight 2: Trade Routes of the Cloud Nebula, but it was never ported to a Sega system.

Production credits

  • Producer: Christopher Erhardt
  • Associate Producer: Roland Kippenhan III
  • Assistant Producer: Steve Matulac
  • Programmers: Richard Karpp, Keith Freiheit, Antony Ignacio
  • Technical Director: Jesse Taylor
  • Game Graphics: Geoffrey Knobel, Rahim Mehra, David Fenderson
  • Music and Sound Composition: Michael Bartlow
  • Sound and Music Driver: Rob Hubbard, Michael Bartlow
  • Manual Art: Alan Okamoto
  • Technical Drawings: Adrian Bourne
  • Product Management: David Bamberger, Rob Sears
  • Art Director: Nancy Waisanen
  • Cover Art: John Berkey[3]
  • Package Design: William Gin
  • Documentation Layout: Robert Gin
  • Testing: Steve Matulac, Gerald Mclane, Mike Wallas
  • Quality Assurance: Hunter Smith, Manny Granillo
  • Cluebook Based on a Story by: T. L. Thompson
  • Documentation: Andrea Smith
Source:
US manual
Starflight MD US Manual.pdf
[4]

Magazine articles

Main article: Starflight/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert in Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) #27: "October 1991" (1991-xx-xx)
also published in:
Logo-pdf.svg

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
91 №119, p90-92[7]
90 №25
96 №27, p36-37[8]
90 №1, p44-45[9]
91 №19, p188
56 №5, p94
79 №23, p79
94 №12, p72-74[10]
90 №14, p81
62 №26, p52
83 №2, p44/45[11]
82 №18, p67
Sega Mega Drive
84
Based on
12 reviews
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
1700 igr dlya Sega (RU)
40
[12]
Aktueller Software Markt (DE)
75
[13]
Console XS (UK) PAL
82
[14]
Computer & Video Games (UK)
91
[7]
Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U
63
[15]
Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide (UK)
91
[16]
Game Power (IT)
89
[17]
GamePro (US) NTSC-U
96
[8]
Games-X (UK)
90
[18]
Game Informer (US) NTSC-U
89
[19]
Joypad (FR) PAL
90
[9]
Joystick (FR)
91
[20]
Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK) PAL
56
[21]
Mega (UK)
79
[22]
Mega Force (FR) PAL
70
[23]
Mean Machines (UK)
94
[10]
Mean Machines Sega (UK)
94
[24]
Player One (FR)
90
[25]
Power Play (DE)
84
[26]
Sega Power (UK) PAL
62
[27]
Sega Pro (UK) PAL
83
[11]
Sega Pro (UK) PAL
82
[28]
Tricks 16 bit (RU)
76
[29]
Video Games (DE)
82
[30]
Sega Mega Drive
81
Based on
24 reviews

Starflight

Mega Drive, US
Starflight MD US Box Full.jpg
Cover
Starflight MD US Cart.jpg
Cart
Starflight MD US Manual.pdf
Manual
Starflight MD US Poster.pdf
Poster
Mega Drive, EU
StarFlight MD EU Box.jpg
Cover
Starflight MD US Cart.jpg
Cart
Mega Drive, BR
Starflight md br cover.jpg
Cover

References

  1. File:GamePro US 027.pdf, page 93
  2. File:GamePro US 027.pdf, page 39
  3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Berkey
  4. File:Starflight MD US Manual.pdf, page 142
  5. Electronic Gaming Monthly, "1992 Video Game Buyer's Guide" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 28
  6. Electronic Gaming Monthly, "March 1992" (US; 1992-xx-xx), page 20
  7. 7.0 7.1 File:CVG UK 119.pdf, page 90 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:CVG UK 119.pdf_p90" defined multiple times with different content
  8. 8.0 8.1 File:GamePro US 027.pdf, page 38 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:GamePro US 027.pdf_p38" defined multiple times with different content
  9. 9.0 9.1 File:Joypad FR 001.pdf, page 44 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:Joypad FR 001.pdf_p44" defined multiple times with different content
  10. 10.0 10.1 File:MeanMachines UK 12.pdf, page 72 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:MeanMachines UK 12.pdf_p72" defined multiple times with different content
  11. 11.0 11.1 File:SegaPro UK 02.pdf, page 46 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:SegaPro UK 02.pdf_p46" defined multiple times with different content
  12. 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 222
  13. Aktueller Software Markt, "Februar 1992" (DE; 1992-01-10), page 128
  14. Console XS, "June/July 1992" (UK; 1992-04-23), page 134
  15. Electronic Gaming Monthly, "November 1991" (US; 1991-1x-xx), page 22
  16. Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 96
  17. Game Power, "Giugno 1992" (IT; 1992-0x-xx), page 42
  18. Games-X, "10th-16th October 1991" (UK; 1991-10-10), page 36
  19. Game Informer, "March 2001" (US; 2001-0x-xx), page 104
  20. Joystick, "Septembre 1991" (FR; 1991-0x-xx), page 188
  21. Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "January 1993" (UK; 199x-xx-xx), page 94
  22. Mega, "August 1994" (UK; 1994-07-21), page 79
  23. Mega Force, "Septembre/Octobre 1991" (FR; 1991-09-13), page 93
  24. Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 140
  25. Player One, "Novembre 1991" (FR; 1991-xx-xx), page 81
  26. Power Play, "12/91" (DE; 1991-11-13), page 182
  27. Sega Power, "January 1992" (UK; 1991-12-05), page 52
  28. Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 67
  29. Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 25
  30. Video Games, "4/91" (DE; 1991-12-06), page 35