Rogue Squadron VS Crimson Skies

Both are arcade flight "simulators". Both have roughly the exact same gameplay, both dominated childhoods in their own way, but today it is a vicious dog fight folks. Ace against Ace! We will compare our contestants based on:

A) Story

B) Ship Variety

C) Soundtrack

D) Replayability

One of the best Star Wars games out there (that's right, I said it) Rogue Squadron is the Star Wars themed arcade flight sim produced by Lucas Arts back in the late 90's (1998 to be precise). As, both, a Star Wars fan and a little 8 year old who wanted to be a fighter pilot, this game dominated the PC we had back then. With me, my dad and my older brother competing on who is the best flier, the hours poured into this game were immense by all the men of the family. But how does it fare in the Tussle?

Story: 8/10. The story follows the journey of Rogue Squadron, the famous group of Rebel pilots Luke Skywalker was in in various missions to aid the rebellion. With you taking the place of Luke Skywalker, the story, no matter how bland, is entertaining. Add in a few extra bonus levels of iconic scenes of Star Wars and you have yourself a solid 8/10.

Ship Variety: 9/10. A Wings, X Wings, Y Wings, Speeders, V Wings, even TIE fighters and the Millenium Falcon. Nuff said I believe.

Soundtrack: 5/10. A Star Wars game that uses generic Star Wars music? The only reason why its not lower is because Star Wars music is the shit!

Replayability: 10/10. With the unlockable ships as well as the ability to replay all levels and pick whichever ship you want, the game offers a solid replayability factor. With challenges, tiers of level completion (normal, bronze, silver, gold) the game offers a lot in a simple package.

Set in an alternate historical setting, where airships replaced all other forms as the go to means of transporting high value goods. Naturally, the new golden age of piracy ensued. SKY piracy! With unique designs born either from the minds of the creators of the game, or copied by ideas of plane designs in the infant eras of aviation, the game has a unique looking roster, a very Indiana Jones-y feel of adventure, and that B-movie quality that is just so endearing. Lets see how they fare in this Tussle that would make the Wright Brothers Proud

Story: 8/10. Original and fun, the story follows the aspiring pirate Nathan Zachary in his schemes to make it to the "parade of infamy", which I guess making the most wanted list is something a pirate -would- want.

Ship Variety: 10/10. Weird, crazy and 100% unrealistic, the ships they put out for us to customize is insane. A large variety, many color/sticker patterns to deck your ship and a robust mechanic to customize your ship, the variety here is too much to ignore.

Soundtrack: 5/10. The fact that I do not remember it says a lot. Despite it being fun, it is nothing to write home about. But that said, it -is- original, so it does deserve a 5.

Replayability: 10/10. With a substantial "skirmish" mode and the customization for all ships above, I found myself spending more and more hours with Crimson Skies and less and less time with Rogue Squadron

Despite how good Rogue Squadron is, like all licenced games it has a lot ridding on its licence. You can replay the same level with a different ship and it -is- a fun experience. That said however, Crimson Skies has more charm, a more unique twist and offers so much more -because- it does not have a strong licence to guarantee it will keep the audiences.

From the two, I always wished they remake Crimson Skies for the PC, or at -least- continue the series going, way more than Rogue Squadron.