The epic Wing Commander series, a PC phenomenon in the 1990's, was well known not just for its over-dramatic acting and plot, but for its equally spectacular space battles akin to Babylon 5 and modern day Star Trek. But it was never thought that the series would make it to a handheld console, and certainly not in 3D. However, with the help of developer Raylight, the series has made its first appearance on GameBoy Advance.

In essence, Wing Commander Prophecy is your typical space-based adv ... more >>

The epic Wing Commander series, a PC phenomenon in the 1990's, was well known not just for its over-dramatic acting and plot, but for its equally spectacular space battles akin to Babylon 5 and modern day Star Trek. But it was never thought that the series would make it to a handheld console, and certainly not in 3D. However, with the help of developer Raylight, the series has made its first appearance on GameBoy Advance.

In essence, Wing Commander Prophecy is your typical space-based adventure in which the human race is fighting for survival against a formidable alien race. Nothing new there, but stories and plotlines aren't everything, and it's enough to base a great game upon.

It terms of graphical quality, Wing Commander Prophecy lies somewhere between Star Fox on SNES and early PlayStation games such as Colony Wars. And compared with any other piece of software on the Nintendo handheld, this is a remarkable achievement, as the screenshots will attest. The game is in 3D, it's textured, and there are a few accompanying special effects to boot.

With regards to gameplay and content, Wing Commander Prophecy plays host to some 48 branching missions in which the players actions can determine how the battle proceeds. There are nine ships to pilot, and all have their own characteristics and come with a full complement of guns and missiles.

But it's the multi-player mode that will capture the hearts of Wing Commander players. Via a link lead, players can engage in four-way space battles. Great fun.

Wing Commander Prophecy is undoubtedly a fine example of what the GBA is capable of. We can only hope to see more games like this one in the future. << less