Wing Commander is a landmark space combat simulation game, originally developed by Origin Systems and ported to the SNES in 1993. As a rookie pilot assigned to the carrier TCS Tiger’s Claw, you must defend the Terran Confederation from the feline alien race known as the Kilrathi. The game features a dynamic, branching campaign where your performance in dogfights and mission objectives directly influences the storyline and your career progression.
How to Play
Your objective is to complete various missions, including patrols, strikes, and escorts, while surviving intense 3D dogfights. Use the D-pad to steer your fighter’s pitch and yaw, and the L and R shoulder buttons to roll. The face buttons (A, B, X, Y) allow you to accelerate, decelerate, fire your primary lasers, and launch missiles. Press Select to cycle through your targeting displays and Start to bring up the navigation map to jump to your next waypoint. In the browser, standard SNES controls map to your arrow keys, with the face buttons on Z, X, A, and S, shoulder buttons on Q and W, and Enter/Shift for Start and Select.
Tips
- Manage your speed: Don’t fly at maximum throttle during dogfights. Slowing down allows you to turn much faster to get enemy fighters in your sights.
- Conserve your missiles: You only carry a limited payload of missiles and torpedoes. Save them for heavy bombers and capital ships rather than wasting them on agile, lightly armored targets.
- Communicate with your wingman: Use the game’s communication system to give orders to your wingman, such as attacking your target or returning to base if they are heavily damaged.
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