Name: Space Ace
Genre: Interactive Movie
Platforms: Blu-Ray DVD


Way back in olden times, before modern luxuries like iPods and rapper-endorsed vitamin water, there were these massive silver discs that contained information.  They were called LaserDiscs, and while they were the diameter of a truck tire, they only held about 1/10 the information of a DVD.  One of the first implementations of the LaserDisc technology was, surprisingly, in arcade machines.  At a time when most game graphics were either vector-based or dichromatic blocks, LaserDisc technology allowed developers like Cinematronics to insert interactive gameplay mechanics into full-motion video.  Their first effort in this sub-genre, Dragon’s Lair, was a financial mega-hit and remains one of gaming’s most beloved titles of all time. The follow-up, Space Ace, was somewhat less successful, but still retains a cult following to this day.  Now, almost 24 years after its initial release, Space Ace is available again, this time on Blu-Ray DVD.

In Space Ace, you play as Ace, a musclebound hero who resembles a cross between Dirk the Daring and Zapp Brannigan.  At the game’s outset, Ace and his buxom space-girlfriend, Kimberly, are attacked by the villainous Borf.  Ace is zapped with the Infant-Ray that Borf plans on using against Earth, turning him into the skinny, teenaged Dexter.  Kimberly is kidnapped by Borf, and it’s up to Dexter/Ace to save the damsel in distress as well as the planet.  In the quest to save Kimberly,  he’ll face crumbling platforms, alien monstrosities, perilous dogfights and deadly traps before the final face-off with the evil Borf.

For those who’ve never played a LaserDisc gme, the controls work a little differently than most games.  Instead of directly controlling the character, you’ll use split-second timing to make decisions about which action Ace/Dexter should take to avoid dying.  For example, while on a quickly crumbling platform, you’ll need to push the right direction to make Ace jump to a more stable one.  In other situations, you’ll need to press fire at just the right time to take out robot sentries. Unlike most games, one wrong move is all it takes to kill you, giving the game a sense of urgency that’s tough to duplicate.  Improving on the formula that Dragon's Lair created, Space Ace allows for multiple paths, giving you many opportunities to decide on your course of action.  Whether it be a simple choice between taking the left or right corridor, or a more impactful one, like sneaking around with Dexter vs. blasting away with Ace, the game does a great job of making you feel that you are in control of the adventure.  

A game like this that requires lightning-quick button presses demands a certain level of responsiveness from the controller, and this Blu-Ray release does not disappoint.  Playing the game on a PS3, there was absolutely no delay from the time I pressed a button on the wireless controller to the on-screen reaction.  The rapid response time is one of the main reasons that this type of game works much better on Blu-Ray than on regular DVD.  

Being a fully hand-drawn game, there’s really no graphics to talk about.  The  lovingly crafted animation, however, is simply fantastic.  Don Bluth cartoons have always been in the upper echelon of American animation, and Space Ace is no exception.  Character designs are as distinct and expressive as any Disney movie, and the background art features a late 70’s/early 80’s vibe that is at the same time nostalgic and futuristic.  The game runs in 1080 resolution, whether you choose the widescreen or original display ratio, but the years have not been particularly kind to the animation, and a re-mastering would have been a nice touch to make the visuals pop on today’s big screen TVs.  Sound design is at an equally high level, with a suitably dramatic score and surprisingly good voice work considering the characters are voiced by Don Bluth staffers instead of professional voice actors.  Dolby surround sound is supported, giving you the best sounding version of the game ever released.

None of this is new, as the game is simply an HD port of the original.  Taking a notorious coin-stealer like Space Ace and putting it on a home disc, however, does carry with it some minor drawbacks.  In the arcade, when you died, you’d see a scene of Ace/Dexter dying, then be taunted with a screen of Borf telling you “Surrender, you coward!” or “You can not win!”  When you were spending $0.50 a play, this was fine, as it gave you extra incentive to survive the next series of traps.  On the DVD, however, where you can continue infinitely, it serves as little more than an annoyance, subjecting you to the same mocking scene over and over again.  There is an option to limit your continues to five, but chances are you’ll be playing with unlimited continues just to get through the game, and you’ll be dying a lot.  A whole lot, in fact.  While quick reflexes are a must, the game often comes down to repeating a scene over and over until you’ve got all the button presses memorized.  Cutting out the repetitive death scenes would have taken away from the “Arcade-perfection” of the title, but probably would have helped streamline the experience.  

In addition to the game itself, the disc contains a decent amount of extra features.  In addition to a non-interactive version of the full animated story (with or without creator commentary), you get playable one-level demos of Dragon’s Lair and Dragon’s Lair II: Time Warp, interviews with the game’s creators, and a video montage that shows the Blu-Ray version side-by-side with older versions of the game.  It’s a surprisingly large amount of content, especially considering the $27.95 price tag.  In contrast, the Dragon’s Lair disc, which contains roughly the same extra features, runs for $49.99.

All in all, Space Ace on Blu-Ray is the best way to experience this classic title.  The combination of top-notch visuals, excellent responsiveness, superb sound and plenty of extra features make this well worth $27.95.  Highly recommended for any fan of Don Bluth, classic arcade games or animation in general. 

 

 

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