Space Ace HD Announced
By Steve on Friday, October 5th, 2007 at 2:21 PM PST In Computer, Game Platforms
Ahh, the 80s arcade scene. There is nothing like it. The electronic symphony of Blips, Bleeps, and Woowoos serenading us from afar like the sirens’ call. The strobing 8-bit assault of electron ordinance bombarding our optical receptors. The clankity clank of change machines grinding someone’s hard earned paper into shiny golden metal octagonal tokens of delight. The thick layer of smog sourced from half-dozen burning cigarettes permeating the air.
Ok, well maybe that last detail isn’t so fondly remembered. Arcades certainly deserve to be more than just a footnote in history. There’s a bit of sadness garnered as we say goodbye to such a relic of the entertainment industry. I certainly owe a large chunk of my childhood to the 80’s arcade scene.
So it gives me great pleasure to bring news that classic arcade Space Ace is coming to our homes, in High Definition no less. Digital Leisure, the remastering gurus responsible for bringing Dragon’s Lair, Dragon’s Lair 2: Time Warp, and Space Ace to DVD (and more recently Dragon’s Lair HD to PC DVD-ROM, HD-DVD, and Blu-Ray), have just announced Space Ace HD for PC DVD-ROM.
Space Ace, of course, was a direct follow-up to Dragon’s Lair success some 23+ years ago. As the name implies, Space Ace was, in short, Dragon’s Lair retooled with a Sci-Fi story. By all regards, it was exactly the same clockwork button mashing and joystick pushing game as its predecessor. Replace Dirk the Daring with Dexter/Ace, Princess Daphne with Kimberly, and Singe the Dragon with Commander Borf, and you have basically the same game in a Sci-Fi setting. Muscle bound hero, good looking girlfriend, a balding yet powerful bad guy wanting to destroy the earth with an oversized laser beam…. sound familiar? It should. It’s the same formula the Flash Gordon movie of the same era used.
Where Space Ace sets itself apart from your typical swashbuckling Sci-Fi romp is the use of legendary Don Bluth’s animation talents (Secret of Nimh, Titan A.E., etc.) Ask anyone who lived in that era; it was Don Bluth’s animation that made the game. Well, let’s just say the animation made it more than just a game. Back in the day, you didn’t care about the actual gameplay of Dragon’s Lair or Space Ace, you just wanted to watch the story unfold. It was an ingenious tactic to get you to fork over lots of quarters – more quarters than the cost of an actual theater ticket.
With today’s technology, we can now pay the money upfront and enjoy the experience all within the comforts of our home. And being digitally remastered in HiDef with 5.1 surround certainly brings an opportunity that just wasn’t there 20+ years ago.
You can pre-order Space Ace HD for PC DVD-ROM via the Digital Leisure website for $49.95. Digital Leisure also provides download links to a Space Ace trailer in HD and non-HD flavors.
Also, don’t forget to check out William’s review of Dragon’s Lair on HD-DVD.
Images from the game and press release after the break.
Digital Leisure announces release of Space Ace in HD!
GORMLEY, Ontario , Canada (October 4, 2007) — For the first time ever you can experience the stunning classical animation of Space Ace in true High Definition. This release of Don Bluth’s legendary animated arcade game features video transferred directly from the original film source, delivering the sharpest images and most vibrant colors ever – even better than the original laser disc release.
The follow-up to last year’s release of Dragon’s Lair PC HD, Space Ace PC HD also comes with a completely new five channel surround sound audio mix. The original audio has been cleaned and remastered to eliminate any impure background audio then analyzed to determine the best placement to immerse the players in the action. With the striking visuals and remarkable 5.1 surround sound audio, Space Ace HD offers fans an experience well beyond the arcade.
“Don Bluth’s animation just pops in Space Ace HD” says David Foster, President of Digital Leisure. “It’s fantastic that today’s computers allow gamers to enjoy full high definition products. There are details in the animation that I didn’t know existed before seeing the game in such high definition. The colors are incredibly vivid and the surround sound mix will have you looking over your shoulder!”
In Space Ace you play the heroic Ace who must stop the evil Commander Borf from taking over the Earth! Borf plans to reduce all of humankind to infants and take over the planet. Only two people have the courage and strength to stop Borf and save Earth: the beautiful Kimberly and the heroic Ace. But as they approach Borf’s stronghold, Ace is hit by the Infanto Ray, changing him into a child, and Kimberly is kidnapped by the evil madman! The fate of Earth is in your hands!
Digital Leisure is a leading publisher of interactive video based titles. The company acquires and re-masters existing video-intensive titles that would benefit from the superior video and audio quality of DVD and HD.
Space Ace HD PC will be available this fall at many fine game retailers as well as at www.digitalleisure.com
