Big Sky Trooper

JVC, developed by LucasArts

Description:

Big Sky Trooper is an action based Role Playing Game that attempts to be a 'Family' game, I.E. tough enough for adults but cute enough for kids. It is obviously based on many standard Japanese RPG design principles, but with a distinctly LucasArts flair. Reminiscent of the witty 'Zombies Ate My Neighbors' in some ways. Humorous and light.

Story:

Gooey amoeboid aliens discover the LucasArts commercial logo floating in space, and decide to wage war on all of the human species on the grounds that: 1. We are disgusting because we have bones, and 2. They despise advertising of any sort. The player is recruited to save the human race from extinction. Along they way, the secrets of the Universe are revealed, and Fast Food Franchises become the ultimate weapon against all evil. Then things get strange.

Review:

Big Sky Trooper is a game that at first glance is easily dismissed. The art is strange and seems as though everything was crafted from Play-Dough. The opening is humorous, and the player character creation is a riot. But simple game play seems to leave one feeling oddly ill at ease, at first. This is a 'guilty pleasure' game. It is not the most brilliant RPG. The mixture of elements is curious to say the least. The game suffers from a lack of diverse enemies, and a reliance on difficult mazes. But the Sky in the game IS big, with over a hundred tiny planets to conquer, and a rather odd storyline as well. It seems that the basis of reality is dependent upon the functioning of four ancient machines, built by the archaic Sect of the Quantum Mechanics, and that the player must use their wits, their blaster, and the power of fast food franchising to repair the cosmos.

The game becomes surprisingly engrossing. The designers have created a heartfelt game with a wacky attitude. The game almost begs to be loved for it's unique quirkiness, and if one can devote some time to actually get a degree of depth into it, Big Sky Trooper begins to fascinate the player in an oddly compelling way. Big Sky Trooper is a crazy quilt of childlike cuteness and adult science fiction references. Fans of classic SF writing will find many hidden jokes and allusions. The game overall is a bit uneven, but very lovable, like a three legged puppy. It limps in spots, but it is so full of heartfelt charm, one just seems compelled to like it.

This is no groundbreaking piece of art. There is nothing spectacular about the game, it will not amaze or surprise you. But, damnit, it's just so bloody sincere. I am almost ashamed to admit it, but I was bolted to this game to the conclusion. If given a chance, it is a bit of all right.

If your tastes can encompass a quirky, heartfelt little mutant of an Action Role Play Game, a kind of Mr. Potato Head riding a Play-Dough Rocket through the pages of Theodore Sturgeon's 'Bill The Galactic Hero' by way of Heinlein's 'Starship Troopers', then I can definitely recommend this weird little charmer. If you cannot handle sincere, cute Science Fiction wackiness, this may not be your cup of Spoo.

Oh, damnit, I loved it. There, I admit it.

Reviewed by Jennifer Diane Reitz, Oct. 23 1995

Jennifer Diane Reitz is a Game Designer and Computer Artist, and one of the founders of Happy Puppy. She is the creator of numerous games and software products, including Boppin' , Shark Chums, Elsewhere, and many others. She has worked for such companies as Activision, Sculptured Software, Epyx, SRI, and Electronic Arts, and founded Accursed Toys. She has been active in the computer gaming industry since it's earliest days. She considers games to be works of artistic merit and achievement, and views computer entertainment as the most important media of our era.