Calling all Gamers: I can't remember the name of an old space game for Mac

[DJinTX]

I have been trying to remember the name of a game I was playing on my Mac back in 2003/2004 and it is driving me crazy. Hopefully someone here can help me figure this out. It was either freeware/shareware, or I just ran across a free demo on a promo disk as it wasn't something I paid for.

I'll start by saying my memory on this is a bit fuzzy, but here goes. It's a third person spaceship simulation type game with fairly good graphics for the time. It was set in a pretty vast universe with many distant nebulas and galaxies. Starting out you have a certain number of credits, and you have to buy a spaceship. Different ships are different prices related to different speed ratings, armor ratings, weapon levels, etc. After you have your spaceship, I think you then begin accepting missions taking payloads and/or people to different galaxies. The goal is to earn money to be able to reach farther planets and buy upgrades or better ships because sometimes you are attacked by pirates that are pretty tough. The battle is all third person so you have to maneuver around your enemies and you can choose between lasers or torpedoes. Also, when moving between galaxies you actually use something like warp drive and it takes a bit of time to get there. Instead of warping from point A to point B, you have to stop at each hub galaxy in between.

Does this game description ring any bells with anyone?

 

[Shizlmynizel]

Joined up just to respond to this thread.

Are you referring to "Freespace" ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FreeSpace_2

 

[Guiyon]

Does Escape Velocity ring any bells? There are three games in the series:

Escape Velocity: http://www.ambrosiasw.com/games/ev/
Escape Velocity Override: http://www.ambrosiasw.com/games/evo/
Escape Velocity Nova: http://www.ambrosiasw.com/games/evn/

 

[DJinTX]

Thanks for the quick replies guys. I wasn't sure how long it would take to hear back but you both were definitely on the ball. I checked out your suggestions and it looks like Escape Velocity is the winner. Some of it looks and sounds different than I remember, but it has the familiar "spiderweb grid" of different planets that I remember, so this has to be it.

Thanks for the help!

Kudos go to Guiyon for the correct answer~
Now I can sleep at night and not wonder about this damn game. I'll have to try to find a downloadable version to play.

Thanks again!

 

[50548]

Yep, it was Escape Velocity - a wonderfully engaging game, indeed.

And there was also the newer version of it: EV Nova.

All are available and still on sale here:

http://www.ambrosiasw.com/games/evn/

p.s.: EV Nova is perfectly playable on OS X, no emulation needed.

 

[milbournosphere]

I know you've found your answer, but you might also check out Freelancer. It was a very good game that also came out around that time. If you're into space sims, you really should check it out.

 

[UrgArg]

I lost many hours to EV:Nova - excellent game indeed.

 

[etrnldrk]

Marathon.

http://source.bungie.org/

You're welcome, I just helped kill all of your free time.

 

[50548]

Marathon.

http://source.bungie.org/

You're welcome, I just helped kill all of your free time.

Along with Realmz, most surely the best game of all time.

 

[Icaras]

I really want Freespace and Freelancer to make a return comeback. Preferably on either iOS or OSX would be splendid, but I'll settle with a Windows version on Steam even. Just bring these classics back!

 

[Renzatic]

I really want Freespace and Freelancer to make a return comeback. Preferably on either iOS or OSX would be splendid, but I'll settle with a Windows version on Steam even. Just bring these classics back!

Man, where have you been? You've got the Freespace Source Code Project dealing with porting and enhancing FS2 (and yes, there is an OSX port buried in there somewhere), Hard Light Productions showing off the billions upon billions of mods being made for it, and you can play with it all using legit and legal copy of FS2 from GOG.

Enjoy!

 

[Confusius]

Now I can stay up all night playing EV and not wonder about this damn game.

Fixed that for you

 

[cgk.emu]

Marathon.

http://source.bungie.org/

You're welcome, I just helped kill all of your free time.

Really? Come on man. I played Marathon 1, Durandal, and Infinity back in the day. Nowhere in the game did you ever have credits. He is obviously talking about Escape Velocity. I really dislike posts like this.


More on the topic, I still play EV Nova for OS 10, fantastic game.

----------

Yep, it was Escape Velocity - a wonderfully engaging game, indeed.

And there was also the newer version of it: EV Nova.

All are available and still on sale here:

http://www.ambrosiasw.com/games/evn/

p.s.: EV Nova is perfectly playable on OS X, no emulation needed.

works great on 10.8 (c)

----------

I really want Freespace and Freelancer to make a return comeback. Preferably on either iOS or OSX would be splendid, but I'll settle with a Windows version on Steam even. Just bring these classics back!

I completely agree. The classics didn't have it visually, but they had it in the story line and gameplay, most new games can't say that. It's all eye candy crap with no substance.