Star Cruiser (1988 video game)
| Star Cruiser スター クルーザー Star Quest | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Arsys Software |
| Publisher(s) | Arsys Software Masaya (Mega Drive) |
| Designer(s) | Osamu Nagano Kotori Yoshimura |
| Series | Star Cruiser |
| Platform(s) | PC-8801, PC-9801, X1, X68000, Mega Drive |
| Release | PC-8801 X1
|
| Genre(s) | Role-playing, first-person shooter |
Star Cruiser (スター クルーザー, Sutā Kurūzā) is a role-playing first-person shooter video game developed by Arsys Software and released in Japan for the PC-8801 and X1 home computers in 1988. The game was released for the PC-9801 and X68000 computers in 1989, and then ported by Masaya (NCS) to the Mega Drive in 1990.
The game is an early example of an action role-playing game with fully 3D polygon graphics, combined with first-person shooter gameplay and space flight simulation when exploring the open-ended outer space with six degrees of freedom. All backgrounds, objects, and opponents in the game are rendered in 3D polygons, years before the technique was widely adopted. The game emphasized storytelling, with plot twists and extensive character dialogues, taking place in a futuristic science fiction setting.
Namco licensed the Mega Drive version of Star Cruiser for a North American release entitled Star Quest, which Namco planned to publish for the Sega Genesis in July 1994. The North American release of Star Quest was eventually canceled.