Description of Orbiter
Predating Virgin Interactive's underrated Shuttle by several years, Orbiter is a decent space shuttle simulation that unfortunately is bogged down with too much "realism" to be fun. As commander of a space shuttle, you select from 4 different types of missions (rendezvous, satellite repair, satellite deployment, or training mission), within each of which you can choose to control any or all of the 3 stages: launch, orbit, and landing. A detailed scoring system evaluates your performance in every stage, and almost every system imaginable on the real space shuttle is meticulously modelled in the game. The problem is, the game quickly degenerates into an exercise in frustration due to complicated user interface that uses multiple windows and viewpoints, poor CGA graphics (EGA, which was widely used in gaming in 1988, was curiously omitted in Orbiter), and lack of campaign mode a la Shuttle.
Overall, a commendable effort, but one best experienced only by expert space sim enthusiasts.
Review By HOTUD
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Comments and reviews
Flyboy 2024-12-04 0 point
Houston, we have a problem. This orbiter and the one created by Dr. Martin Schweiger in 2000 and now at ver.2016 and this one by spectrum holobyte are not the same this is easy to play compared with orbiter 2016 which is a fantastic free space simulator probably thousands of add-ons everything from satellite launches nasa Apollo missions space shuttle missions mir .iss space station and more lots lots more my favourite takes you right back to 16 July 1969 Apollo 11 from launch to moon landing with all the add-on dialogue of the count down and astronauts talking to Houston. Never get tired of the moon landing part with the dialogue we've all heard so many times Houston tranquility base here.....the eagle has landed Fantastic.....oh yeh this games ok too. is SPACE really the final frontier ❓
Alex 2014-09-04 0 point DOS version
You should probably just play the modern orbiter game on there website.
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DOS Version
Mac Version
- Year: 1985
- Publisher: Spectrum Holobyte, Inc.
- Developer: Spectrum Holobyte, Inc.
Atari ST ROM
- Year: 1988
- Publisher: Spectrum Holobyte, Inc.
- Developer: Sphere, Inc.
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