Starflight 2

Arthis safe! At least, that's what you thought when you saved the planet from certain destruction by supernova in the original Starflight. But then the vile Spemin, a race of evil aliens, developed technology that was light-years ahead of the rest of the galaxy. Now, in Starflight 2, those slimeballs are threatening to subjugate all of creation, including you.

Your mission is to get your hands on theSpemin's new technotoys and find a way of acquiring more shyneum. What's shyneum? It seems that Arth's former source of energy, endurium, has been banned, since it causes those pesky supernovas. Shyneum is the new and improved energy source, but it's a lot tougher to find, so you'd better get cracking.

Of course, you are still on the lookout for new planets to colonize, but that's a bit tougher, too. It seems that while the galaxy was worrying so much about solar destruction and the like, a few more species moved into the neighborhood, so there won't be nearly as many uninhabited planets for the Federation to snap up.

Starflight 2 continues in much the same vein as its predecessor, with a few refinements. There are some new aliens to encounter, and now you can view them in VGA graphics. There aren't as many planets to visit, but there's a lot more to see on the ones that do exist. Trade has become more complicated — you can no longer just make a quick stop at your home spaceport to dump your goods. Now you'll have to do most of your dealing with alien traders, who are idiosyncratic, at best. Prices and demand may fluctuate with no discernible logic. And some races, such as the Tandelou Eshvey, mix their religion with everything else and expect you to do the same.

Whether or not you've played Starflight, Starflight 2 is an enjoyable adventure and is richer in detail than many other games. A lot of thought has gone into Star-flight 2, and a lot of thought will go into playing it.