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Star Craft...The game of the Millenium

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 10 / 11
Date: December 30, 1999
Author: Amazon User

Star Craft is the one game I found myself playing in the late hours of the night... It is intense and forever changing. Your stragities will constantly be changing...as you learn new ways to play. In game you can not sit around and do nothing...you must be thinking at all times

An excellent buy!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 10 / 11
Date: November 12, 1999
Author: Amazon User

I don't understand why this package sells for $5 less than Starcraft alone, but if you are going to buy Starcraft, you'd be a fool not to go for the Battle Chest. You get the full original game, the expansion set, and two strategy guides for less than the price of the original game alone! Go for it!

THE consummate RTS.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 10
Date: September 02, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Forget the fact that 30+ thousand people still play Starcraft every day on Battlenet. Forget the fact that this game helped revitalize the economy of South Korea. Forget that there are books, music videos, T-shirts, action figures, comics, lunch boxes, entire TV channels (!!) devoted to this. Forget that there is still a huge pro circuit that feverishly plays this game day in, day out and is still coming up with new strategies 8 years after the game was released.

All of that is amazing, but aside from being complex, deep, fast-paced, exciting and all, this game is just a hell of a lot of fun. Faking a drop so you can run your army up your opponents ramp is fun. Executing a perfect flank on your enemies seige tank line is fun. Sending a token force to an expansion so your arbiter can recall your massive army in his main base is fun. Nuking your enemies headquarters is a hell of a lot of fun.

Some people have compared this to real time chess, and its not entirely unwarranted. Each side has a limited number of "pieces", and an enormous potential combination of movement. Unlike chess, each side is fundamentally different. People like to talk about the minor differences- zerg have creep, protoss have pylons etc.- but the differences run so deep that the Zerg have a geometric production model, while the other two have the standard linear model. Along with this there are the different philosophies of each side (Zerg swarm, Terran micromanage, Protoss use sheer power). There has yet to be an RTS which has as successfully produced such a balanced and deep asymmetry. Compared to this, Warcraft 3 might as well just have one race. Even on the highest levels, the win percentage difference between the matchups is on the order of 0.5 - 2%- incredible, given the differences. In Warcraft 2, despite nearly identical sides, no one plays human heads up. In Total Annihilation, no one looking to win plays Core.

I still play about one or two days a week. Its the only game I still play, which says something, for an 8 year old game. If you haven't tried it, you should.

Starcraft - going beyond Tiberian Sun

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 9 / 10
Date: June 16, 2000
Author: Amazon User

I heard that this game had garnered a good reputation, but until now it had never piqued my interest. There are so many games in the real-time strategy genre - you have classics like Age of Empires 2 and Command & Conquer, or total stinkers like Tiberian Sun.

It's important to remember that Starcraft was created at least two years before Age of Empires 2. It's obvious that AOE2 borrowed some good ideas from Starcraft. The main one being those of unit limits. In Starcraft you have a 200 unit limit, so it's still possible to build a huge army. But you also have to balance that against the number of units you use to gather resources.

Another unique feature of Starcraft is the totally different sides. It absolutely amazes me that a single game can have such diverse armies and yet still manage to be so well balanced. There isn't a single unit in the game that can't be neutralised by another unit - which is no mean feat, considering how powerful they are.

The most interesting aspect to these units are their special abilities. Certain units in each race have special attacks they can use to neutralise or destroy an opponent. For instance, the Terran Ghost soldier can fire an EMP blast that can knock out mechanical units. Zerg queens can fire parasites, which attach themselves to enemies, allowing you to see whatever that unit sees. The Protoss have the Templar, a unit that uses a chain lightning `psionic storm' to eliminate whole squadrons of units.

There are certain features which I wish had been implemented. It's not possible to control the behaviour of your units (ie. setting them to guard or defensive mode, etc...). This makes it entirely possible for your entire massed army to chase after a single unit, when really you want them to stay in one place. Fortunately, a `hold' command is provided, but I still would've preferred to give my units more advanced commands.

The other annoying aspect is map size. It's blindingly obvious that the maps are too small when compared to the size of the units. Try leading a group through a narrow canyon - because there is so little room individual units will often take a different path to get to a destination.

Starcraft's other strength is in it's storyline. I have never seen such powerfully realized characters like this in a computer game. In truth, there are no real good guys or bad guys in this game. Everybody has their own motivations for their actions. The sequential compaign design only strengthens this aspect. It's unfortunate that Tiberian Sun's Michael Biehn and James Earl Jones didn't have a script like this to play with.

In conclusion, Starcraft is everything that Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun wasn't. It has the best designed units of any strategy game. It has a strong storyline which is beautifully realised in the single-player missions. And the addition of StarEdit means you can create your own missions once you tire of the Blizzard approved ones. No wonder why this game has stood the test of time. However, the omission of advanced unit controls mean I have to deduct one star.

Still a great game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 11 / 14
Date: October 23, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I took a several year break from computer gaming until I recently bought myself a PowerBook. With my new machine I decided to try out StarCraft because the Battlechest was cheap. Even years after it's release, StarCraft is still a great game. The three races (Terrans, Protoss, and Zerg) have such different play styles it's like having three games in one. The storyline does a great job of keeping the gameplay fresh; otherwise, it would be another game of "build up your forces and rush your opponent."

I recommend the Battlechest for another reason: the two hint books that come with the bundle. If you're in school, you may have time to burn playing the scenarios two or three times until you get it right, but I have to hold down a full time job. I usually play until I've figured out the gimmick for each scenario, then I check the hint book because I can't waste a lot of time getting to the next mission (I told you the storyline was good). This goes doubly for any married StarCraft player: unless you're spending quality time with your kids playing this game, you'll jeopardize your marraige by spending hours in front of the computer trying to finish this game. The hint books make it possible to have some fun and still get on with life.

Get the Battlechest: you won't be disappointed.

A Parent's Review

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 13 / 18
Date: January 07, 2002
Author: Amazon User

We started out buying the simpler Starcraft game, but discovered that this one is much more complete, with more options for just $10 more-- well worth the difference.

I don't play video games. I'm reviewing this as a parent of 12 and 18 year old sons. I've observed countless games.

My just-turning 12 son first encountered Starcraft this summer at overnight camp. When we came to visit, the game was one of the first things he wanted to show us, not the water activities, skateboard park, recording studio, craft areas, playing fields, etc.

He was already hooked on it. I found the game to be intellectually stimulating and challenging, requiring planning and learning of strategies, rather than these shoot-em-up as you go through a maze games that seem so prevalent.

There is combat, but it is not one human smashing or killing another. It involves battle cruisers and other weapons generally.

Also, it is an on-line game that can involve playing other real, live players, or a computer opponent or both. it is not uncommon for my son to be on-line using one phone line and on the phone with his friend who is playing on-line in the same game from his house. The point is, the game encourages him to learn to play cooperatively, to build team cohesion and maintain alliances, since anyone can un-ally and then attack a former ally any time.

I'd give this a five rating if it weren't for the fact that it is SOOO addicting. I have a hard time getting my younger son to do anything else since he got Battle Chest for Christmas. Also, there have been one or two times when some of the kids on-line who were playing my son used very foul language. I'm no prude, but I didn't see the need for my, at the time, 11 year old son to be exposed to such crudities. I complained to the company and their reply was this was aimed at older kids in their teens. This is a liability, since the game is easily handled by kids under 13 who are bright. It would be nice to create a gaming zone for that age which would protect them from older teens almost natural proclivity for "testing the limits" of the language.

The bottom line is this is a game which is intellectually stimulating, rather than some of the mind numbing ones out there, but some supervision of the chat on the on-line version may be necessary.

One of the Best PC Strategy Game Ever Created

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: August 10, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I have played this game ever since it came out and am a veteran player. Each of the three paragraphs will explain different parts of the game so if you are about to just scroll down past this review because itýs long, just read the paragraph that most interests you by reading the first few sentences of any of the shown paragraphs because those sentences describe that paragraph. This first paragraph will explain the races and the differences. This game has 3 unique races that are very different. Zerg, Protoss and Terran all have very different units, buildings, statistics, strategies and more. Zerg have weak units, but they are very cheap too build and you can create them very early in the game because you can build units very fast compared to the other races. So Zerg is the best race to rush other players with. Protoss is a very strong and expensive race. They are slower to build than any of the races but they are very good if you are going to play a long game with someone. Terran, which are the humans if you don't know, are in the middle. They are in middle of the stats when you look at the cost difference, strength and how fast they take to build. All the races are good to be, since the game is one of the best of it's kind.

Now this second paragraph is about game play. Starcraft with its expansion pack is a one of a kind. The game loads fast, the controls are straight forward and are simple to use, the graphics are great, with it's dark textures and detailed landscape it has better graphics than all other strategy games for it's time. Even some of the newer games from Westwood Studios do not come near to the graphics of this game. This game has great missions, and the first few for each race also act as a tutorial for new players. Also in between every few mission they have a cinematic movie, which you can watch or skip if you want. The mission-briefing screen depends on which race you are, for the setting is different and the characters (speaking animated portraits) that tell you your mission are different. This game has pretty good music and when you click on a unit they always reply back with some sort of response.

Now this third and last paragraph will talk about the best part of the game, multiplayer mode. ...Blizzards official online multiplayer battle network where you can play against hundreds of thousands of other players who are online, is a great system. You can play MANY different types of maps with up to eight people in one game. There are different types of maps, some are 'User Map Settings, Melee, Team melee, Capture the Flag, etc.' There are more types but I will just continue. When you buy the starcraft battle chest you will receive 2 tip books (on starcraft and the expansion pack) and a manual plus the game starcraft and the expansion. When you install the game it also comes with a map editor. This map editor allows you to customize maps, and even create your own maps. You can change the name and stats of units, change the mission briefings, create triggers and timers and scoreboards and teams and change the terrain plus more. You create an almost actual RPG like game or any other type of game if you put hard work into it. I usually play user map setting maps that are the maps created by other players because they are more fun than the regular melee. This game is the only current strategy game to enable you to completely change and upload your own maps to the server for others to play. I myself have created a map called "God vs. Satan" which is a VERY popular map right now and others have made probably over 10 other upgrades to the map which is probably more than any other map. I play online all the time under the nickname punwod.... I hope you enjoy this game and this review! =)

Why Starcraft...?

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: August 25, 2005
Author: Amazon User

There is nothing I can say about Starcraft, and it's award-winning expansion Brood Wars, that hasn't already been said a million times over. Starcraft is to Real-Time-Strategy games what Boeing is to 747 airplanes; Neither invented the particular item they are known for (Starcraft - RTS PC game, Boeing - Commercial Airliner), but they both created the perfect specimen in its category, one that could very well stand the test of time.

Originally released in 1997-98, when it was deemed the "RTS game of the year", Starcraft is perhaps one of the only RTS games that you can still find on shelves at stores, close to a decade later! Although new RTS games have invaded the market, bringing with them cutting-edge 3D graphics and unheard-of computer requirements, Starcraft still, to this day, stands alone as the finest specimen of RTS ever created.

It's Sci-Fi universe holds legends, stories of survival, heroism, and evil. Every single individual in the game, be it Zerg, Protoss, or Human, is created with such extreme depth that you would swear their tales and experiences were real (as impossible as that may sound). The story of the game, and it's expansion, is the stuff of prize-winning novels! (Starcraft actually did spawn a Trilogy of novels, all of them set in the game's universe, and all of them a great-read)

The game has spawned countless websites, fan-clubs, mutli-player tournaments, championships, novels, DVDs, action figures...you name it, and Starcraft has been there at one point in time or the other...and it has reigned supreme. Good, even Great games come and go, but Starcraft is the one RTS game that you will forever remember.

I have bought over 5 copies of the game since it came out (lost some CD's, some got scratched-up), and it is the only game that I have had installed on my computer for over 5 years. I may not play it as much as I did before, but the assurance that the universe of Starcraft is only a few clicks away is worth it.

If you have never played this game before, you will NOT regret buying this box-set. And if you once played it before, trust me, this trip down the memory lane will be just as addictive as the first time around.

Starcraft to this day has not lost it's charm...

Starcraft is fun for everyone, even for a girl like me!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 9
Date: September 02, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I used to think pc games were for geeks and that the real OGs play console. But after coming to Korea, where Starcraft is really big gaming, I found myself sucked into this whole new world and arena of real-time strategy games. At first, Starcraft (and I'm sure all pc games) may be a little difficult to get the hang of because you have to cordinate your mouse and keyboard skills. Then, you have to get your building order in order. And after that, you're ready to enter battle and wipe out your opponent's base. There are three tribes to pick from: Terran, Protoss, and Zerg. Each has its weaknesses and strengths and after playing for two years, I realize it's good to be familiar with all three. Otherwise, you're gonna learn the hard way, like finding out in the middle of a game that the other tribe has invisible units and you've got nothing to see them with. As you get more comfortable with building and unit control, you might want to go up the tech tree and research spells and other tricks. I think most people play brood war only these days because there's a lot more units and spells.
The basic premise of the game is to collect minerals and gas which allow you to build more workers (mineral/gas collecting units) and later, build buildings and fighting units. Then, you must attack while protecting your base. In order to win, you must annihilate every enemy structure if you're playing agaisnt the computer, or else, completely overpower your opponent and wait for his or her surrender. Although you can play single player missions which are quite boring if you ask me, playing IPX with friends or on Battle.Net is the best. I do advise you get some practice runs against the computer with the MULTI-player option, but you won't really learn or improve until you take the plunge and get on Battle.Net. The only problem I have with Battle.Net is that everyone is worried about their "record" which leads to such misuse of map hacking and disconnections when they're losing. I know this happens a lot in Korea and players from around the world are weary of Korean Starcraft players. But there are still a lot of honest Korean players who hate hackers just as much. This is a great set to get started with because you get the official Blizzard guide. It goes through all three tribe's building order and units. But there's a new patch, Ver 1.08, which stabelizes the playing field since many players felt that Terran was weaker than the other tribes. I believe you can download this off the internet. What I haven't mentioned so far is how much fun Starcraft is for men and women and children alike. I'm a woman and I can't get enough of it. When I first started playing I would play for 8-10 hours non-stop. Yes, it is very addictive. But wheher you play by yourself or with friends, it's really enjoyable and it's very satisfying when you win. And even if you don't win, pulling off a successful drop into the enemy's base is just as satisfying. I knew a lawyer here in Korea whose whole family, wife included, played together on their five computer IPX at home after dinner. It's that much fun. Get on it now and buy your Starcraft Battle Chest. And once you get started, I'll see you on Battle.Net.

A Game That Will Be Talked About For Years To Come

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 11 / 15
Date: May 16, 2001
Author: Amazon User

When I purchased this game, I did not expect much. The demo didn't hold much for me, and I didn't find the presence of blood in the game comforting. When I got thet game though, those fears went away. Loaded with hours of replay value and a huge variety of ways to play, this game is certainly well worth the... price tag.

As far as single player is concerned, it has six episodes consisting of a minimum of 10 levels, about twenty total levels for each of the three races: Terran, Protoss, and Zerg. Each possesses unique abilities and disabilities, a uniqueness that is demonstrated in the missions Blizzard designed for the game. Objectives range from destroying power plants to ravaging Warp Portals to killing the collective mind of the Zerg. Certain levels have multiple outcomes, meaning that you might want to go back in order to beat it all. Besides that, unlike other games, Starcraft makes it very simple to replay old missions, and the AI makes it interesting every time.

As far as multi-player goes, it's incredible! Ranging from a 1 Human vs. 7 Computers to any number of combinations via the Internet and Battle.net or modem, a multi-player game is never the same twice. Starcraft comes with a number of multi-player maps already programmed and ready to go for yourself and computers, or friends and computers.

But if none of those map suit you fancy, there's always the Map Editor. This is my personal favorite option. You can literally create a map, doing everything that the programmers could do, except for the cinematic sequences. The triggers in the Map Editor allow you to make guns pop out of the floor, open doors, bring in reinforcements, kill units that go to a certain area, or start a team(s) with buildings or units. The options are limitless, the only thing stopping you in making the scenarios is the number of hours in the day.

The only downside I found in the game, as I already mentioned, is the presence of a minor amount of blood when Zerg units are killed. But the amount is so nominal, and the playability is so incredible, that THIS GAME IS A MUST-HAVE!

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