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So many cool thematic article titles I could use...but. A number of years ago, Lucasarts took a pretty can't-miss concept and turned it into a great game: a flight sim based in their Star Wars universe. X-Wing was a great game, and two add-ons made it even better. Later they did it again, with T.I.E. Fighter, where you could show Luke and the rest of the Rebel rabble how real men fly. Last, and some may say least, they offered X-Wing Vs. T.I.E. Fighter, initially a multiplayer only game that saw single play added in a mission pack. It was good, but not quite great. With Star Wars fans running at a feverish pitch, they've finally released what is likely to be the last of their games to be based on the original 3 films, X-Wing Alliance.

I've played a number of flight sims, and a number of space flight sims. Some merit mention, like Wing Commander. Others, like one SSI did that I thankfully cannot remember the name to, do not. X-Wing Alliance does what a really great game should - it makes you forget the competition. Admittedly, Lucasarts had a serious edge in that you're not flying some generic only-going-to-be-seen-in-this-game ship, you're flying an X-Wing. Or any of the other memorable craft from the movie, plus a few you've not seen before. There's a good variation to the craft, and the missions as well. At the start, you'll be limited in what you can pick from. Later you'll be able to pick different ships, weapons, beam systems and defensive systems.

The game starts with the classic crawl, followed by a great cinematic opening, which of course starts with a pan down across a star field. We're quickly introduced to the main hero and his family. You're a young pilot whose family is engaged in a bitter trade dispute with a rival family. As the story progresses, you'll join the alliance and eventually find yourself pitted against the Super Star Destroyer Executor, and finally the Death Star 2 at the Battle of Endor. Aside from the main storyline, there's also the ability to play in multiplayer dogfights and time trials through a rebel salvage yard.

The single player game has a few missions that seem exceedingly hard. Most of them, however, vary from easy to slightly difficult, a good spread overall. This, coupled with the multiplayer aspect of the game, makes for some pretty good longevity. I've always gone back to previous X-Wing games and played them through a second time just to see how many kills I could get the second time around. This is a game that should keep you tied up for a month or so.

The controls are excellent, and a joystick is required. I've used both a Gravis Exterminator pad and a flightstick and throttle -- both work well. Keys are easily mapped to the stick or pad in game, and can be modified in the middle of a mission if you so desire. Almost any given control option you could want is available to use, but not necessary.

What an upgrade in graphics. The last installment looked good, but 3D acceleration was an addon. This time around, 3D accelerators are supported out of the box and it shows. Nice effects are sparking consoles when hit, engine glow, and the ability to see the pilot in cockpits of certain ships. (The A-wing is a great example of this.) The skins for the ships look excellent, and the detail to the models is great. Radar mounts rotate, gun cannons as well.

Sound support for 3D audio is well done, but one has to question explosions in space - there's no atmosphere out there for sound waves to travel though. Scientific nitpicking aside, the sound is nice. Music is classic Star Wars, something I've yet to get tired of, thanks to John Williams. Listening to your fellow pilots is well done, if a little weird when they say their death message just after you watch them burst into flames.

Put the CD in and go. What more can there be? No problems at all, since I bought a 10GB drive. Oh well, at least the drives are as cheap as water these days.

It's Star Wars damnit! With such an incredible license, Lucas could afford to slide out slipshod games and let the name carry them, but they thankfully don't. This is a great way to end the series, well, the series as based on the first three movies. I'm sure there'll be a prequel version sooner or later. The question is, how do you go to flying a Z-95 once you've been in an X-Wing?