Protostar - War on the Frontier

Starflight. If you've played it, you know. Two installments from Binary Systems, space adventure in open vastness, planetary exploration, contact with alien races — and then in 1993, a game shows up that does it all again, but a bit differently. Protostar: War on the Frontier from Tsunami Games isn't Starflight, but it breathes the same air.

It's a space adventure with RPG and exploration elements. You find yourself in the frontier regions of the galaxy, where conflict rages between humanity and alien civilizations. You manage your ship, command your crew, navigate space, trade, negotiate or fight — it all depends on the situation and how much you're willing to think ahead.

The controls are menu-based and clunky by today's standards, but in 1993 that was the norm. The game revolves around resource management, diplomatic choices, and gathering world information. Battles happen in real-time and are solid, but not dazzling — the real pleasure comes from exploration and conversations with alien races, where your communication style matters more than your stats. Anyone expecting action would be disappointed. Anyone coming for story and atmosphere would still be sitting at the monitor Sunday morning.

Tsunami Games moved in a pretty niche genre back then — space adventures of this kind were never mainstream. Protostar was their flagship and it sold decently. Graphics were acceptable for DOS, and the Sound Blaster music and effects didn't ruin the atmosphere. What aged worst is the game's information density — tons of reading, tons of systems, minimal explanation. There's virtually no tutorial; the manual was a necessity back then, not a bonus. Without it, you'll be lost before your first hyperspace jump.

Today Protostar suits players who fell for the old Starflight games or Megatraveller and don't mind a game demanding your time and patience. It runs in a browser via DOSBox without major hassles, and if you have the manual handy — ideally as a PDF — you'll experience exactly the kind of slow, cerebral space adventure that today's market barely offers.