1995 space sim Star Quest 1 updated for Windows with HOTAS and controller support

The original developer of Star Quest 1 in the 27th Century has released a 30th Anniversary Edition that runs on modern Windows and adds controller and HOTAS support, he announced on Reddit. Star Quest was first released in November 1995 by Virtual Adventures Inc and was notable for allowing seamless transitions between open space and planetary atmospheres — a feature the PC Gamer story says technically put it decades ahead of later games.

The title did not become a major hit and has been largely forgotten until now. In his Reddit post the developer, Lauzon, said he spent the last few weeks updating the game so it runs on Windows without requiring users to install or configure a DOS emulator. He wrote: "I also modified the code to support game controllers and joystick with HOTAS setup and revised the keyboard and mouse control too." Although primarily a space dogfighting sim, the game includes mixed mission types — space races, surface strikes and tactical engagements with wingmen — and the itch page reproduces the original box art and a contemporaneous feature list (3D mapped stars, Gouraud-shaded planets, texture-mapped objects, over 60 ships, full 360-degree movement, 10 difficulty levels and more).

The 30th Anniversary Edition is available to download from Itch and the file is about eight megabytes; the download page offers an optional contribution but you can click "No thanks, just take me to the downloads" to skip payment.

star quest 1, 30th anniversary edition, star quest windows release, virtual adventures inc, lauzon reddit post, hotas support, controller support, runs without dos emulator, space dogfighting sim, seamless space-atmosphere transition, gouraud-shaded planets