Now we only need mechwarrior 2 on gog and my transformation to my 90s self will be complete.

I mean, something like joy2key would be the easiest way to accomplish that. Yesterday I was mocking the very idea of playing these games on a controller, but after messing around with joy2key and reacquainting myself with TIE Fighter a bit, I think it might actually be possible. If I can work out a configuration that makes the game playable without losing too much functionality, I'll post a blog with my recommended setup, watch this space.

Quick Look! Quick Look! Quick Look! Quick Look!.........or UPF!!

having just recently seen (like 3 weeks ago) the original star wars trilogy, and having never played this game, i would very much like to see a quick looks.

ive seen y'all play other space games and you always say, this is no TIE fighter, hey, we should dig out a copy of TIE fighter and do a bombastica, AH-HA! nows your chance.

Aw yeah! Time to bust out the HOTAS!

I bought TIE fighter and Sam and Max.

Yes! this game is the closest you will get to being inside the Star Wars universe. The first video game I ever played was X-wing.

As a person who tried to use a 360 pad with other older space shooters, I'm guessing it won't work well.

The problem is round gate vs square gate joysticks.

Basically joysticks work by measuring position along two axes (like an X, Y graph). Say that the joystick coords for center is (0, 0), fully forward is (0, 100), fully right is (100, 0) for example. Proper flight sticks (and joysticks of yore) have a square "gate", meaning the opening at the base of the stick that determines its movement range. So when you move a flight stick all the way to the top right corner, you are at the full extent of the vertical range, and the full extent of the horizontal range - same as if you were just moving in one of those directions individually - i.e. top right would measure (100, 100).

Because gamepad joysticks have round gates, you can't actually get to the full extent of their range. When you point a 360 joystick to the top right, you're only around 70% as far forward as if you were moving it forward only and only 70% as far to the right as if you were moving it right only. I.e. it would measure (70, 70).

Newer games designed for analog gamepads are built to compensate for this (though usually in a pretty simple/weak manner by simply treating anything reporting values >= 70% of the joystick's range as 100%), . However, older games were built for flight sticks with square gates and expect full range movement at all possible stick angles. As a result, they don't feel right if you try to play with round gate gamepads. If you're trying to yaw and pitch at the same time (i.e. moving the joystick up/right, down/left, etc.) you'll only be rotating the ship at 70% the speed in either direction that it's capable of doing. This doesn't sound like much, but it's actually a far bigger impact than you might think, especially if the game was designed to have non-linear rotational speed based on the magnitude of the input. I've found it to render these old games more or less unplayable on a gamepad. They demand a basic flight stick.

Hmmm..... might get them if they're compatible with the x52 throttle and stick.

I haven't cared about games in awhile, but when I saw this I literally said "yes" out loud.

Yes! Fate of Atlantis, here i come!

I still have the stick I got for Wing Commander IV on my desk. Problem is, it's a gameport joystick, and I haven't had a gameport in 14 years. As I've understood it, USB-to-gameport adapters are extremely unreliable.

I think I might have to pick up a hotos for this and star citizen. I've been procrastinating a bit since they're pretty expensive.

TIE fighter may be better than X-Wing, but I'll never find out because I ain't no damned dirty Imp!!!

Had to blow about half an inch of dust off my old CH Fighterstick, but it still works great. As usual, the GOG team did a nice job prepping these for modern systems. TIE runs like a champ on Win 8.

Mmm.. smell that nostalgia.

@alkusanagi: TIE Fighter is really great. Flying around in a TIE Advanced or Defender is pretty amazing. So is rising up in the Emperor's Secret Circle for winning battles.

Sam and Max is not 'and others' ya jerk.

<Stimpson J Cat voice> Jooooy!

Story of the week. Take my money.

@vinster345: it's not like they are going anywhere now that they are out. I'd get TIE fighter first, but I'd also pick up X-Wing later on. Both are fantastic.

This was the news from Lucas Arts i was waiting for since the 20th century. Tie Fighter is the first PC game i remember playing, and is still possibly my favorite.

A great day for gaming. Im glad someone is finally smart enough to see the value in the Lucas Arts library and will finally let us enjoy it.

Yeehaw Conan!

@fisk0: Thanks dude. Would never have known if it wasn't for your post.

Awesome. I know what I'm putting on my X-mas list!

......I need a hotas......

What's it going to take for Rogue Squadron?

They should finish releasing the good real Space Sims first, before releasing these crappy arcade shooters.

If they could also put out X-Wing: Alliance, the holy trinity of space sims would be complete.

Anyway, I'm going to lose too much time on shooting down rebel fighters, just like in the old days.

Great news, but, I think i'm going to leave that one in my nostalgia locker with Elite Dangerous coming out soon.

Hands down, two of the biggest time sinks of my early PC gaming days. I ordered X-Wing out of a catalog, and a stack of floppy disks was what showed up a week or two later. I found Tie Fighter in some Walmart compilation or something. Nothing like diverting power from your engines, doubling up your shields when it all went to hell. I'm buying them both again, and digging out the joystick.

I remember buying a Gamecube, JUST for Rogue Squadron. I sank tons of time into X-Wing and loved TIE Fighter to death. 20 minutes into playing Rogue Squadron, I had the biggest sense of buyer's remorse ever. It was a fun game, but it was like getting Burnout when I was wanting Gran Turismo.

@zelyre: I know what you mean. RS was watered down. Not the worst thing I ever played, but to compare it to the likes of X-Wing and TIE Fighter only highlights it's lack of depth.

One more of the crowd that insta-bought X-Wing & Tie Fighter.

I don't care if you're a X-Wing diehard or a Tie Fighter diehard, GET BOTH. If you didn't have X-wing, there wouldn't be a basis for Tie Fighter. If you didn't have Tie Fighter, you wouldn't have an incredible sequel to judge X-wing to.

Fuck yeah, I've been waiting for this for over a decade.

well I will be getting X-Wing and Tie-wang as i do have the originals of floppy but alas my old floppy drives do not work with new computers.

wasn't x-wing vs tie fighter the best or is my childhood graphics whore colouring my opinion. all i remember was gouraud shading was the shit.

This!

Tie fighter was the game that got me into space sims, after that i play the next few games but never Xwing.

XvT was the most technologically advanced at the time. It had... textured polygons! Colored lighting. Multiplayer. Worked in Windows 95!

However, it didn't have a single player campaign. There was no arching multiplayer campaign. It was just a bunch of single scenarios. Also, flares. Those were a riot.

I think the expansion may have fixed these issues, though.

@pr1m8: It was the most modern and used proper 3d acceleration. It had network play too. However, it paled in comparison to X-wing let alone TIE fighter, all the way from the menu system down to the campaigns.

Just buy a $20 flightstick on Amazon.

Knights of the Old Republic? Fucking sweet.