Release
X-Wing was originally released on floppy disks in February 1993. Later that year, LucasArts released the Imperial Pursuit and B-Wing expansion packs on floppy disk.
LucasArts released the TIE Fighter space combat simulator in 1994. That same year, it released the Collector's CD-ROM Edition of X-Wing. This edition runs on the TIE Fighter game engine, itself based on the X-Wing engine. The newer engine supports Gouraud shading and other rendering enhancements. The Collector's CD-ROM Edition includes the base game and both expansions. It also includes some adjustments to missions, redesigned cutscenes, bonus missions, and voiceovers for the mission briefings and in-game radio messages. Erik Bauersfeld, who voiced Admiral Ackbar in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi provided the voice for Ackbar in the game. Additionally, Clive Revill, who voiced Emperor Palpatine in The Empire Strikes Back, portrayed Admiral Dodonna. Owners of a floppy disk version could send payment and the back of their instruction manual to LucasArts and receive a special "Gold Edition" of the CD-ROM version, which included the game on a golden CD-ROM and a free gift.
In 1998, LucasArts released the X-Wing Collector Series Edition. This product again changed the game engine, this time to the engine behind X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter. This update added 3D hardware acceleration and texture mapping to the game engine, and further changed some of the visuals before and during operation briefings. The game was designed to run under Windows 9x rather than DOS. Additionally, the MIDI-based iMUSE soundtrack was replaced with looping Red Book audio recordings of the Star Wars score.
Read more about this topic: Star Wars: X-Wing
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