Blu-ray/Playstation 3 DVD game review (region free)
Directed by Don Bluth
Starring Jeff Etter, Will Finn, Lorna Cook, Don Bluth, Michael Rye
Release date Out now

The evil Borf has kidnapped Kimberley and zapped Space Ace with the Infantoray, turning him into a young boy. Ace must rescue his girlfriend and destroy the weapon to safeguard the future of the galaxy...

“It’s like I’m seeing Space Ace for the first time,” says Rick Dyer. “In this HD it looks just amazing.” Given that the three creators can’t agree if there have been 18 or 19 different versions of the game on different platforms over the years, that’s a bold statement to make.

Actions are performed using the direction arrows on a Blu-ray remote control, with the option to fire using the select button. If you’re lucky enough to use the PlayStation 3 as your player the joypad makes it extremely easy to guide Ace. Gameplay resembles Pavlov’s system of training dogs, only here it’s us humans who must remember which reaction had a favourable result.

Since it can only be one of five buttons, you’ll figure it out eventually, but in the meantime Borf’s repetitive taunts may make you want to headbutt your flatscreen TV. Don’t think you can just turn it off though. That old-school, addictive quality of wanting just one more go to make it through a particular section is hard to shake. Thankfully, you can opt simply to watch the lush animation of the game all the way through without having to figure out when to jump and what to shoot.

As a piece of nostalgia Space Ace works extremely well and the updated interviews and special features really help flesh it out. However, with the kind of games on offer these days, once you’ve played it all the way through it’s unlikely to bother your thoughts again. Matt Chapman

VERDICT: 6/10
This is fun while it lasts and the special features offer some real insight and history. But gamers who lack the nostalgia factor may wonder what all the fuss is about...