Wing Commander
Shares rank 6 of 9 space simulation games by recommenders
People recommend it for its exciting story and graphics, though critics say the late Amiga port was technically inferior and it ran poorly on newer PCs.
People recommend it for its exciting story and graphics, though critics say the late Amiga port was technically inferior and it ran poorly on newer PCs.
11 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 7
- criticize it
- 4
- approval share
- 64%
Recommended in 5 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: recommended
- August 2026: recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 7 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- 1.7 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, not met.
- Recommended in 5 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Exciting stories and graphics
“Wing commander III and IV were just really boring IMO.”
Comment from 7 Feb 2026 in “Ultima IX” “I remember being amazed by the graphics and the story.”
Comment from 13 Jan 2026 in “The chess bot on Delta Air Lines will destroy you (2024) [video]” Strong nostalgia for the series
“I miss the entire WC series... alot.”
Comment from 18 Aug 2026 in “Quake Shareware, a CD-ROM just a little too full” “Hits the same nerve for me.”
Comment from 4 Jan 2026 in “Street Fighter II, the World Warrier (2021)”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Speed problems on newer PCs
“on a newer computer, I'd tap the left arrow to turn and the Hornet would do a 360.”
Comment from 12 Jan 2026 in “The chess bot on Delta Air Lines will destroy you (2024) [video]” “Playable on 286s/386s, then Pentiums and beyond showed up and it was unplayable.”
Comment from 12 Jan 2026 in “The chess bot on Delta Air Lines will destroy you (2024) [video]”
Other space simulation games people recommend
The four most recommended other space simulation games, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No Man's Sky | 97 | 100 | 49% | 7 | 10 yrs16 owners | — |
| Kerbal Space Program | 24 | 9 | 73% | 9 | — | Approved |
| Starflight | 17 | 0 | 100% | 2 | — | — |
| Elite Dangerous | 15 | 5 | 75% | 5 | — | Approved |
| Wing CommanderThis page | 7 | 4 | 64% | 5 | — | — |
What people said
11 of the 12 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“I hated Malcom McDowell for years because of the game”
“I miss the entire WC series... alot.”
“The title that made me go out and buy a CD-ROM drive”
“The late OCS port was technically inferior.”
“Their stories were exciting even though they were full of pretty stupid B movie tropes.”
“Wing commander III and IV were just really boring IMO.”
“I remember being amazed by the graphics and the story.”
“on a newer computer, I'd tap the left arrow to turn and the Hornet would do a 360.”
“Playable on 286s/386s, then Pentiums and beyond showed up and it was unplayable.”
“The outstanding Wing Commander CIC”
“Hits the same nerve for me.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.