In earlier versions, the final mission was impossible to complete.Ĭomputer Gaming World applauded the level of detail accomplished in Shuttle, and Stanley Trevena reviewed the game for Computer Gaming World, and stated that 'Players with an interest in space and hard-core simulation fans alike will blast off into orbit with this new simulation from Virgin.' The magazine ran it in their 1992 'Simulation of the year', which ultimately went to Falcon 3.0 by Spectrum Holobyte. Given its scope and complexity, the game was released with numerous bugs and issues, particularly with the autopilot often getting confused and leading to some peculiar re-entry trajectories. Finally, the publishers supplied a game manual and a large poster showing the control panels. In addition, for those who wanted to know a little more about the shuttle but did not wish to read NASA technical details, the developers also provided an in-game primer giving a few pages of information and some diagrams on each of the major Space Shuttle systems. The player could also look out of any of the cockpit windows, including back into the payload bay when retrieving or releasing satellites, and some of the CCTV cameras on the Remote Manipulator System. To further ease gameplay, the game supported multiple different camera, more than the standard control panel and external view found in most simulators of the time. The camera zooms in on the Space Shuttle launch stack (MS-DOS) This meant that players could play without needing to memorize the manual, a feature which was highly praised upon its release. Instructions were passed to the player through a 'teleprinter', and when those instructions required the player to use the shuttle controls, a flashing box would indicate the appropriate switch or knob. Thanks to the complexity of the missions, players could receive optional guidance. Gameplay is broken up into missions that simulate actual Space Shuttle missions, including launching the Hubble Space Telescope and using the Manned Maneuvering Unit to repair satellites.

In the game, players control a Space Shuttle that departs from the Vehicle Assembly Building and as it returns to Earth at the Shuttle Landing Facility. ( Learn how and when to remove this template message)

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