As a child of the Eighties I unfortunately missed some of the more revered milestones of 1970s boob-tube existentialism. Just at a time when the antics of Hooterville and Petticoat Junction were making way for the philosophical warbling of David Carradine, I was still several years from 'being in the making'. However, now, as a young man living in Marty McFly's left of center future-perfect (less the hover-cars or giant man eating holographic sharks), I occasionally enjoy donning my nostalgic virtues and reflecting upon what has been. Like many of my generation, children right from the moment of birth were disseminated from their umbilical tendencies and hardwired into a direct feed of MTV, Michael Knight, and the tight grip of product placement. No, the Matrix was years away from conception, but I dare argue that the sweet radioactive glow of loving mother tube, had her tender hooks into the synaptic causeways of my youthful intellect.

However, I digress. Reflecting upon the past has revealed one stand alone television gem that would have been a 'perfect match', had I been of its time. Battlestar Galactica was a short-lived, cult hit, television series of the late 1970s. Infusing much of the operatic prowess of science-fiction cinema into a weekly television serial, each episode witnessed the humans wage war against the onslaught of the Cylon army, a race of robots that the humans themselves created. While the show itself inspired a legion of fans and an even greater collection of merchandise 'that even George Lucas would have been proud of- the show itself ran for only a few brief seasons. Fortunately, with the recent rebirth of the new Battlestar Galactica series, young(ish) X-Gen Pepsi Max punks like myself can embrace the culture of a refurbished cult classic and now a video game that not only lives up to the fun and excitement of the original TV series, but is also a decently crafted piece of electronic gaming.

Battlestar Galactica (the game) takes place during the same period of the original TV series, so if you've been watching the new series religiously it might be a little abrasive at first. As the young Viper pilot Adama, players will engage in a riveting single player campaign. Gamecube owners may be familiar with the gameplay of Battlestar Galactica, as it is quite reminiscent of the Rouge Leader series. Piloting your assortment of Vipers and the odd colonial bomber will take place in a quasi first/third person perspective where the camera perfectly trails behind from a distance. The result of this perspective is actually quite immersive, since it not only allows you to take in your surroundings with ease, but also enjoy the detailed fighter craft and watch trademark maneuvers such as the 180 degree flip. The action of Battlestar Galactica is intense and watching your ship doge and weave through an onslaught of Cylon enemy fighters is at times awe inspiring.

The screen hosts an informative HUD system, which indicates the position and proximity of enemy craft. Allies are also displayed and the ability to identify comrades will be useful during popular 'babysitting' missions. Using the right trigger of the Xbox controller will accelerate the Viper's speed and engage afterburners with a second tap. However, excessive use of the afterburner will see a rapid depletion of your craft's fuel reserves. Depletion is indicated via the HUD's energy band that charts the consumption and replenishment of fuel 'your ship will recharge over time, but don't get too greedy!

Naturally you are going to have to watch out for enemy fire. Each ship is able to withstand a decent amount of hull damage and the integrity of the ship's hull is visible on the HUD. Player's can also target enemy craft via the ship's reticule, and of course blast them out of the sky with your ship's primary machine gun or secondary missile support. Use of the ships missile payload is straightforward, too. Simply select your enemy craft, hold the secondary fire button, and continue to hold until a sufficient number of missiles have been loaded. Release the secondary fire button and enjoy the pyrotechnics. The great thing about this option is that while the reticule selects your target it will also select logical secondary targets. This allows you to release a full swarm of missiles, hitting multiple ships at the same time.

One fantastic feature of Battlestar Galactica is that successful missions will see you rewarded with additional wingmen. As your wingmen advance from mission-to-mission they will also gain experience and improve their flying/tactical abilities. Considering how intense the action of Battlestar Galactica can be, utilizing your wingmen will play a vital role during your campaign. Issuing commands is incredibly easy. With a simple selection on the controller's directional pad, your wingmen will be attacking, defending and executing tactical moves like a finely oiled war machine. However, be careful to protect your squadron, as building their skills takes time and a loss of any wingman will mean the loss of their valuable abilities, and require training of rookie pilots, a theme also present in the TV series, which is a nice touch.

If there is one limitation of Battlestar Galactica it would have to be its difficulty. Anyone would be forgiven for breaking into fits of thumb-sucking blabber after playing just a few missions. While the gameplay is well paced, its lack of mid-mission save points, unclear mission objectives, and awkward enemy cycle-select system, may test your patience. It took me five attempts before passing the first mission of Battlestar Galactica, and the missions only get harder--- and longer. Some missions can take upwards of half an hour to complete, which is some pretty serious playtime to waste if you keep failing. Essentially, Battlestar Galactica entails much death and copious amounts of frustrating replay.

The presentation of Battlestar Galactica is by far some of the best seen in a science-fiction space shooter in years. Not since Freespace 2 on the PC have I been so impressed with the graphical highlights and detailed textures of such a game. In fact, Battlestar Galactica in so many ways is what other space shooters have been trying to recreate since the Mark Hamill years of Wing Commander. The dark abyss which is space has never been so alive. Players will explore deadly asteroid belts, majestic nebulas, and witness gorgeously rendered planets that feel like a living breathing part of the cosmic countryside. Equally impressive are the space stations, ships, and capital cruisers. Everything is rendered in impressive detail and fans of both TV series will love the look of the Viper and Cylon fighter craft. Pulling off a fast 180 degree with plasma engines ablaze is highly intoxicating, too! Everything looks as it should and watching Cylon craft rattle, hum, and explode will bring a smile to your face every single time.

Battlestar Galactica's audio resonates with the characteristic verve of the original TV series. The original theme music makes an encore, so unlike the Celtic/African drum-fill fusion featured in the new television series, you should expect brass horns and symphonic rhapsodies all the way (with a sprinkling of space age electronica to boot). Battlestar Galactica also features a solid assortment of voice over talent, and while audiophiles may cringe at the less than burley sound of Adama's voice by-and-large the dialogue passes the cheese factor challenge with stars and stripes.

Personally, above anything else, I found the in-game sound effects to be most entertaining. The soundtrack certainly filled my heart with adrenaline, but it was the near kamikaze 'swooosh' and mechanistic 'zooom' of enemy Cylon craft that really kept me in awe of the games surroundings. Add to this the authentic clatter of the Viper's machine gun, sporadically dispersed by deafening explosions and radio chatter, and Batllestar Galactica certainly makes for an engaging ride.

Unfortunately Battlestar Galactica doesn't support Xbox Live or multiplayer of any sort; however the game does host a strong collection of secret material to unlock via its grading system (gold, silver, bronze) for completed missions. Uncovering concept art, movies, and special codes should give enthusiasts a little extra run for their money, even if the game's difficulty will require a person of incredible dexterity to attempt such a feat. For better or worse the game is strictly a single player campaign with little to discover a second time around.