Shack PSA: X-COM Series Now on Steam

Dumb question. Will these versions run on XP/Vista? I tried installing UFO Defense (original disk) and I couldn't get it to run properly.

For those that have played these games already, but want to relive the fun, have a look on "Let's Play" (or something like that), the something awful goons have a writeup log of collaboratively playing the games by forum post (people contributing advice / voting on options, one person playing it out and recording it with text and screen shots).

actually a lot of fun to read through :-)

Apocalypse is pretty awesome in real-time. You can put your guys in ctrl groups and move em around in groups like SWAT, slow time down or pause to fine tune things, etc. Stances and fire modes all have hot keys. Loved blowing up sections of building to take out enemies and sniping those blue barney guys in the face :D

With the discount, that's 5 X-COM games for less than 15 bucks. I'm in!

Yes! UFO and Apocalypse will be mine (again) later tonight!

Who else used to modify their save games?

I used to do two things:
1. I would redesign the first base. Your initial base was always in some fucked up nonsense layout that would allow the aliens to attack from at least 4 different spots. I found an editor that would allow me to redesign it from scratch, so I could set it up so that the elevator and all three hangars were stuck together, making a natural choke point at the elevator. Way better for base defense missions.

2. It always bothered me that it would give you soldiers with random skills. It struck me as ridiculous that this super-duper-secret special forces group - allegedly the last best hope for mankind - would hire a complete retard whose reflexes were so slow he could only walk 10 feet per turn. So the other editor I had would allow you to upgrade soldiers' individual stats. I didn't change everybody into super men or anything, I just bumped all the strength, stamina, etc up to at lest high-average range to reflect the elite nature of the unit. At least that was how I always justified it in my mind ;)

Ok, I've never played any of these games but apparently it's one of "those" PC games that are spoken of in reverent tones and loved by many. So. What kind of games are they?

I'd rather hear about it from the games' loving fans than look up some stale description of them online.

Fantastic. =)

I missed the original X-COM, but now I can see why it was so lauded. For a game 13 years old, the atmosphere and style is umatched. I was planning intercepts a la DEFCON and clearing houses aka Rainbow Six, all in an X-Files type atmosphere.

If old game developers want to dust off their back libraries to make a few bucks by enabling them to work on modern systems, then sign me up. To think of all of the people who never played the classics of the early days of computer gaming, releases like these are a godsend.

best. game. ever. /buy all

a lot of people gave Enforcer a lot of shit when it came out but its pretty fun arcade style shooter.

X-COM Interceptor is probably one of the most underrated space flight sims ever. The game is pure fun. A definite purchase for me, as my original disc is long since gone. Time to whip out the fancy joystick again.

This is actually a pretty diverse offering. The first game, X-COM UFO Defense, is what started it all. It was really something at the time. That is to say, 1993. It's primarily a turn-based strategy game with RPG, base building, and research elements. There was a lot of depth to the game, but the very idea was fun. Defending earth, shooting down UFOs and romping around the crash sites. The destructible environments were cool, and very much central to gameplay. For example, sometimes it was safer to enter buildings by means of breaking down walls. Also rewarding, was building your squad from a team of rookies to hardened veterans, that you really couldn't afford to lose in later portions of the game.

I played X-COM when it came out, but I was never interested in the other games. Other than the name and basic humans vs aliens premise, they're totally different games. If you're looking for a good strategy game, the original X-COM is a classic.

Now is this in "mega-speed" like the old version on new computers? Or is it slowed down a shade?

I can remember in the "planet view" where you down the ufos and such, the time frame was blazing speed, even on a 1 min basis. How is this one?

Fantastic news, assuming they're improved versions. Steam says "100%" compatible for WinXP, so I'm hopeful. It's a shame they didn't take the opportunity to increase the resolution and add a few extra touches.

It's really cool that for a few first days now you can get all the three important X-Com games and leave out Interceptor and Enforcer and still get them for two cents cheaper than the five game deal. :-)

ALL HAIL JASON BERGMAN and whoever else he says did this

One step closer you the LucasArts classics?

I can't imagine paying the extra five bucks to get TFTD and Enforcer, but I have fond memories of the first and third games. Might pick 'em up for a tenner.

why cant steam run on osx and linux? they would rule the fucking world. imagine all these games on every os? drizzool

just bought the pack to support x-com...not too impressed by the sequels so far tho

so getting xcom ufo defense, that will bring back some memories...

What about Terror from the Deep?

As much as I love X-Com I think I only paid like $2 for the second one on Steam last year. $5 isn't much, but really the whole bundle should be $10 considering the quality of the last 3 listed there.