Editing Star Control II (section)

=== "Greatest game" lists ===
''Star Control II'' quickly began to appear on "all-time favorite" lists, a practice that continued for many years.<ref name="SC3preview2">{{cite journal|last1=McDonald|first1=T. Liam|date=December 1995|title=Star Control 3 - Preview|url=https://archive.org/stream/UneditedPCGamer_marktrade/PC_Gamer_019u#page/n169/mode/2up|access-date=October 22, 2020|journal=[[PC Gamer]]|quote=Six years after Paul Reiche III and Fred Ford first introduced ''Star Control'', and four years after the sequel, it still hits the charts as an "all-time favorite" and "most played" game on online services and in player surveys.}}</ref> In 1994, ''[[PC Gamer US]]'' named ''Star Control II'' as the 21st best computer game ever. The editors called it "an epic" and "thoroughly enjoyable to play and look at."<ref name="pcgamerustop402">{{cite magazine|date=August 1994|title=''PC Gamer'' Top 40: The Best Games of All Time|magazine=[[PC Gamer US]]|issue=3|pages=32–42}}</ref> That same year, ''[[PC Gamer UK]]'' named it the 33rd best computer game of all time. The editors wrote, "If ever a game deserved an award for being underrated, it's ''Star Control II''."<ref name="pcgameruktop502">{{cite magazine|date=April 1994|title=The ''PC Gamer'' Top 50 PC Games of All Time|magazine=[[PC Gamer]]|issue=5|pages=43–56}}</ref> The next year, players voted the game into ''PC Gamer''{{'}}s Readers Top 40.<ref>{{cite web|author=Staff|date=January 1995|title=PC Gamer's Readers Top 40|url=https://ia800403.us.archive.org/BookReader/BookReaderImages.php?zip=/29/items/UneditedPCGamer_marktrade/PC_Gamer_008u_jp2.zip&file=PC_Gamer_008u_jp2/PC_Gamer_008u_0059.jp2&scale=4&rotate=0|publisher=PC Gamer|page=59}}</ref> ''Computer Gaming World'' created their own list in 1996, ranking ''Star Control II'' as the 29th best PC game of all time, calling it "a stunning mix of adventure, action, and humor."<ref name="cgw199611best2">{{cite magazine|date=November 1996|title=150 Best Games of All Time, The 15 Most Rewarding Endings of All Time|pages=64–80, 127|magazine=Computer Gaming World|url=https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_148/page/n129/mode/2up|access-date=October 22, 2020}}</ref> In 1999, ''[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]'' also ranked it among their top 50 games of all time.<ref name="NextGen19992">{{cite magazine|date=February 1999|title=The Fifty Best Games of All Time|magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=50}}</ref>

This acclaim continued well into the next millennium. In 2000, ''[[GameSpy]]'' inducted ''Star Control II'' into their Hall of Fame,<ref>{{cite web|author=Chris "shaithis" Buecheler|date=September 2000|title=The Gamespy Hall of Fame - Star Control 2|url=http://www.gamespy.com/legacy/halloffame/sc2_a.shtm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010430133458/http://www.gamespy.com/legacy/halloffame/sc2_a.shtm|archive-date=2001-04-30|publisher=[[GameSpy]]}}</ref> and ranked it the 26th best game of all time just one year later.<ref name=":63">{{Cite web|last=Gamespy Staff|date=August 7, 2001|title=GameSpy's Top 50 Games of All Time|url=http://www.gamespy.com/articles/july01/top503as/index2.shtm|url-status=live|archive-date=October 31, 2001|access-date=2020-10-07|website=GameSpy|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011031000229/http://www.gamespy.com/articles/july01/top503as/index2.shtm}}</ref> [[The Sydney Morning Herald]] noted ''Star Control II'' on its 2002 list, ranking the game as the 26th best game of all time.<ref>{{cite web |date=June 6, 2002 |title=Top 50 video games of all time |url=https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/top-50-video-games-of-all-time-20020606-gdfcdk.html |work=Sydney Morning Herald}}</ref> In 2003, ''[[GameSpot]]'' included ''Star Control II'' on their list of greatest games of all time.<ref name="Gamespot2">{{cite web|author=Greg Kasavin|date=2003-06-27|title=The Greatest Games of All Time - Star Control 2|url=http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/greatestgames/p-7.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050814235252/http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/greatestgames/p-7.html|archive-date=2005-08-14|publisher=Gamespot}}</ref> In the same year, ''[[IGN]]'' named ''Star Control II'' as their 53rd greatest game of all time,<ref name="IGN2003&quot;2">{{Cite web|date=2005-11-23|title=IGN's Top 100 Games of All Time (2003)|url=http://top100.ign.com/2003/51-60.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051123024006/http://top100.ign.com/2003/51-60.html|archive-date=2005-11-23|access-date=2020-05-22|website=IGN}}</ref> and ranked it again at 17th greatest in 2005.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2005-08-02|title=IGN's Top 100 Games (2005)|url=http://top100.ign.com/2005/011-020.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050802002523/http://top100.ign.com/2005/011-020.html|archive-date=2005-08-02|access-date=2020-05-22|website=IGN}}</ref> In 2006, Computer Gaming World inducted ''Star Control II'' into their Hall of Fame, explaining that "what made ''Star Control II'' stand out, though, was the incredible amount of backstory and interaction with all the alien species".<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_266|title=Hall of Fame - Star Control II|date=September 2006|publisher=Computer Gaming World Issue 266|page=66|access-date=October 22, 2020}}</ref> PC Gamer listed ''Star Control II'' the 52nd greatest PC game in their 2011 rankings,<ref>{{Cite news|title=The 100 best PC games of all time|language=en|work=pcgamer|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/the-100-best-pc-games-of-all-time/5/|access-date=2018-04-03|archive-date=2011-02-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110219013135/http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/02/16/the-100-best-pc-games-of-all-time/5|url-status=dead}}</ref> and [[Hardcore Gaming 101]] listed it among their 2015 rankings of 200 best video games of all time.<ref>{{cite web|date=2015-12-05|title=HG101 Presents: The 200 Best Video Games of All Time|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/books/hg101-presents-the-200-best-video-games-of-all-time/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171029065018/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/books/hg101-presents-the-200-best-video-games-of-all-time/|archive-date=2017-10-29|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101}}</ref>

Compared to classic games from the same period, ''Star Control II'' is also ranked on several "best of" lists. Hardcore Gaming selected the game for their 2007 list of favorite classics, with "a combination of sandbox space travel and arcade-style combat, a plotline equal to any space opera you can name, hundreds of pages' worth of interactive dialog and dozens of memorable, unique races, it's easy to see why most reviews of ''Star Control II'' quickly turn into love letters."<ref>{{Cite book|last=Ellis|first=Elizabeth|url=http://archive.org/details/hardcore-gamer-magazine-v2i8|title=Retro a Go-Go! - HGM's favorite Hardcore Classics|date=February 2007|publisher=Hardcore Gamer Magazine Volume 2 Issue 8|page=45|language=en|access-date=October 22, 2020}}</ref> When ''[[Kotaku]]'' compiled their 2013 list of "Classic PC Games You Must Play", ''Star Control II'' reached the very top of the list.<ref name="bestclassic2" /> In 2014, [[Gamer Network|USGamer]] mentioned the game as one of the landmark titles from the 1990s.<ref>{{Cite web |last=USgamer Team |date=August 31, 2014 |title=The Greatest Years in Gaming History 1972-2014: 1990-1999 |url=https://www.usgamer.net/articles/the-greatest-years-in-gaming/page-4 |access-date=October 22, 2020 |website=USgamer |language=en |archive-date=October 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027010246/https://www.usgamer.net/articles/the-greatest-years-in-gaming/page-4  }}</ref> ''Retro Gamer'' remembers ''Star Control II'' as one of the top 10 games made for the [[3DO Interactive Multiplayer]],<ref>{{cite web|date=2014-05-13|title=Top Ten 3DO Games|url=https://www.retrogamer.net/top_10/top-ten-3do-games/|publisher=Retro Gamer}}</ref> and later listed it among their top 100 [[Retrogaming|retro games]] at the 68th position.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Redaktion|first=Retro Gamer|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6BvtDwAAQBAJ|title=Retro Gamer Spezial 4/2020: Die 100 besten Retro-Spiele|date=2020-06-28|publisher=Heise Medien GmbH & Co. KG|isbn=978-3-95788-270-7|language=de}}</ref> ''[[Den of Geek]]'' also ranked it at #37 among their list of classic DOS games.<ref name=":03">{{cite web|author=David Hayward|date=2019-05-09|title=50 Underrated DOS Games|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/games/underrated-dos-games/|publisher=Den of Geek}}</ref> Its status as a classic game would lead ''IGN'' to list the series among the top 10 franchises that needed to be resurrected.<ref name="IGNfranchises2">{{cite web|author=IGN PC Team|date=2012-06-12|title=Franchises We Want Resurrected|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/12/04/the-wednesday-10-franchises-we-want-resurrected|publisher=IGN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=April 22, 2004|title=Classics Reborn: Volume 3|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2004/04/22/classics-reborn-vol-3|website=IGN}}</ref> Comparing it to the original ''Star Control'', Cinema Blend celebrates ''Star Control II'' in their short list of sequels that progressed well beyond their predecessors.<ref name=":23">{{Cite web|date=2015-05-01|title=5 Sequels That Are Very Different From The Original Games|url=https://www.cinemablend.com/games/5-Sequels-Very-Different-From-Original-Games-71637.html|access-date=2020-05-07|website=CINEMABLEND}}</ref>