Buzz Aldrin’s Space Program Manager takes us into the 1950s and 60s. The sequel to the classic Race to Space is an entertaining mix of turn-based business strategy and educational software.
Our job as players: We coordinate either NASA’s US space program or that of the rival Soviet Union and try to be the first nation to bring a man to the moon. Which is not so easy, because if we shoot our astronauts into space too early with poor equipment, we literally burn them out. The scope of the title is complemented by a third campaign featuring a fictional international space agency that focuses on global cooperation rather than competition, and a multiplayer mode.
Buzz Aldrin has been the second man on the moon. July 21, 1969 was the biggest day of his life – and also his bitterest: Apollo mission commander Neil Armstrong did not allow himself to be denied the privilege of being the first tourist to set foot on the moon. Buzz Aldrin not only lends his name to the game, but also personally advised publisher Slitherine on its development.
Technically the title consists of only a few game mechanics. At its core, the Space Program Manager is about personnel management. Scientific engineers, flight control staff and astronauts have to be hired, assigned to special fields and trained there. In the race against the competition, the aim is to find the right moment to launch a rocket into space during the successive missions. The most exciting phases are those after the start of the countdown, when the player, unconsciously nibbling his fingernails, has to watch to see if everything goes as planned.
The Space Program Manager is not so much a trump card for sophisticated features or complex strategy as for its dense game atmosphere. Contemporary music, a wealth of informative background texts and, in particular, accurate research into contemporary history all contribute to this. The 2D graphics and images are simple but historically accurate, the technical terms are correct.
Game mechanics
Even though the AI is usually less inclined to take risks, the competition invigorates the Space Program Manager. If you complete a project earlier than the competition, you can look forward to lots of prestige points, which in turn are the basis for an increased budget next year. Whether you can then use the budget to work out a lead over the competition depends only on whether you have already prepared for the future in the current year. If you fail and maybe even lose astronauts in an accident, you have to be prepared for severe penalties that can slow down your own progress.
If you enjoy of managing personnel and planning several steps in advance, you’ll also have fun with Buzz Aldrin’s Space Program Manager. Provided – and this is the “problem” – you play along in your head. After a while, you get the feeling that you’re only playing against dice that are thrown in the background and decide whether a mission is successful or not. Unfortunately, the Space Program Manager can’t really make the political drama that accompanied mankind’s journey to the moon tangible. Sooner or later the events become a bit too uniform for that. Unfortunately, the Space Program Manager does not tell the exciting stories of progress and setbacks
Pros
- detailed space history
- comprehensible set of rules
- risk management
Cons
- lack of atmosphere
- cautious AI
Final thoughts
Buzz Aldrin’s Space Program Manager is a treasure trove of background information and snippets of knowledge for those who are in love with space travel. Unfortunately, the game underneath can’t convince in the long run. The Space Program Manager lives up to its name in many ways, and the management part does exactly what it is supposed to do: The fact that we have to spend our time comparing numbers or looking at growing probability bars and more or less rely on the luck of the dice for every unforeseen event is no problem at all. Buzz Aldrin’s Space Program Manager is in any case a successful continuation of the adaptation of a board game. Unfortunately, it does not go any noticeable step beyond the good implementation of the rule system.
Who is Buzz Aldrin?
Buzz Aldrin born in Montclair, New Jersey is a former US-American astronaut. Aldrin was the second man to set foot on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission shortly after Neil Armstrong.
Even before his flight to the moon, Aldrin became a Freemason, like many US astronauts Later he joined the Clear Lake Lodge No. 1417 in Seabrook, Texas. As a member of the Scottish Rite Valley of Houston, he received the 33rd degree of Southern Jurisdiction of the Scottish Rite in 1969, a degree of administration. On July 20, 1969, as Special Deputy by order of Grand Master J. Guy Smith of the Grand Lodge of Texas of the Old Free and Accepted Masons, he deposited a document (Special Deputation) for a first Masonic jurisdiction on the moon under a cairn. He also took a flag of the Supreme Council to the moon, which is now on display in the Americanism Museum in Washington, D.C. After his return, he recorded this in writing and deposited the protocol with the Grand Lodge of Texas. He also engaged with the Shriners for free medical care.
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