CGA-2026-05 🕹️⛵🦜 REMOVE CARTRIDGE ⏏️ Sid Meier's Pirates!

I've played Pirates quite a bit on PSP in the past and very much enjoyed it. This time I decided to go the Sega Genesis route and I must say, I found it a little bit better. In the PSP version, I don't recall there being the "10 Pirate Quests" or whatever it was called and I felt like this gave me a little more direction in the game. I also found the Genesis graphics absolutely charming and this is probably the version I'll end-up going back to in the future when I'm looking for a fix.

That said, I never really "get" Pirates. I did the same thing I always do in when I play this game where I kind of sail around, take some ships, sell some goods and then wander around aimlessly for awhile, always kind of resistant to splitting up the loot and starting all over again. It's tough for me to find the fun in this game, I'd say or perhaps it's the idea that I'm always going to be doing the same thing pretty much, just getting larger ships and fighting bigger named pirates, but otherwise, nothing really changes from the moment you start the game until you finish it.

Granted, I haven't ever finished it, so I don't know how it progresses the further you go into the game, but the game has never really enraptured me to get all that far in it. All that said, I do still keep coming back to the game, because I do find it charming generally and I expect that will still be the case here. I intend to keep playing periodically over the next couple of days, because I still do like the game and there is some part of me that does want to continue to get further into it, so we'll see.

I'm a little late on this one, as my May gaming was focused on the Backlog Burner. However, I've been across the seas, and have returned to tell my tale.

After signing on with the Dutch, I took out my small sloop with nothing but basic rations and a few supplies for trade. I hit up ports along the coast, just trying to make ends meet. Yet after the English stiffed me yet again, I decided to reject the life of a humble merchant. Instead, I donned my pirate cap, and set out to make a name for myself.

With anger in my heart, I took on the first ship I spotted: a massive treasure galleon. It carried a formidable loadout, with 40 cannons all primed to fire. With my little sloop and a strong headwind, I began circling it, trying to stay at its bow. I fired volley after volley of cannons into the ship, whittling it away, until finally its sails fell and it agreed to join me.

With my new flagship, I was ready for a fight. I became a menace of the sea, ravaging any trading vessels that dared come close. I assimilated their crews, looted their supplies, and began assembling a fleet of ships to carry my plunder.

Soon, my reputation began to spread. Since everyone was already locked in war, all sides were happy to commend me for sinking their enemy's ships, and overlook their own losses. Twice I was invited to dance with a political leader's daughter, though I was less controlled on my feet than on the seas.

One fateful evening, I made port in a Spanish settlement and decided it was time to pay my crew. Much to my surprise, they promptly abandoned me and took all but my flagship! Traitors! Turncoats!

Left with no supplies or crew, I knew I needed a big score to make up for what I'd lost. I asked around and learned a hot tip about a French merchant ship carrying 1,000 coins. This was my big chance. I geared up, and waited in ambush.

Sure enough, the 'London' came sailing in, right on time. Except she had a sister ship protecting her! It was too late to turn back, so I launched my attack. With 40 cannons firing, the escort went down fast. But with no crew to assist me, I had no one to help load the cannons. My only hope was to meet the London head on.

We collided, and I jumped to her ship. Her captain was waiting and we clashed swords. I fought with everything I had. I ducked, I jumped, I tossed out every insult I knew, but it wasn't enough. They cornered and imprisoned me. The great Dutch pirate Incognito, a true legend in the making, had met his downfall.

So this was a really fun experience. By no means did I become the pirate lord I set out to, but I can absolutely see the magic of this open-world affair.

I played the 2004 version of the game, with futuristic 3D graphics and multichannel sound effects. I actually had some freezing issues on my Linux box for a while, but eventually got them sorted.

I'm feeling some parallels here to our previous game, Space Rogue. Certainly in the piracy and marketeering angles, but also in the rags to riches ludonarrative. This one I clicked with a little bit easier, as I found the controls easier to pick up -- not that I ever excelled at traveling windward.

The sailing aspect worked really well. It did seem like the wind blew westward for my entire voyage, which largely biased me to move in one direction.

The ship combat was really engaging. Maneuvering your ship to be parallel at the right moments was surprisingly fun, and felt skillful and rewarding. The different ships also had different feels, with the sloop being far more maneuverable but underpowered.

Some of the other minigames I didn't enjoy as much. I explored land briefly, but didn't find anything to do there (buried treasure, maybe?). The sword fighting was decent, but also felt a bit heavy on the quick-time events.

The dancing minigame gave me the most trouble. Playing on the numpad was already awkward, but sometimes the tempo would speed up rapidly and I'd fall flat on my face. But that's okay, because I have other prospects in town:

The barmaid eyes you warmly, ‘Congratulations Incognito I hear you've been promoted to Captain.’
‘Well shucks’ you reply modestly.

I didn't use quick loads in this one, so I accepted my mistakes. The biggest one was dividing my plunder, which seemed to act as a soft reset. The second biggest mistake was spending all my gold in repairing my fleet. Since the other ships don't join you in combat, they mostly seem to serve as cargo carriers.

Ultimately, I enjoyed my time with Pirates!. There's always something exciting about games that let you go anywhere and choose your own way to play. Learning about the world, establishing relationships, and building a fleet -- there's a grand adventure to be had here.