Luckily for Space Ace, it does retain that addictive quality of wanting “just one more go!” - playing on that stubborn belief that no old-school, low-tech game is going to beat you.

The disc also picks up extra points thanks to the hidden gems imparted in those extras, especially in the chat and commentary by creators Don Bluth, Rick Dyer and Gary Goldman. For example, we learn:
* Don Bluth voiced the part of baddie Borf because the production didn’t have enough money to hire an actor. Bluth’s choice for the role would have been Paul Shenar from The Secret Of Nimh.
* Market conditions and pressure from the backers saw a slated Space Ace sequel binned before it could get off the ground.
* Space Ace pulled in only 50 per cent of the sales Dragon Lair achieved. Arcade machines still paid for themselves in four to six weeks, though, when the norm was six months.
* Amazingly, many of the animated sequences used live-action elements and models of scenery and spacecraft were built to be shot in stop-motion.

When Space Ace came out it in the arcades, it didn’t make anywhere near the splash that Dragon’s Lair had - and that’s mirrored here on today’s high-def versions.

As a piece of nostalgia it works extremely well and the updated interviews and special features really help flesh it out. However, with the kind of games on offer these days, the chance you’re going to drop this into your PS3 instead of something with real interactivity is slim.

VERDICT: 6