One of my most beloved games; absolute belter. And that opening sequence is just sublime--gives me chills every time I see it, even now.

Not that it sounds like you'll do it, but; don't be tempted to skip the first game in favour of the sequel. The original Freespace has an expertly crafted learning curve - and story - which draws you in and builds you up smoothly and logically. By the time you reach the end of the game you're guaranteed to be a space dog-fighting uber menace. Which is, incidentally, exactly what you need to be right from the very first mission in the sequel. It's hard as nails and I'd hate to think playing that first would make anyone dismiss the original out of hand.

You could do a lot worse than pick up a USB Xbox 360 pad for Windows. Had mine for a while now and, although there's seemingly no deadzone for either analogue stick, it plays brilliantly for pretty much everything I've thrown at it so far. Including emulators. Probably not optimum for Descent: Freespace though; you really need a 'proper' stick for that, something you can grab hold of and swing around, Top Gun-style. I played the game with a Microsoft SideWinder stick way back when and it was an awesome experience. It's a crying shame MS don't make PC gaming hardware anymore--it was usually fantastic. (Must remember to dig out my MS force feedback wheel and pedals - plus my Driver 2 disc - from the loft this weekend...) Something like a Saitek Cyborg might be worth a look though--heard very positive things about them as substantial replacements for the MS stuff.