This article is about the character. For other meanings, see Space Ace.
- "Call me Ace! "
- —
DexterAce, Space Ace
Ace is the titular protagonist of the Space Ace game and related media. He and his beautiful partner Kimberly are defenders of Earth determined to stop the evil Borf from conquering the planet. During their adventures, Ace was hit by Borf's Infanto Ray, which reverted him to his quirky adolescent alter ego, Dexter.
Much like Dirk the Daring, Ace appears in all Space Ace media as the series' main character.
Appearance and abilities[]
Dexter
As Ace, the character is a large muscular man with blonde short hair with a white and orange space suit that comes with a holster for his laser pistol and a striped blue shirt underneath. As Dexter, his suit remains the same but his body becomes smaller and lankier in size while his voice becomes high-pitched and whiny. With his proportions changed, his eyes, ears and nose appear larger, like most teens's, and he gains a bit of an overbite.
In accordance with Ace's great stature, he possesses almost superhuman strength, able to overpower robots and different types of aliens. He also seems to have superhuman durability as shown in certain death scenes, even to where he sarcastically says "Oh wow, I've been hit" in one scene before turning back into Dexter. When the effects of the Infanto Ray transform Ace into Dexter, he retains his expert pilot abilities and quickness as he's shown to dodge oncoming fire. Thanks to a special wristwatch (called the “TV Watch” in some media), Dexter is able to Energize and briefly transform back into his Ace stature, literally regaining his manhood. Energizing is a gameplay feature at plot branch points before some scenes, where the player can choose whether to play a scene either as Ace or as Dexter, with different action and animations.
Don Bluth has noted on the character development of Ace and Kimberly (in contrast to Dirk and Daphne): “you want to make a game that’s fresh and different. . . . The couple are really different from Daphne and Dirk. He’s pretty hip and has all the hip dialogue and so is she. So, you’ve got two very independent creatures who are trying to get together, which makes the whole character dynamic much, much different. Mainly what I’m attracted to here is the fact that if you [the player] fail in any of your attempts to make this guy win that you lose, you lose big time because you get reduced to a child and you have to go through it all over again. So his girlfriend keeps laughing at him because if he fails, he makes an idiot of himself.”[1]
Game appearances[]
Space Ace[]
During the game's attract mode animation, Ace and Kimberly take on the mission to defeat Borf, an evil alien that plans to rule earth using the powerful Infanto Ray. Ace eventually gets hit and becomes smaller in size and overall weaker. In the game, the two discover Borf's ship as it immediately captures a falling Kimberly leaving the newly dubbed Dexter to retreat from Borf's onslaught. Much like the gameplay in Dragon's Lair, the player controls Dexter, navigating him through barrages of enemies and obstacles on foot and inside a spaceship. During the game, the player has the option to temporarily energize Dexter back into Ace in order to fight off oncoming threats or remain Dexter to tacitly retreat to the next level. Once Dexter reenergizes and reaches Borf, he quickly outsmarts him by turning him into a baby with the Infanto Ray while saving Kimberly in the process.
Space Ace home computer port[]
Largely follows plot of arcade game with scaled-down and abbreviated content.
Space Ace II: Borf's Revenge[]
After Kimberly is saved, Borf's remaining minions retrieve Borf and reverse the effects of the Infanto Ray. Dexter immediately gives chase in the Star Pac to planet where he quickly fights off a horde of enemies transforming back and forth as he advances through obstacles. Going deeper, Dexter encounters Hexter impersonating Kimberly. After advancing past these enemies, Borf ambushes Dexter, blasting at the hero from his floating platform while holding Kimberly hostage. Kimberly falls away and tumbles into the station’s depths, but Dexter energizes into Ace and catches her. The two heroes retreat in the Star Pac and crash land into a garden-like area away from Borf's complex. After disembarking, the partners attempt to share a kiss, only to be ambushed by Borf, who grabs Kimberly and attempts to lower her into the pit of a carnivorous yellow monster as Ace struggles to pull himself over the pit's ledge. Ace swings to the rescue, causing Borf to lose his balance and fall into the Pit Monster's open mouth. With the last threat neutralized, Ace gifts Kimberly a bouquet of fresh flowers, concluding the adventure.
Space Ace SNES/Super Famicom[]
The home console game largely follows plot of arcade game while adding platforming elements distinct from the arcade’s quick-time event gameplay. Ace must rescue Kimberly and thwart Borf by overcoming enemies adapted from the arcade game. Ace encounters the real Kimberly at the end of the "Motorcycle Chase" stage, and the heroine follows the hero into the "Rocket Skate Maze" and the "Underwater Cavern," shadowing his movements with a slight delay. Comparable to an "escort mission," Dexter must complete the levels in which she appears while also making sure no harm befalls her, as the player will lose a life if she dies such as being eaten by the Eels while using the Aqua Booms.[2] In the game's final stage "Showdown," Dexter must evade swarms of Grumlets and Borf's Infanto Ray blasts, but unlike the arcade game, he does not have to rescue Kimberly from boiling in the molten vat before defeating Borf. Furthermore, Ace must trick Borf into shooting the mirror multiple times before the Infanto Ray's effects finally transform the villain into a baby, ending the game. By earning the best ending, Ace and Kimberly can be seen sharing a kiss as the credits roll.
Other appearances[]
TV series[]
In the Ruby-Spears animated series, Ace and Kimberly continue their battles against Borf. The episodes go into detail of their home base, and Ace's exposure to the Infanto Ray is kept a secret between the two space patrol officers who conceal it from their commanding office Space Marshall Vaughn. Unlike the games, Ace has absolutely no control over his changes through Energizing, which may either aid him in battle or give him increased adversity. In another departure from the games, Ace regularly refers to himself with the full title of “Space Ace,” a practice also followed by all others characters. He still protests Kimberly calling him “Dexter” when transformed into his alter-ego.
Space Ace comics[]
Following the events of the arcade game, Ace and Kimberly return to base in a romantic relationship with the two adopting the infant Borf and starting a family much to Ace's chagrin. Similar to the cartoon series, Ace cannot control the effects of the Infanto Ray although his commanding officer temporarily dismisses Ace from duty until a cure is found. Later on, Ace and Kimberly are discovered by Commander Gorf, Borf's brother who plans on retrieving him.
Gallery[]
A full gallery of Ace can be seen here.
Trivia[]
- According to an early press feature, Dexter's "Ace" form was referred to as "Super-Dex" during game development.[3]
- In every continuation of the Space Ace storyline, Ace continues to suffer the effects of the Infanto Ray and experiences random transformations between his two physical forms.
- Will Finn’s vocal performance as Dexter is likely an impersonation of Eddie Deezen, an actor notable for portraying “nerdy” characters with high-pitched, whiny voices.
References[]
- ↑ “Video Commentary (Space Ace Digital Leisure Blu-Ray)
- ↑ "Space Ace" Game Players 7:6 (June 1994), page 78
- ↑ Sue Boyce, “Inside the Dragon’s Lair—Do You Dare?” Electronic Entertainment 2:9 (September 1983), pages 34-35