To my great shame I never really played Star Control II, but I have an old buddy who was a die-hard fan and would talk to me about it all the time. So I grew somewhat familiar with it through him. If anyone can revive such a game I think its StarDock.
End of EvilMaxWar's quote
It's never too late to rectify that mistake. You'll find the game in its free, updated form at http://sc2.sourceforge.net/
It's one of those games that hold up very well to this day. The game mechanics are as solid as ever, the writing just as good, the music updated (if you wish), and the experience is still unequaled. Spend a weekend playing it. You won't regret it. Just make sure you don't dawdle by exploring the entire galaxy. Make haste towards your objective, as you don't have unlimited time.