65 lines
3.8 KiB
Plaintext
65 lines
3.8 KiB
Plaintext
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AIRSTRIKE USA
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Another release in Cinemaware/Spotlight's budget "European games" series,
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AIRSTRIKE USA fails to intrigue either as an arcade game or as a flight
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simulator. A hybrid product that features stripped-down elements of both game
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genres (as well as some minor strategy), AIRSTRIKE USA is likely to satisfy no
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one. (This review is based on the Amiga version)
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The first, most apparent aspect of the program is that it's clearly an attempt
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to make money from the success of MicroProse's F-19 STEALTH FIGHTER. The premise
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is the same -- you're in control of a "21st century advanced tactical fighter"
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-- and the screen layout is a rudimentary imitation of the one featured in F-19.
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There are three Multi-Function Displays (MFDs), each of which can be altered to
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display one of four different kinds of screens; other controls and visuals also
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resemble those found in F-19.
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However, the huge difference between AIRSTRIKE USA and F-19 is that the former
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features almost _no_ real strategy or tactical simulation. True, there are a
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number of different maps available to fly across, each featuring a different
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layout of targets and enemy planes; and the plotting of your course to avoid
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interception takes a little planning. But the actual missions consist of nothing
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more than following an HUD cursor to the target, choosing air-to-air,
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air-to-ground, or cannon weaponry, and firing away as soon as "lock on" appears
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on one of the MFDs.
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A "report" on the progress of the war occurs at the end of each mission, but
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this consists of nothing more than a tally of how many enemy vs. friendly items
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have been destroyed during the mission, and an overall tally of which side is
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winning. None of this really matters much while playing the game, and serves
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mainly as an elaboration of the usual High Score table presented at the end of
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the average arcade game.
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The flight simulation, as well, is absolutely minimal. At best, the plane is
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really a warmed-over AFTERBURNER jet; air-to-air combat consists of little more
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than the same kind of mindless firing at enemy aircraft. The scrolling,
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checkerboard ground terrain is smooth, and the terrain-following computer makes
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for a nice, bouncy ride, but terrain bumps serve only as opportunities to crash
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the plane. Both the player's plane and the enemy aircraft are small, bit-mapped
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2-D images onscreen, and reflect a lack of imagination in either drawing or
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control. Little in the way of flight simulation is apparent, as the plane has a
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very narrow limit in terms of vertical movement (again, like AFTERBURNER).
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Even as an arcade game, AIRSTRIKE USA fails to impress. There are many arcade
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games available for the Amiga that feature more complex, interesting animations,
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more challenging gameplay, and more variety in the targets, terrain, and control
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features. Air-to-air combat is limited to steering the plane to the right or the
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left of the screen until a target is locked on, and then pressing the fire
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button. Nothing happens fast enough to excite.
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AIRSTRIKE USA comes on one copy-protected floppy disk, and also requires a
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document check before the game can begin. Control is via the joystick and/or
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keyboard, and the game runs in 512K on any 68000-based Amiga. The copy-protected
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disk must be write-enabled in order to save any progress made in the game.
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I recommend this program to no one: There's just nothing going on that could
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conceivably entertain you in any way. It's a shame that Digital Integration, the
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company responsible for one of the better, more realistic air combat simulations
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on the market (F-16 COMBAT PILOT), has given its name to AIRSTRIKE USA. It's a
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mystery why anyone at Cinemaware/Spotlight wanted to import the thing.
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AIRSTRIKE USA is published by Digital Integration and distributed by
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Cinemaware/Spotlight.
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