Fighter Pilot

Crash

Chris Wilkins

Ryan Coleman

As the Crash annuals are still for sale ZXSR has taken the decision to remove all review text, apart from reviewer names and scores from the database. A backup has been taken of the review text which is stored offsite. The review text will not be included without the express permission of the Annuals editorial team/owners.

Your Sinclair

The View 45%

Realism 37%

Dakka Factor 34%

Net Weight 30%

Overall 52%

Jonathan Davies 52%

THE COMPLETE YS GUIDE TO FLIGHT SIMS Oh cripes. Whose idea was this? Couldn't we do it on something else? Nah, we promised. How about putting if off for another month? Or we could make JONATHAN DAVIS do it? Heh heh. Right, where's he got to? Ah ha! Neeeeeow! Dakka dakka dakka! Kaboom! "Crikey, Ginger, pull up! Over." "I can't! I think my flaps have gone a bit funny. Over." Neeeow! Boom! "Bail out! Bail out! Over." Dakka dakka dakka. (Ricochet noises.) "Er, okay then. Over and out." Sorry about that, just trying to inject a bit of excitement into this thing because, let's face it, flight sims aren't exactly the most exciting bits of software around. Or are they? No, They're not. But there are loads of them about, and people keep buying them. Why is this? Perhaps we'd better investigate. For thousands of years man has dreamt of flight... (Cut the crap, Ed) Erm, well, perhaps it's because they demand a bit more thought than your average arcade game. Fast reactions are all very well, but what about using your noddle occasionally? Keeping a plane in flight isn't just a matter of wobbling your joystick about a bit, which is the impression that lesser games give. You've got angles of attack to worry about, altitude, navigation, weapons systems, undercarriage... the list is endless. As are the manuals usually. And that's another thing. If you've never played one before you'll need to spend hours wading through one of these breeze-block tomes before you can even get off the ground. Once you've got the thing up in the air though you're well away. With any luck there'll be lots of scenery to look at and plenty of enemy thingies to 'take out'. You might even like to indulge in a bit of aerobatics to pass the time. The one thing you should always keep an eye on though is the ground. Stay away from this at all costs. Unless you're landing, of course, which is another story altogether. SO WHAT'S A FLIGHT SIM THEN, EH? In compiling this guide I was faced with the usual problem - what exactly is a flight simulation? What are the criteria? Where do you draw the line? I decided to seek the advice of one of Europe's leading experts in the field of computer games. "Er, Matt? (Cough.) Matt?' I ventured. "Mmm?" "Would you have said that, say, Fighter Pilot was a flight sim? Huh? Matt?" I enquired cheerily. "Er, probably," he replied. "How about Harrier Attack?" "I expect it is, yes." "Or Night Raider?" "Um, look, I've got to go out. To the, er, shops. I'll see you later. Maybe." Unperturbed. I decided to try Andy, but he didn't appear to hear me. I also tried ringing up a few friends. They all seemed to be out. So it's all down to me then. Well, I reckon that really, in a flight sim, you ought to be in control of a plane of some sort. Ideally you'd get a 3D view out of the cockpit, but I'll be flexible and allow ones where you see the plane on the screen from the back (like ATF) and even ones where you see the view in 2D (from the top or something). Another important guideline is the number of keys. Preferably there should be at least 2,452 of them, each with about three different functions. But, again, I'll allow a generous margin of error and set the bottom line at six. And finally there's the manual. Obviously this should be as large and impenetrable as possible, with lots of incomprehensible acronyms that you have to keep looking up in the glossary at the back. A rough guide to length? Let's say 500-600 pages for a decent one or, if the game comes in an ordinary cassette box, an inlay card that folds out into a thin strip long enough to wrap round Matt's tummy at least two and a half times. So now we know just what makes up a flight sim, let's take a look at a few… RATINGS Once again, the normally-so-versatile YS rating system doesn't really seem too appropriate here (Instant appeal? Addictiveness?). So what we've done is to come up with a revised system, specially tailored to meet the needs of today's flight sim. Let's have a nosey... The View: Can you see anything nice out of the window? Or is it all just green and blue wiggly lines? And does the scenery glide around smoothly or jerk around like an Allegro with a dodgy clutch? Realism: This can often be determined by the number of keys the game uses. So that's just what we've done. Counted 'em. As there are 40 keys on your basic Speccy, and each one can be doubled or even tripled up, the maximum comes out to exactly 100. Handy, eh? Dakka Factor: Is there much to shoot? Or is it all a matter of map-reading, gauge-watching and other such nonsense? And once you've shot whatever it is, does it explode dramatically and plummet to the ground leaving a trail of smoke behind it? Or not? Net Weight: A crucial part of any flight sim is all the junk that comes with it. So, adding together all the disks, maps, manuals, stickers and the box, what do the YS scales make of it? (All weights are, of course, approximate.) (In degrees.) THE CHEAPO SIDE OF THINGS You've got to give them credit - the budget people'll have a crack at anything. And flight sims are no exception. A full-pricey can take anything up to 18 months and a massive team of highly-trained programmers to develop, so what does your average beer-swilling cheapo programmer manage to come up with in the two weeks (evenings only) he's allotted? Let's brace ourselves and take a look. Fighter Pilot Digital Integration This was the next 'biggie' after Flight Simulation and introduced a number of innovations. First, and most importantly, there are things to shoot. They look pretty awful, and don't fly around terribly imaginatively, but they do explode very satisfyingly when shot (this can only be done with your machine gun). The other great thing about it is that your F-15 (for that's what it is) can zoom around at a fair old rate, and is much more fun to fly than the old Flight Simulation Cessna. This is partly because it's a more wazzy plane, but credit must also be given to the superior programming. There's also a bit more to look at on the ground, including a better runway and some strange square things dotted about. And the ground is green which is a great advantage. There are one or two oddities though - you can fly along for miles upside-down at an altitude of zero, which isn't too encouraging, but at least the compass is correct (Flight Simulation's had 370°) and there's a nice head-up display with all the important bits on. This took over as the definitive flight sim for ages, and is still worth taking up for a spin occasionally.

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee! (It ain't half zappier, this one.) Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

EVERY FLIGHT SIM EVER (IN THE WORLD)* *(near enough) Ace - Cascade Ace II - Cascade Ace Of Aces - US Gold Acrojet - US Gold Airliner - Protek ATF - Digital Integration Biggies - Mirrorsoft Chuck Yeager's Advanced Flight Trainer - Electronic Arts Combat Lynx - Durell Dambusters - US Gold Delta Wing - Creative Sparks Deep Strike - Durell F-15 Strike Eagle - MicroProse Flight Path 737 - Anirog Fighter Bomber - Activision Fighter Pilot - Digital Integration Flight Simulation - Psion Flyer Fox - Bug Byte Gee Bee Air Rally - Activision Gunship - MicroProse Nightflight - Hewson Nightflight II - Hewson Night Raider - Gremlin Project Stealth Fighter - MicroProse Red Arrows - Database Software Skyfox - Ariolasoft Space Shuttle - Microdeal Spitfire 40 - Mirrorsoft Strike Attack - Micro Mart Strike Force Harrier - Mirrorsoft Top Gun - Ocean

GAMES THAT AREN'T FLIGHT SIMS, BUT MIGHT JUST WELL HAVE BEEN Caesar The Cat - Mirrorsoft Mr Wong's Loop Laundry - Artic ZX Tool Kit - Star Dreams

GAMES THAT MOST DEFINITELY AREN'T FLIGHT SIMS Beaky And The Egg Snatchers - Fantasy Blue Max - US Gold Harrier Attack - Durell Heathrow Air Traffic Control - Hewson Monty Python's Flying Circus - Virgin Night Gunner - Digital Integration P47 - Firebird Scramble Spirits - Grandslam Spitfire - Encore TLL - Vortex

LOOKING-AT-IT-FROM-BEHIND ONES These ones are really the next step down from the True Flight Sim. They're essentially the same, except that instead of a view out of the cockpit you get a view of the back of your plane. This isn't quite as pointless as it sounds, because usually the plane is small enough so that you can see past it to the 'scenery' beyond. This type of view generally makes it easier to judge landings and to see if you're about to fly into anything, but there is often a corresponding reduction in the number of knobs and dials, and an increase in things to do. Not what we want at all. ATF is the perfect example of this sort of thing. "Chuck Yeager. (Well, he sort of belongs in this box.)"

LOOKING-AT-IT-FROM-JUST-ABOUT-ANYWHERE ONES Now these really are the business. They're like a cross between the True Flight Sim and the Looking-At-It-From-Behind one, with lots more as well. In fact, what you can do is look at your plane from all sorts of different angles, including weird ones like from-the-ground and from-the-front-of-the-plane. To tell the truth, games like this are a bit scarce on the Speccy (they tend to flourish on posh computers like the Atari ST) but there are one or two good ones. Chuck Yeager is a notable example, as is Fighter Bomber.

LOOKING-AT-IT-FROM-THE-SIDE ONES Now we're looking at things like Harrier Attack And they're certainly not flight sims. In fact, they're usually just scrolling shoot-'em-ups with planes instead of spaceships. There's always plenty of stuff to shoot, but technical accuracy is very limited indeed. You never have to worry about setting your flaps at the right angle or the navigational computer to the appropriate beacon, or watching your airspeed in case you stall. Useless. "Harrier Attack - definitely not a flight simulator. (Clear now?)"

LOOKING-AT-IT-FROM-THE-TOP ONES Now we're in dicey territory. We're talking about things like TLL here. Quite frankly, they're not really, are they? Flight sims, I mean. They've rarely got more than four or five keys, placing them firmly on the arcade side of things. So let's pass over them.

SO, YOU WANT TO WRITE A FLIGHT SIM? Er, are you sure? Stick your tongue out. Hmm. Say "Ahh". Crikey. Okay, let's take a look at some essential ingredients... THE SETTING Flight sims are always set in a spooky 'alternative' world where the sky is always blue and the grass is always green (and so is just about everything else for that matter). Other vegetation is pretty sparse, apart from triangles on sticks which look a bit like trees. These are usually about 600 ft high (if your altimeter is anything to go by). The only buildings tend to be in a modernist cereal packet style, with no-one living in them. Mountains are handy for flying into. KNOBS AND DIALS There should be a ridiculous number of these, all of which are unmarked and of no obvious use. If they start reading 'zero', eject. There should also be little red lights which start flashing and making a beeping noise for no apparent reason. They only stop when you press every key on the keyboard very hard, at which point the plane crashes. THE MAP Any relation to a normal map should be avoided. Flight sim maps consist of a large and (usually green-on-yellow, or something else that's probably outlawed by EEC legislation) covered in little splotches. Quite what these are isn't entirely clear. Somewhere in the middle is a flashing square - you. This never seems to move, no matter how long you look. Meanwhile, back in the cockpit, your plane has just been shot down. THE CONTROLS As previously explained, there should be as many as possible, and then lots more on top of that. They should all have obvious purposes (eg P for throttle up, K for map, Symbol Shift, Caps Shift and 3 for left etc). There should also be a disconcerting delay (say, five minutes) between pressing a key and anything happening. The need for constant reference to the manual can easily be incorporated, during which time the plane flies into a tree. SOUND Don't put any in. Apart from the 'crash effect', of course. THE ENEMY Somewhere on the screen there should be a radar with a little flashing dot on it. This is the enemy aircraft. The player will turn to face it, prime the air-to-air missiles and wait for the two aircraft to meet. This, of course, never happens. After a certain length of time the player will get bored, engage the autopilot and nip out to put the kettle on. His plane then gets shot down. LANDING As you'll no doubt be aware, this is impossible. Real F-15s and things land perfectly first time, every time. But not simulated ones. You get them lined up exactly, set the speed rate of descent and everything exactly according to the instructions, flaps and undercarriage down, set it down oh-so-gently and... kaboom. PLAYTESTING Once the game's nearing completion you'll have to thoroughly test it. Sit yourself down in front of it and ask someone to come and check up on you after an hour or so. If you're still awake the game is obviously in need of modification.

THE 'TRUE' FLIGHT SIM The obvious example of one of these is the original Flight Simulation, but that was pretty crap. What we're basically talking about here is the sort where you're placed in the cockpit looking out of the window in the bottom half of the screen (or, worse, on another screen altogether) is the instrument panel, which can generally be ignored, and in the top half is the view. This is generally green on the bottom and blue on the top. If it's the other way round you're probably in trouble. Scattered about will be lots of squiggly lines, and maybe a few dots on the ground to give the impression of 'speed' (ahem). "Night Raider - not of the best but it'll do."

THE A-Z OF FLYING TERMS Ammo: A Latin verb. Being Tail Gunner: Going to the loo. Chocks Away: Someone's pinched your lunch. Dogfight: These are illegal. Eject: If in doubt... Flaps: Do lots of these if the propeller stops going round. Ground: The main hazard faced by most pilots. Heading: See Football Guide, YS Issue 54. Instruments: In-flight entertainment. Joystick: Long thing between your legs with a red bit on the end. Kippers: Probably the nickname of a World War 1 pilot. Landing: The bit at the top of the stairs. Mae West: Something pilots like to keep handy. Normandy: A nice place to go on holiday. Orange: If you paint your 'crate' this colour you'll probably get shot down. Piece Of Cake: Dreadful drama series about planes on telly. Quebec: Keep an eye on the map if you don't want to end up here. Roger: (Er, do S. Ed) Six O'Clock: Tea-time. Take Off: Spoof or parody. Undercarriage: See Joystick. V-Formation: Give one of these to the enemy as you fly by. Wings: Something to do with Paul McCartney. X-Ray: You're meant to say this over the radio quite often. Yellow: See Orange.

THE FIRST FLIGHT SIM EVER Ha. This one's easy. It was Flight Simulation, one of the first games that ever came out on the Speccy. It was also the first game I bought. (Aargh! The secret's out.) It was one of those Psion games which came out on Sinclair's own label, and despite the mind-numbingly tedious piccy on the box (the instrument panel of a plane) it hung around near the top of the charts for years. In actual fact, Flight Simulation is a conversion of a ZX81 game of the same name. Yikes. We'll take a closer look at this one later on.

Crash

Overall 76%

Phil King 76%

OLDIES UNLIMITED! What? Spent all your Christmas money already? Well, never fear, the golden oldie himself, PHIL KING, takes you on a tour of the latest budget-price rereleases... Fighter Pilot Producer: Silverbird Price: £1.99 Original Rating: 86% The British answer to MicroProse brought this classic simulation in early 1984. Reviewed in Issue 2 it proved to be much harder and more realistic than the American firm's F-15 Strike Eagle. As the title's fighter pilot, you're charged with protecting four bases from enemy bombers. Armed only with machine guns you must use your radar map to plot interceptions. The main view is a standard, out-of-the-cockpit 3-D. The standard array of instruments are provided, presented with excellent clarity. Options allow the practise of all aspects of the game; landing (very difficult), air-to-air combat and flying (no enemies) in addition you can select blind landings, crosswinds, turbulence and the skill levels of enemy pilots. Even though it's quite old now, Fighter Pilot is a competent and complex flight sim which is worth another look at the new budget price.

Your Sinclair

David McCandless

4 MEGAGAMES FOR UNDER A TENNER! Honest guv! Sounds well dodgy dunnit? That's what we thought so we sent David 'Miserly' McCandless out with a crisp new tenner to boldly go where no stingebag had gone before (shopping) and not to come back until he'd found four YS megagames. We didn't think he'd be back. He didn't think he'd be back. We were wrong. Talk about Mission Impossible, this was flamin' Mission Inconceivable. Four megagames for under a tenner? There's no such thing. Well at least there wasn't until a cunning lobe at the back of my brain remembered that a load of old ripsnorters were being released on budget labels. Mind you, by today's standards these games may be a molecule less than kosher but - hey! a megagame's a megagame no matter what epoque you're living in. But there was a problem. There were mounds, piles and heaps of past corkers to be had in the shops. All the companies had realised the potential market in resurrecting games, jumped on the exact same bandwagon and nearly toppled over. So I, being what I am, (insert your own joke here) picked out the top four blasts from the ghost of the past, the best four raves from the grave, and then rounded the rest up for you to delight over during the post-turkey blues. BUBBLING UNDER... And if you weren't stunned by the four previous YS Megagames I chose, here's six more worth looking at! FIGHTER PILOT Silverbird £1.99 Reviewer: David McCandless Realistic and fast flight simulation originally from the masters of simulation, Digital Integration. Still knocks spots off most similar games today. First released: March '85.

Sinclair User

CAN THIS BE REAL? Fly an aircraft, race around the world's most dangerous Grand Prix circuits or take a steam locomotive from London to Brighton. Just as your Spectrum can take you into the depths of space to zap aliens so it can simulate most audio visual real-life events you can mention. This month SU straps itself into the world of Spectrum simulators. Here's our choices: FIGHTER PILOT Label: Digital Integration Price: £7.95 Memory: 48K/128K Joystick: Various Regarded by many as the ultimate Spectrum flight simulator and, indeed, it has a host of impressive features. The aircraft is modelled on the US Airforce's F15 fighter bomber which you must take through an air to air battle simulation. Graphics are wireframe - like those of StarGlider - but the lack of detail on enemy aircraft and geographic features is made up for in a corresponding smoothness and speed in the graphic movement. It's not all battle, however. The cassette inlay give instructions for performing aerobatics. Diagrams show how your F15 should react when you move the controls in a certain way. Fighter Pilot scores for speed over Hewson's Nightflite II and just beats Psion's FLight Simulator for entertainment value. It was written by Dave Marshall who has designed software for large scale flight simulators used by companies such as British Aerospace and Britannia Airway's for their training programmes.

Sinclair User

Gilbert Factor 8/10

One of the finest flight simulations on the market, it goes one better than the Psion Flight Simulation by allowing you to not only pilot an advanced jet fighter, but also engage in simulated aerial combat. Landing is more difficult with an F-15 fighter than a light aircraft, and the program is consequently tricky to use, but there are the usual practice modes to develop you skills. The greater sophistication of the program is achieved at the expense of graphics representing features of the landscape, so you cannot have fun diving into lakes and the like. Position 45/50

ZX Computing

David Wright

Mark Stoneham

Of the many uses the Spectrum can be put to, flight simulators seem to have the most lasting appeal and probably utilise its considerable facilities for memory, colour and graphics more than any other type of commercial software. Two of the best currently available have been produced by two very different software houses: Psion and Digital Integration. The former has many good quality games to its credit whereas the latter has only appeared on the Spectrum scene recently. Seen on the shelf Psion's Flight Simulator has a considerable and unmistakable head start on Integrations Fighter Pilot as its cover design is a much more eye-catching and tempting piece of printing.The next aspect of the products which is always taken into account is the price; in this case they are both a reasonable £7.95 which should not deter the would-be flying ace. Documentation is both thorough and precise for the two packages although Fighter Pilot's is slightly superior in that it contains pilot's notes and technical data as well as the usual instructions. The notes give advice on your approach, flaps and undercarriage and informs you of your take-off and stall speed. The aircraft's performance and specifications are dealt with in the Technical Data. Flight Simulation does not have provision for a joystick although it is possible to use the Kempston device with the aid of a conversion tape. On the other hand. Fighter Pilot can incorporate one of three: Kempston, AGF and Sinclair Interface 2 (as well as the keyboard). Both programs load in just under four minutes and result in a list of options. In Flight Simulation there are three: in-flight final approach and take off. Having made your choice, you are asked whether you require wind effects or not (the novice should decline as it makes the game considerably harder). Fighter Pilot boasts a more extensive menu containing five options: landing practice, flying training, air-to-air combat practice, air-to-air combat and blind landing. As well as this, you have the choice of cross winds and turbulance, your pilot rating and controls. The Fighter Pilot instruments, from left to right, are as follows: radar and compass which includes your compass bearing and distance in relation to either one of eight beacons or an enemy bomber, depending on whether or not you are in combat mode. Next comes a digital speedometer beneath which sits the flap extension indicator. In the middle of the panel is the artificial horizon which shows the roll and pitch angle of your aircraft with respect to the ground. Below this is a linear thrust scale followed by digital altitude and vertical speed indicators. Adjacent to these is the Instrument Landing System (ILS) which doubles as a flight computer. On the far right of your console is the fuel gauge, below which is the undercarriage status indicator (i.e. up or down). Finally comes the ammunition indicator and "kills" so far. The Flight Simulation instrument panel is somewhat similar but consists almost entirely of dials, which can be confusing when the hands rotate more than once. The controls are from left to right: an ILS below which is a radio altimeter which displays your altitude digitally when it is less than 1,000 ft. Beneath this is an undercarriage status indicator adjacent to which is a flaps indicator. Above this is the airspeed indicator which displays your speed in knots. Next comes the RDF clock. This is the principal instrument in your panel and shows your current bearing and your position in relation to your present beacon. Below this there are three digital locks showing your present beacon, your distance from that beacon and its bearing in relation to your aircraft. The altimeter comes next and this is a dial with two hands; the longer giving the height in hundreds of feet and the shorter in thousands. Finally there are the fuel and power indicators. The maps in both programs are very impressive although the Fighter Pilot one is bigger in order to accommodate the much more powerful aircraft. Both maps are wraparound affairs which can be very confusing when crossing from one side to another. The Flight Simulation map covers 12,288 sq. miles and has two runways: club and main. It has seven beacons, one range of hills (1,000 ft high) and three lakes: Orb, Long and Tri. The Fighter Pilot map covers 20,000 sq miles, has two ranges of hills (3,500 & 2,000 ft high), eight beacons and four runways: Delta, Base, Zulu and Tango. Unfortunately, when one displays the map in Flight Simulation, one loses the instrument panel thus making prolonged periods of air borne navigation impossible. There is no sound in Fighter Pilot and hardly any in Flight Simulation (only when you crash) although I am sure most users would rather sacrifice audial effects for the excellent graphics in both programs. The object of Fighter Pilot (that is when air-to-air combat has been selected) is to defend the four airfields from destruction by simultaneous enemy bombers which, although of an inferior performance, are capable of devastating effects on both the airfields and your plane. The only aim we could see in Flight Simulation was to educate the user in the art of flying (which it does admirably). However, we would advise the would-be pilot to consult a flying manual if he is seriously considering flying! Although we have not dealt with Flight Simulation and Fighter Pilot to their full extent we have tried to cover most of the important points. On the whole Fighter gives more satisfaction, even though its landscape graphics are inferior. Its controls seem more responsive and we would like to conclude in saying that although both programs are good, Fighter Pilot is more exciting and thus slightly better than its counter part.

Crash

Lloyd Mangram

Matthew Uffindell

Use of Computer: 82% Graphics: 90% Playability: 85% Getting Started: 90% Addictive Qualities: 85% Value for Money: 85% Overall: 86% Fighter Pilot was the first offering from Digital Integration, a software house which has established itself very firmly with this and its second game, Night Gunner. We gave Fighter Pilot an overall rating of 86%, and said that it was definitely the best simulation for the Spectrum yet. is it still? Yes it is! Undoubtedly the best flying simulation for the Spectrum as far as I'm concerned, and it will remain at the top for a long time to come, I'm sure. Nothing I can see about the review needs commenting on - game and review stand up well to the test of time! After playing so many games and mastering them, this one still remains unmastered by me - perhaps if I played non-stop for two weeks I might be able to fly this high performance figher well. The ultimate simulation for the Spectrum. MU Attention to detail, especially in simulations, is bound to make a game playable, and Fighter Pilot hasn't really been bettered on that count. Everything works and combines to make this a very real experience of flying. There's the possibility that someone, maybe Digital Integration themselves, will come up with a similar program that actually creates a detailed ground effect, but until that does happen I think the original review's comments about being the best still stand. LM (Matthew) in general I wouldn't alter any of the original ratings. At 85% for playability, it rather depends on whether or not you are daunted by the prospect of learning to fly the plane, and I can see some people (like me!) being put off - but the feeling of getting the hang of flying is great fun. (Lloyd) No, I wouldn't argue with the ratings either. In fact, I might be tempted to put value for money up slightly (85%) because this program offers loads of possibilities for enjoyment if you like simulations.

Runway to port in Fighter Pilot.

Micro Adventurer

Kevin Bergin

THE WILD BLUE YONDER Kevin Bergin pilots Spectrum and BBC flight simulators. Picture scene: "I say, Biggles old chap, the weather's triff - how about a spin in the old crate, what?" "Sorry to be a bore, Ginger old worm, but I've got a spot of gippy tummy - must have been last night's bubble-and-squeak, don't you know?" "Bad show, Biggles, old fruit. Tell y'what, I think I might just have a quick shufti round the old cabbage patch for the Hun. Be a good fella and load in the jolly old prog, what?" "Right-ho, Ginger tally ho!" Even with a ZX81 Ginger would have had to decide which flight simulator to use. If you own a Spectrum, BBC or Atari micro, the choice is even wider. This review aims to help you pick the best for your flights of fantasy. The good old lo-res, black and white ZX8l is not a machine that springs readily to mind when talking of flight simulators; but it was for this machine that one of the greatest programs yet written was produced. Psion's Flight Simulation was great in the sense that graphics like this had not been seen on the ZX81 before. It was also fun! But don't think that it was easy brilliant machine-coding ensured that Psion's plane, a twin-engined light aircraft, behaved very like the real thing. The view from the cockpit shows the horizon, and as the plane dives, climbs and banks, so the horizon moves in a very realistic way. The instruments in front of the pilot include dials, digital readouts and bar displays; they show such information as speed, height, and fuel, and an artificial horizon as well as a comprehensive navigation system. Several beacons are dotted around the Psion landscape, and these all help the pilot to pinpoint the runway on which he must finally land. OVERSHOT As the plane nears the landing strip, it appears in view. The ZX's low resolution means that the lines of the runway must take the form of white pixels against the black background - but still, disbelief is suspended, so well-presented is the environment. As the plane approaches the runway, the perspective gradually changes, and the ground really does seem to reach up to meet the descending aircraft. It is even possible to overshoot the runway, and swoop round and round the airport, with the lines of the runway remaining coherent all the time. If the pilot has time, there is a further option ask to see a map (press the M key), and the view from the window is replaced by a plan view of the "play" area. This gives you an idea of where the plane is in relation to the runway. The controls are comprehensive; to make the plane bank, dive and climb, the cursor keys are used, and other keys are pressed to raise and lower the landing gear and flaps, apply and release the brakes, adjust the throttle and rotate amongst the beacons to facilitate taking bearings. There is no rudder control, but all in all, the plane flies quite realistically, although it seems very well balanced - set to level flight, it will happily purr away until the fuel runs out. Precision aerobatics are not really possible, though the controls are very responsive when it comes to necessary manouevres. There is a small question about the flaps put them down above a certain speed, and the plane crashes. This wouldn't happen in real-life, of course; similarly, a stall at a safe height is also fatal for the pilot in Psion's program. The ultimate thrill in this program, though, is the final landing. Flight Simulation became the yardstick by which other ZX81 programs were measured (programs of any kind, that is, 'not only flight programs), and other flight simulators had a very hard job to compete. Hewson released its Pilot not long after Psion's program. Written in Basic, it didn't have the smooth responses typical of the earlier program. Rather than the keyboard being scanned, and the display being updated accordingly every nanosecond, Hewson's program works through the routines (this all takes about two seconds) - pumping away furiously at a control key while waiting for the keyboard to wake merely results in over-correction, and another sickening plunge until the thing can be brought under control. No fine-tuning here! Hewson avoids the problems of coding the horizon by setting the whole simulation at night! Thus the range of hills which is such a hazard is not actually seen just felt as you crash into it. As for flying - once the pilot is accustomed to the annoying slowness of input from the keyboard, then the basics can be accomplished. Banking, climbing and diving are possible, as well as a rudimentary rudder control that adjusts the heading by one degree each time it is pressed. There is no map during the flight this time, but there is a "flight profile" at the end (when you've crashed), which shows all the mistakes you have made. When the Spectrum was released, the colour and enhanced graphics capabilities ensured that, sooner or later, flight simulator programs would start to appear. Sure enough, they did! Psion and Hewson both released new versions of their simulators. For the Spectrum Pilot, Hewson again turned to author M Male, and, again, the program was in Basic. The instrument panel (drawn in white on blue) includes a large circular Air Direction Finder (ADF), which is permanently tuned to a ground beacon, and gives an indication of the plan's position relative to the beacon. Other instruments include a large, square Artificial Horizon, and the instrument Landing System which gives an indication of the plane's attitude when landing, so that the pilot has a continual read out of the plane's position on the approach glide path. Readouts, like Airspeed, Heading, Altitude and so on, are in digital form. Again, an end-of-mission map is available for reference. Then Hewson released Niteflite II, taking the place of Pilot. This made better use of colour, with the instrument panel being drawn in several colours (although the Artificial Horizon suffered a little in its resolution), and a rather more stylish "select option" screen. On-screen information was more comprehensive, with detailed readouts on the cloud-base, wind direction and so on. Also among changes for the better was the provision of brakes, taxiing on the runway, a (signed) assessment card of the pilot's performance, and much better instructions, "talking-through" salient points. The major difference, however, was that input had been dramatically speeded-up, so that keyboard input was almost (not quite) immediate - and provision was made for joysticks. There is still, however, no credible feel of flying; stalling, at any height, is immediately fatal, as is putting down the undercarriage or flaps above a certain speed. Psion's new version of Flight Simulation was the first true simulation for the Spectrum. Only three options are offered the user - Final Approach, Takeoff or in Flight. Again, the aircraft in question is a small, high-performance, twin-engined, propeller-driven airplane, and the view is from the cockpit window. Anyone who had seen the ZX81 version would be immediately at home with the Spectrum version - the horizon is now drawn in higher resolution, as is the comprehensive instrument panel. Again, the feeling of actually flying is intense, and the keyboard is immediately responsive to any keypress. The Map is available here, too, but now it is in much more detail and shows two runways: Club is a small airfield with a rather short landing strip, while Main is an international airport with a much longer runway (much easier to land on). Also on the Map are a couple of lakes, and several beacons. These beacons can be used to attempt navigation to any point on the map. While the Map is on screen, the instrument display disappears, making it necessary to switch continually between the two displays while in flight. THRILLING What makes Psion's program so thrilling is that the lakes and runways are seen in true perspective as the plane approaches them. Unfortunately, while the sky is light blue, the ground is a disappointing uniform dark blue, with the lakes in light blue. Aerobatics can be indulged in - looping the loop is quite possible. Put down the landing-gear while in flight, though, or lower the flaps too far, and the plane suffers damage, maybe even fatal damage, as in so many of these micro-based simulators. Try dive-bombing the lakes or runways, however, and you'll swear that you are in a real plane - fantastic! Fighter Pilot, from Digital Integration (written by D K Marshall), is an unashamed tribute to Psion's Flight Simulation. Here is a Map, showing, in this instance, four runways (BASE, TANGO, DELTA and ZULU), and several beacons which flash as they are selected by the pilot here, too, are mountains which must be avoided. Looking out of the cockpit's window shows light blue sky with, this time, a uniform yellow ground (no lakes, though, in DIland). Your aircraft is an F1 Eagle, the USAF air-superiority fighter, with two turbofan Whitney engines, complete with re-heat. Sounds pokey, and it is! Selecting the Takeoff mode (there are several other Modes, and several levels of difficulty), allows you to use the performance to the full. Unlike the other programs we've seen so far, the brakes, realistically, have to be held on rev up to above the red line, brakes off, and away you go, hurtling down the runway and up into the sky in a near-vertical climb. Within a few seconds, you will be travelling at 600-odd knots (maximum speed is 1,440 knots at 60,000 feet, 800 knots at sea level), and you will already be at a height of 25,000 feet or so. What a contrast to Hewson's 80 knots at a puny 100 feet! Throw the F1 about the sky as much as you like - it's extremely difficult to control until a lot of practice is put in, but I imagine that it is a lot like flying the real thing (a Cessna is the closest I've got!). The instrumentation is the most useful of all the programs so far - the Artificial Horizon looks authentic, with instant feedback, and the Roll and Pitch indicator is very useful in fine-tuning the plane's attitude. Navigation is simplicity itself. Select the Map, on which you will find all the salient features of the landscape along with the four landing strips. While the map is on-screen, the instrument panel remains at the bottom of the display; unlike many other simulations, it's perfectly possible to fly on instruments only, thanks to instant and continual updates. Pressing the N key displays the Next beacon you require - it will start flashing on the map, and its bearing is shown, along with your current heading, on the radar screen on your instrument panel. A flashing cross shows the position of this beacon relative to your current heading steer toward the beacon, until the cross swings directly ahead of the little plane on the radar screen. Above the screen is your new heading, and the distance from the beacon. If you are going to land, the instrument Landing System becomes operative within five miles of the runway, and this allows the pilot to fly down the correct approach path to the runway. Though this may sound easy, it isn't - I have to admit that I still haven't effected a successful landing! This program would be a sensation, and a very accurate simulation, but there is much more - on the opening Option Screen, you will notice two selections that don't appear on others in this review. As the plane you fly is a fighter, all this training would be useless if it couldn't be put to some real use, and this is what you get in the Combat modes. In the Combat Training mode, your task is to find the enemy (looking much like a medium bomber) and destroy him. A cross-hair target and a readout of your remaining ammo help you, and the enemy will not fire back. Once you've had enough practice, it's on to the real thing, and this time the enemy will fire back if he has the opportunity. Things develop into a real dog-fight! Enemy planes are not visible until you are within a one-mile range - they will be at around a 5,000 feet altitude, and you must match height and speed in order to fight effectively. The enemy plans are not just there to be shot at, but also to seek and destroy your runways. As you'll need these to refuel and rearm, it is necessary to protect them at all costs. ACCOMPLISHED All in all, Fighter Pilot is a very accomplished program. A superb fighting machine with very sensitive controls, state-of-the-art navigational aids, and a worthy opponent - what more could the Spectrum owner ask of a Flight Simulator? Before we leave the Spectrum, it is worth mentioning another Hewson program Heathrow. This is another simulation, but this time from the point of view of those on the ground. Air Traffic Control would seem to be an ideal candidate for computer control, and this program gives you some idea of what it must be like to juggle with all those incoming Jumbos and Concordes. As with its Flight Simulator, Nightflite, Hewson has elected to cater for both the 16K and 48K Spectrum from within one program, thus making the thing not quite as complex, maybe, as many people would like. However, with the continually updated radar display, and multiple bar-charts showing aircraft headings, altitudes and so on, there is quite enough to digest for me! The instructions are complex, the display is complex - the whole program is a detailed simulation, including radio failure, emergencies, rogue aircraft and so on, and is recommended for the Spectrum-owner who wants to see what havoc may be caused by his stumbling around in other programs. On now to the Atari. Strangely enough, this machine, in every other sphere of "games" programs so much better than the Spectrum, has been poorly served when it comes to Flight Simulators. One of the first came from APX, the Atari Program Exchange, and is a 747 Simulator. Written in Basic by William J Graham, it is poor when, set against the best for the Spectrum. The only option is Final Approach, although the pilot may select Auto-pilot if so, all that remains for him to do is to decrease the engine revs when prompted, in order to keep the aircraft on the correct glide path. Maneuvering is effected by joystick, and as the landing gear is lowered by pushing the stick to the right while pressing the fire button, this immediately sends your airplane off to the right. As little as 10 degrees off-course means that you have a mid-air collision. The instrument panel consists only of digital readouts (no circular dials here), although the runway is shown in a sort of 3D. The sensation of flying is not particularly strong (and maybe isn't in a real Jumbo), and the program is rather more of an intellectual exercise in number-juggling. Like the vast majority of Atari programs, however, the APX Flight Simulator is, for some reason, extremely addictive, and you will find yourself returning to it again and again, as it seems so simple and yet so infuriatingly difficult to beat. The documentation is extensive, and includes a detailed "talk-down", so that even the first-timer has an even chance. SubLogic's Flight Simulator iI, which has been advertised for some time now as being available, will be the most exciting development in Atari flight simulators. Thousands of people are eagerly awaiting the program, on both sides of the Atlantic, and no-one, as far as I am aware, has seen it at the time of writing (June '84). It has achieved fame on the IBM machine as a yardstick of compatibility, and is justly held in high regard. It includes a World War I Air Ace scenario, with dogfights versus the Red Baron! Instrumentation and facilities are comprehensive, and the flying area includes the whole of the United States, with 80 airfields from Los Angeles to New York, user-defined weather and the time of day all making their impression. It will be expensive, but, also, the only "real" Flight Simulator on the Atari. The BBC machine is not one that is favoured with too many Flight Simulators in fact, I have just two to look at this month. The first is 737 Flight Simulator from Salamander. This comes on a cassette which includes a version for tape loading, together with a version which can be saved to disk. The program is in two parts - the first allows the user to select all the parameters, such as designing an airfield, selecting take-off or starting in mid-flight, choosing between daytime and nighttime flight, and so on. After this initial set-up period, the "business" part of the program is loaded, and the pilot finds himself sitting at the end of a runway, looking over the well-appointed instrument panel (everything you need is here and you'll need it). This assumes that the Take-off option has been selected - and a shock is in store! After take-off, the horizon suddenly disappears the cloud base is at 35 feet! MUCK I personally wouldn't want to fly in muck like that, but Salamander gives you no option, so continue we must - and on the way back, you'll find that the clouds have miraculously rolled back to 400 feet. Having struggled into the (very low) cloud, the pilot will obviously not see very much out of the window (a good wheeze, this, which helps programmers out of a tight spot) - instead, the display is replaced by a radar screen. Suddenly, you are now an Air Traffic Controller. Against a blue background, the track of your aircraft is depicted in red, and, flying on instruments only, you must steer your plane into a landing. For some reason, it seemed a lot easier to land the 737 after selecting the Final Approach option, than it was after a cross-country navigation exercise. But the controls are very responsive, despite the fact that only one key at a time is read. So, you won't be able to lower the undercarriage while throttling back, while lowering the flaps. Each task has to be tackled in turn, and the pilot needs to be an ambidextrous octopus in order to negotiate the 20 or so keys that have to be manipulated. However, there is a very helpful "BEEP" option (which may be turned off) which informs the pilot of acceptance of his executive action. The Beep pales into insignificance, though, beside the whine of the engines, which increase in pitch as the throttle is opened, finally reaching the point when nothing short of a strategically-placed pillow mutes the shriek. Looping-the-loop and other interesting pastimes are not available on Salamander's airliner - but those pilots who like watching the instrument panel should have a good time. Now, let's step back to Aviator, from Acornsoft. Let's be charitable, and say that the early releases from this company were "toes in the water" to feel the temperature - the more recent programs show very much more promise. And this is evident in Aviator. Although the memory constraints of the BBC machine, I imagine, mean that the display consists of white "wire" lines, on a black background, the loss of colour is not noticed after a while. The aircraft you are flying now is a World War II Spitfire Mk3. Of all the planes in this War, the Spitfire is the best known today, and to be in the seat of this one is a real change from the Eagles and Jumbos of the other programs here. An excellent manual, complete with detachable map of the countryside, and another sheet showing the keys to use, prepares the user for the experience to come. When the flight starts, the instruments are slowly drawn - no round instruments here, but octagonal - and the view from the cockpit window of the runway stretching before you. Start up and the very realistic sound of a prop engine is heard. Rev up, ease off the brakes, and away. TORQUE The Beeb Spitfire is the most realistic of all the aircraft we have looked at in this review. Nowhere is this more clearly seen than in the first moments, when you, the pilot, are beginning the take-off. Although the Spitfire suffered from tending to drift to the right (as the torque of the spinning propeller pulled the aircraft's nose from the straight-ahead), the slight left rudder that would be necessary in real life is not needed here. As speed increases, the tail gently lifts off the ground, and the "joystick" has to be slowly eased back in order to keep the propeller from digging a nice little trough along the runway. The Spitfire in flight is very responsive, just as in real life. As with most of the other simulators, it takes a great amount of practice before a smooth flight can be undertaken, and, especially in the first few moments of the flight, it can be all too easy to stall the machine, and spin into the ground (it's not a long job, thank goodness, to start again!). One of the main drawbacks with the Spitfire, and one that caught many trainee pilots unawares, was the narrow track of the landing gear - a slight crosswind, causing the Spitfire to "crab" sideways on landing, would place a great strain on the steering characteristics of the landing gear, and easily cause a ground-loop. I haven't had enough practice, yet, to be able to get close to touching down, but I have a feeling that this detail will not be programmed into Aviator. In most other details, however, the BBC Spitfire behaves pretty much like the original - which was a honey, and one of the best aircraft ever built. The landscape consists of several trapezoid shapes, representing fields, and each of a different shape, thus allowing for some sort of recognition as you pass overhead. It's extremely difficult to tell one shape from another, but it is essential to learn how to do it - there are no beacons or other navigational aids in the Spitfire. You can also fly through the streets of a small town or under a bridge. For these various feats, points are scored - more if you can do them upside down. There is the added fillip in Aviator of combat - but not with Messchersmitt 109s. In a weird bit of lateral thinking, Acornsoft has seen fit to pit the Spitfire against strange alien spaceships shaped like elongated triangles. It seems rather incongruous to have to fight these. However, you can behave realistically turn away after firing, and the shells will continue toward the spot originally aimed at. The combat part of this program, though, is not important (no way could anyone play this game as some sort of antique Space Invaders!), while the flying part is - and Aviator is certainly among the best to be seen so far on a microcomputer. FRINGE It is worth mentioning those "fringe" programs that require a certain amount of flying skills. These include, for the Spectrum, Zzoom and Omega Run (both place the player in the cockpit of a rather mystical aircraft - actually a "skimmer" in the case of Zzoom) and Fort Apocalypse and Chopper Rescue for the Atari and Commodore, which require the player to fly a helicopter remotely. Although these programs are nothing like real simulators, they are worth looking at if you get a thrill from handling fast, maneuverable machinery. The Flight Simulators we have looked at here seem to fall into one of two types. There is the "seat-of-the-pants" type, of which Aviator is a prime example, and the "fly-by-instruments" type, such as the APX Simulator and Jumbo Jet Pilot. Programs in the latter category tend to be intellectual exercises in which many details have to be balanced against each other. The feeling of flying is not particularly great, except for any view that you may have through the "cockpit" window. It is this sort of program that tends to place a heavy emphasis, rather unrealistically, on stress limits, so that lowering the undercarriage, for example, above a certain speed will immediately wreck the plane. The other kind of Simulator lets the pilot pay more attention to the actual flying, and allows aerobatics, and also includes a certain leeway in structural limitations. The Spitfire program for the BBC is an extraordinarily accurate simulation, and, incidentally, addictive. The Fl Eagle program, for the Spectrum, is thrilling the pilot can almost feel the kick in his back as the throttle is pushed into the red, and the plane hurtles, at Mach 2, to 50,000 feet in just a minute or so. Which one you prefer, Biggles, must be your decision.

Sinclair Programs

June Mortimer

WANTED - RACING DRIVER, PILOT, PRIME MINISTER... Simulation programs are fun and educational . Among a selection of excellent games , many of them best-sellers , we find one leads the field . Spend your time playing Manic Miner or The Hobbit and, although you may gain remarkable proficiency on the Spectrum keyboard, the chances are that you will not feel any better-equipped for any real-life experiences of wandering beneath the streets of Surbiton, or controlling the movements of a recalcitrant dwarf. Spend your time playing simulation games and not only will you enjoy some of the best games on the market but also you will benefit from the educational qualities of simulation games. Whether your dream has always been to bring the government to its knees, form a successful rock band, become a millionaire or simply to get away from the city and take up sport in the countryside, there is a simulation game designed to help you achieve your dream in the comfort of your home. Simulation games put you into the place of another person, a jet pilot for example, provide some background information and instructions, and then allow you to make all the decisions. UNRIVALLED SUCCESS In the field of simulation games nothing has arrived in the Sinclair Programs office to rival The Forest - Phipps Associates, 48K Spectrum . It is a simulation of that sport seemingly least likely ever to be played on a microcomputer, orienteering. Orienteering is essentially a cross-country race across difficult terrain, to which has been added the extra dimension of navigational problems. Contestants are supplied with a map, on which is marked a number of points, each of which must be visited in order. Points are often separated by lakes or dense forest, so the quickest route is not necessarily a straight line but can be found only by a skilled map reader. An added complication is that the map, and the area, do not include roads, footpaths or streams, and so map and compass must be used throughout. Graham Relf, author of The Forest has, amazingly, made it possible to orienteer with a Spectrum and, more incredibly still, has fitted 11,200 sq. km. of map into the program. When the game is loaded, the scene is the start of the course, on the edge of the town and the forest. Objective number one lies around 100 metres to the north-east and is marked by a flag on arrival. The map shows that a direct route would not be too difficult; most of it is downhill and the forest through which a straight path would run is not too dense. It is difficult, however, to run even 100 metres through trees white trying to follow a compass bearing, so the booklet accompanying the program suggests that beginners first aim for the nearby lake and then for the small flag in the middle of the forest. The screen shows the view six metres in front of the player. It may be lake, tall trees, small trees, a town, or a selection of other types of terrain. Ten terrain symbols are shown on the screen at any time. Turning to right and left can be done by means of left and right cursor keys. Turning to face the way you have come is achieved by pressing the downward cursor key, and movement forward by pressing the upward cursor key. Each step you take is roughly one metre long although, as in real life, your steps will vary in length and you will move with much more difficulty uphill through thick trees than when running downhill across grass. A sight set in front of you shows where the ground directly ahead of you would be if the ground were completely level. That gives a clear indication as to whether you are running uphill or downhill. Running on a compass bearing is not possible with a computer. It is possible to estimate on which bearing you should walk, and for how far, but most players will find that a ruler and protractor make life easier. The forest is an extremely good educational aid for anyone wishing to reach or learn map reading, compass hearings, or simply the use of ruler and protractor. The map is very accurate and there is an immense sense of achievement to be gained from finding a flag after navigating through a kilometer of forest. The program also gives a clear idea of how contour lines marked on a map relate to hills and valleys. Experienced players will find that by following the curve of a hill as they run along, they can follow contour lines on the map, which can be very helpful when crossing large areas of forest. BEST-SELLING PROGRAMS Better-known simulation games are the flight simulation programs Flight Simulation - 48K Spectrum and 16K ZX-81, Sinclair Research - and Fighter Pilot - 48K Spectrum, Digital Integration - both best-selling programs. Flight Simulation allows the player to take off, fly and land an aeroplane. The aircraft controls are complex and so the long instructions should be read in full before any attempt at flying is made. Despite that, first flights tend to be unmitigated disasters. Experience quickly makes the controls and instrument panels sufficiently comprehensible to make taking-off and flying possible. The most difficult aspect of Flight Simulation is landing. There are 13 control keys to remember with which the aircraft can be controlled and even experienced simulator pilots tend to find that number is around 12 controls too many when trying to reduce height and speed at the appropriate rate, while keeping on course and keeping the aircraft level. Fighter Pilot gives the player a bigger range of options than Flight Simulation. The player can choose between being a trainee, squadron instructor or ace pilot. Flight, take-off and landing can be practiced with or without the effect of cross-winds and turbulence. As can be deduced from the program title, other options include not more complicated routes or aerial manoeuvres but the opportunity to kill as many other pilots like yourself as you wish. While both Fighter Pilot and Flight Simulation are excellent simulation programs, the wider range of options open to the player in Fighter Pilot provide a more lasting challenge. Chequered Flag - Sinclair Research, 48K Spectrum - is also a well-known example of a simulation game. The screen display is of the driver's view from a racing car. Before the game begins the driver can choose between three cars and a variety of the most famous racing circuits in the world. As in a real car, there are a variety of controls from which to choose, although in a real car drivers are not expected to steer, accelerate, brake and change gear all with their hands. Moving at high speed is hair-raising enough, without the added difficulty of having to search for the brake quickly among a group of very similar Spectrum keys. NOT A NOVEL EXPERIENCE As a simulation the game is not as successful as flight simulation programs, partly because the large number of its imitators make the idea of driving a car on your Spectrum seem stale. Driving a car or being driven in a car is not a novel experience for Spectrum owners and so differences from real life are much more apparent than when trying to fly an aeroplane. 1984 - Incentive Software, 48K Spectrum - gives the player control of the Government of Britain from 1984 onwards. All decisions on Government spending and allocation of resources are made by the player. Radical changes in spending will not be accepted by the computer and budgetary changes which leave certain departments short of money will be queried by the computer before they are accepted. MANAGEMENT GAME 1984 states that it is "a game of Government management" and so computer owners wishing to become involved in other aspects of British political activity, or to overthrow the Government and set up a different political system, will not find it suited to their needs. The cassette insert includes a complex diagram, demonstrating how different sections of the economy are linked and what effects budgetary changes in any area will have. Students of economics or government may find it a helpful game to play, although it is necessarily simplistic in some areas. It is a complex and well-thought-out simulation game. People using it for educational purposes, though, will find that the help of an experienced teacher would be necessary to indicate the problems which necessarily will arise when the player attempts to run the country on a microcomputer. Rather more frivolous is Millionaire - Incentive, 48K Spectrum. The game involves running a software company and the aim is to make a million pounds. It is fast-moving, easily comprehensible but necessarily repetitive with clear graphics on-screen. Decisions must be made as to which kind of software should be written, how much should be produced, how it should be advertised, and how it should be marketed. As profits increase, the size of your house, shown at the beginning of each round, will increase from being a small terrace to a large mansion. Production of cassettes cannot exceed a certain level each month, so once you have made all the correct decisions and are selling out of stock each month there is no chance of becoming an overnight success. Another problem with the game is the irritating over-use of a luck element throughout, so that making the same decisions two games running will produce very different results. Over-use of chance is always a flaw in a simulation game and in Millionaire it gives rise to the suspicion that success would be obtained as quickly by throwing dice to make decisions. BUSKING IN THE SUBWAY Along the same lines as Millionaire is it's Only Rock 'n' Roll - Virgin, 48K Spectrum. The aim is to make it as a rock star, "making it" being defined in this case as earning a million pounds and acquiring three status symbols. From busking in the subway it is possible to rise. to tours of Japan and the U.S., number one hit records and sold-out concerts at Wembley Stadium. All that takes time, however, and Virgin judges rock stars to be over the hill within five years of the start of the game, or fewer if you choose a more difficult level. It is necessary, therefore, tO take a few risks to achieve high popularity levels as quickly as possible. It is disappointing that once you have made it in the set time there is no winning display - you continue the game until you are over the hill and then finish. VERY SIMILAR SIEGES A similar lack of any appropriate ending is apparent in Jerico 2 - Elephant Software, 48K Spectrum. The game can be considered with Fort Apache - Contrast Software, 16K Spectrum - as, except in theme, the two games are remarkably similar in all respects. In both the player leads a siege, in one case on an Apache fort, in the other on the city of Jerico. Battles must be fought, weapons and equipment built and supplies fetched. Not the most accurate of simulations and not the most involving, either. Success can be obtained on Jerico 2 within half an hour, though Fort Apache is slightly more difficult. Despite the similarities of the games, Fort Apache is better than Jerico 2, as it makes full use of the ZX-81 facilities.

C&VG (Computer & Video Games)

Getting Started 8/10

Graphics 4/10

Value 7/10

Playability 7/10

MACHINE: Spectrum 48k SUPPLIER: Digital Integration PRICE: £7.95 Flight simulations have proved increasingly popular over the last few months as software houses have come to realise that many gamesers want something more ulating than the traditional shoot-'em-up. Fighter Pilot is one of several simulations now on the market and is a flight simulation of an F15 Eagle - as USAF fighter jet. The game includes several options such as Landing Practice, Flying Training, Blind Landing, Air-to-Air Combat practice and Air-to-Air Combat - a wide range of choices that will give you some idea of the intricacies of flying a fighter jet. Sitting in the cockpit, you've got an incredibly detailed and impressive flight panel in front of you which takes up approximately one quarter of the screen. This is your bible - a watchful eye must be kept on all dials at all times if you re to remain airborne. There is no landscape to speak of - the screen is divided into blue and yellow depicting the air and ground. However, you won't have much time to look at the landscape. All your concentration needs to be on your altitude, speed, artificial horizon and radar settings, as you juggle with the controls to keep on a steady flight path and on the right bearing. Air-to-air combat is probably the most difficult of the options, but at least you're given the chance at a few practice runs before you set out to engage a hostile enemy. As soon as enemy aircraft are in your vicinity, a lightning symbol will flash and its time to switch to Combat Mode which activates your guns and shows your ammunition status. After playing around with Fighter Pilot for about 10 minutes, I realised that it would take a considerable length of time to become reasonably proficient at the game. I was also surprised at how addictive a flight simulation could be. Fighter Pilot is available for the 48k Spectrum and I played it using the keyboard, although a joystick option is available. The controls are extremely sensitive and it takes a while before you are able to fly in a straight line at a set altitude bank and turn the craft. Once you have mastered the controls, you can go onto the more difficult options like a Blind Landing and Air-to-Air Combat.

Big K

Overall 3/3

Richard Burton 3/3

MAKER: Digital Integration MACHINE: 48K Spectrum FORMAT: cassette PRICE: £7.95 Tired of flying your dinky little Sinclair/Psion Flight Simulation program? Ready for something with a bit more muscle? How about an F15 Eagle USAF air-superiority jet fighter? Yours for less than eight quid with this program, guv. No questions asked. Fighter Pilot is nothing short of state-of-the-art stuff for the Spectrum. A really impressive instrument panel is displayed along the lower portion of the screen with a full 3D-effect cockpit view taking up the rest of the display. Runways and enemy aircraft are rendered in excellent hi-res graphics. The instrument panel itself is masterpiece of graphics with scrolling and rolling displays, showing up those cop-out all-digital read outs of some other simulations. It really conveys the 'feel' of being at the controls of a real aircraft. So what can it do? Pretty much everything short of severely damaging any property or life. There are options for take-offs and landings (blind and with cross-winds if you like), flight (with or without turbulence), combat practice and actual air-to-air combat. It's even fully aerobatic - looping the loop is great fun! Instruments include artificial horizon, flight computer, radar, compass, ILS, thrust indicator and ammo count. Everything needed to track down the enemy and give him a severe thrashing. In fact there are so many features included in the program that they cover two full information sheets and make fascinating reading. In reality Fighter Pilot can't be regarded as 'just another computer game', it is a total experience. It has been devised by experts in the field of flight simulators aided by guys who fly planes like the F15 for a living. The program runs in 100% machine code and is compatible with all the major joysticks. At the moment it's in a class of its own and I reckon it'll take some beating.

Crash

Overall 86%

Producer: Digital Integration, 48K £7.95 (2) Author: Dave Marshalll One of the fastest simulation programs yet. You are in control of an F15 Eagle capable of enormous speed and a cruising speed of 800 knots. The graphics of the instrument panel are very impressive and allow the plane to be finely controlled, just as well at those speeds! A menu offer options on Landing Practice, Flying Training, Air-Air Combat Practice (and the real thing), Blind Landing, Cross Winds and Turbulence, and all this on three skill levels. An excellent MAP facility may be selected, which shows the locations of the four air bases you are protecting in the Air-to-Air Combat mode. Enemy aircraft are seen in very good 3D perspective and the dog fights are highly realistic. Definitely one of the best flight simulation games for the Spectrum with easy controls and an excellent flight manual. Overall CRASH rating 86%, machine code. Highly recommended.

Read it at Crash - The Online Edition

Crash

Use of Computer 82%

Graphics 90%

Playability 85%

Getting Started 90%

Addictive Qualities 85%

Value For Money 85%

Overall 86%

Unknown

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Producer: Digital Integration Memory Required: 48K Retail Price: £7.95 Language: Machine code Author: Dave Marshall If you have ever hesitated over buying a flight simulation program on the grounds that it will be too slow to make an interesting game, Fighter Pilot will probably change your attitude (or should that be altitude)? This simulation moves at 802 knots (at sea level, full reheat) and can create total panic at a moment's notice! The game allows one player to control a jet fighter plane in several modes, which include landing, taking-off and air-to-air combat. Your machine is a McDonnell Douglas F15 Eagle with 2 Pratt & Whitney F 100-PW-100 turbofan power plants, and the program writers claim that the simulation is as realistic as limitations of the computer allow. When loaded you are presented with a menu; 1) Landing Practice 2) Flying Training 3) Air-to-Air Combat practice 4) Air-to-Air Combat 5) Blind Landing 6) Cross Winds & Turbulence 7) Skill levels 8) Control selection. Before we take a look at the options more closely, let's examine the aircraft's equipment. In the centre of the instrument panel is the Artificial Horizon, showing the roll angle and pitch angle. An aircraft symbol rotates to show wing angle relative to the ground, and a moving tape in degrees indicates whether the aircraft is flying nose up or nose down. When it's blue you're flying nose up, when it's yellow, nose down. To the left of the AH is the speed indicator in knots. To the right is the Altitude in feet and below is the VSL - Vertical Speed Indicator, which gives rate of climb or descent in feet per second. Below the airspeed instrument are the flaps, and below the AH is the engine thrust indicator, a bar scale running from 0% to 100% with a red section for reheat. This boosts the engine but uses up much more fuel. There is also a radar and compass with beacon selection, and an ILS/Flight Computer. The Instrument Landing System offers runway approach guidance or it can be switched to Flight Computer to show your precise ground position from any beacon within a 6 mile radius. It also indicates the altitude of an enemy aircraft when in combat mode. The remaining instruments are a fuel gauge and beneath it, the undercarriage indicator, showing up or down. To control your aircraft there are fifteen control keys, although fortunately these are not used all at once! Joystick left, back, forward and right is controlled by the cursors (or by a joystick!) and CAPS SHIFT/Z moves the rudder left and right. Q/A increases or decreases engine thrust, W/A puts the flaps up or down, U raises and lowers the undercarriage, B puts the brakes on and is indicated on the instrument panel as a red light. N selects the next beacon and M switches the cockpit view to a map. SYMBOL SHIFT switches between ILS and Flight Computer, and finally zero fires the guns when in combat mode, which is selected by pressing G. Back to the menu: Selecting Landing Practice immediately positions you at 1700 feet and 6 miles from touch down with the undercarriage down. In Flying Training you are on the end of the runway and ready to take off. Air-to-Air Combat Practice positions you two miles behind an enemy aircraft and you catch up, select combat mode and open fire when he appears in your sights. The enemy will not fire back - at least, not until you opt for straightforward Air-to-Air Combat. In this scenario you must defend four airfields; you are scrambled, must locate the enemy with your radar and engage. He will lock on to you when there is less than a mile and 5000 feet altitude difference between you. Four strikes from him is fatal. If you break off the enemy will pursue his mission once again, and you may find the airfield damaged. The remaining option, Blind Landing, renders your view-screen useless, and forces you to land on instruments only. There are three skill levels, Trainee/Squadron Leader/Ace to choose from. Kempston, Sinclair, AGF/Protek joysticks or keyboard are selectable. The display through the windscreen is fairly simple, green ground, blue sky. The other features are the runways of the four air bases named BASE, TANGO, DELTA and ZULU. These are seen in full, correct perspective with centre lines, distance markers and end lights. Additionally, you can see enemy aircraft as you approach, also in full perspective. The tape is accompanied by very clear instructions and technical details. COMMENTS Control keys: see review Joystick: see review Colour very good Graphics: very good Sound: none Skill levels: 3 Lives: 1 - how many more do you want? General rating: an excellent simulation and game - highly recommended.

Air-to-air combat in this 800 knot-fast simulation.

Personal Computer GamesPCG Hit

Graphics 8/10

Sound None

Ease Of Use 9/10

Originality 8/10

Lasting Interest 9/10

Overall 10/10

Wensley Dale 10/10

MACHINE: Spectrum 48K JOYSTICK: Optional CATEGORY: Arcade SUPPLIER: Digital Integration PRICE: £7.95 You can't beat an F15 Eagle jet fighter for sheer power and speed, and now you don't need to join the US Air Force to know why. All you need is a Spectrum and Fighter Pilot. Flight simulation programs put you right in the pilot's seat. They confront you with a screen split horizontally between instrumentation and your view from the cockpit. Instrumentation involves things like velocity, altitude, fuel etc, and Fighter Pilot's is thorough. You'll need to spend quite a while wading through the instructions, but once in control it's great fun. Thus far, the program offers nothing unique, although with a joystick the flying is the best I've come across. Fighter Pilot offers the extra options of combat practice or combat itself. Since it's only a program, you may as well go for the actual combat. Instruments lock into the range, bearing and altitude of an enemy plane that's out to bomb four airfields, all on your map display. From scrambling at take-off to getting the enemy in your sights is hard enough, but shooting him from the sky takes skill. The dogfight is realistic, thrilling and calls bra cool hand. Inevitably, comparisons with Psion's Flight Simulator program will be made. Fighter Pilot has the edge over this civilian game straightaway for its spectacular combat, but it wins too on graphics and instrumentation.

Sinclair User

Gilbert Factor 8/10

Memory: 48K Price: £7.95 Joystick: Kempston, AGF, Sinclair All the advertising for Fighter Pilot has been a comparison between it and the well-known Flight Simulation from Psion. While they are similar they each appear to be aimed at different sectors of the buying public. Each succeeds in its own area. To do everything it does Fighter Pilot may not teach you so much about controlling an aircraft but it is just as entertaining. If possible buy both; if not, Fighter Pilot seems to have the edge. On loading the game you are given four options - landing practice, flying training, air-to-air combat practice and air-to-air combat. To those you can add blind flying, where you lose the horizon, and/or cross winds and turbulence. Having made your choice you are switched to the cockpit, where all the usual controls are visible, including artificial horizon. If needed, a map can be called-up showing the positions of the four runways and the various beacons - also any enemy aircraft if in combat mode. The map is updated while you watch it. The flying area has wraparound so you cannot fly too far - about 100 x 150 miles - but it can give odd instrument readings when flying over a border. The game is compatible with Kempston, Sinclair and AGF Joysticks and the cursor keys. It can be obtained from Digital integration.

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Personal Computer News

Lasting Appeal 4/5

Playability 5/5

Use Of Machine 5/5

Overall Value 5/5

John Lettice 5/5

NAME: Fighter Pilot SYSTEM: 48K Spectrum PRICE: £7.95 PUBLISHER: Digital Integration, [redacted] FORMAT: Cassette LANGUAGE: Machine code OTHER VERSIONS: None OUTLETS: Some retail Digital Integration seems to have circumvented US arms and technology embargoes and imported a McDonnell Douglas F15 Eagle. Fighter Pilot is a high-performance flight simulator, complete with enemy intruder aircraft to shoot down. OBJECTIVES There are several versions you can play, varying from landing practice at trainee, level to air-to-air combat at ace level, with or without visibility. The combat settings are obviously the most interesting, partially for bloodthirsty reasons, and partially because they solve the endemic problem of flight simulators, which is finding something to do with yourself once you're off the runway. IN PLAY So you pile on the power till you're at maximum revs, let off the handbrake, pull back the stick and... crash. Wheels up at more than 300 knots, so you're back on the tarmac. The trouble is, the thing goes up like a lift, and you have the few seconds between 140 knots (take off speed) and 300 knots to get the wheels up. Having mastered this, you switch to combat mode, which locks your radar on the first intruder, and set an intercept course. That's where your problems really start. First time out I headed straight at the enemy plane. On full power you'll be doing anything between 900 and 1,400 knots. With the other side doing 550. Intercept doesn't take long. The first sighting - a little blob in the distance - grows fast until it is clearly a large delta wing beast, obviously a Vulcan. After a few more abortive intercepts it became clear that there wasn't a lot of future in mixing with it. Plan B, which involved climbing to 65.000 ft, then diving past, guns blazing, was also unsuccessful, and left unsightly craters on the ground, with me in them. Once you've got the first four, you'll be on the verge of running out of fuel, so you'll have to land to rectify this. This is not easy - the F15 will apparently fly at Mach 2.5 upside down, climb vertically and spin like a top, but it's well nigh impossible to slow it down enough to actually land. VERDICT We're not at the fully-functioning dogfight yet, but it's still a pretty effective piece of work. If there are any US airpersons out there reading this, put Chubb locks on your bases, as some of us may have difficulty refraining from slipping inside and trying the real thing...

Your Computer

Overall 4/5

48K Spectrum £7.95 Digital Integration There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old bold pilots - unless they are flying a Spectrum flight simulator of course. Digital Integration's Fighter Pilot is very good indeed. Not only is there a comprehensive representation of the instrument panel of the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle air superiority fighter, but also a good impression of the view from the cockpit. The green line of the horizon and the blue of the sky lurch and spin so convincingly that it is worth getting in a supply of brown paper bags before sitting down to play this one. There is a Kempston AGF joystick option for this program, which probably renders it more enjoyable than pushing buttons. Not only do you get standard aircraft joystick controls but rudder controls, thrust and flaps can all be used to add subtlety of aerial manoeuvre. Cockpit view can be replaced by a map showing where you are. There are five options within the program: landing practice, flying training, blind landing, air-to-air combat practice, and finally air-to-air combat. In the final option, you defend four airfields codenamed Base, Tango, Zulu and Delta. After scrambling from Base, you figure out where the enemy is by using your radar and flight computer. Having guessed his target for tonight, you fly an intercept vector. Visual contact occurs inside a mile radius of the hostile, at under 5,000 feet altitude. The enemy aircraft kicks off the engagement by manoeuvring to get a good attack position. Damage to your own aircraft is shown by a colour change of the aircraft symbol on your radar. Instrumentation is represented in depth. The radar compass on the far left of the panel is used in combat mode to locale the enemy shown as a flashing dot moving around the aircraft symbol on the instrument. To find his altitude you have to select the flight computer. This is also used for landing guidance as well as combat. Other instruments on the simulator are the artificial horizon, airspeed indicator, altimeter, vertical speed indicator - VSI, this gives your rate of climb or descent - thrust indicator and instrument landing system. The high degree of accuracy is only to be expected, since program author D K Marshall spent four years at Boscombe Down flying and evaluating aircraft from all over the world, and moved on to the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough to become a professional flight simulator programmer. Fighter Pilot certainly compares favourably with Micromart's Strike Attack, written by an RAF Phantom navigator, inasmuch as the latter does not have a view from the cockpit, just instrumentation. The two are complementary, however, in so far as one is dealing with air-to-air combat and the other with ground attack.