F/A-18 Interceptor

It was released for Amiga in 1988, there was a choice between the carrier-based F/A-18 or the land- based F-16. In this game you must perform a complete carrier landing to get the qualification and go ahead for the campaign. The campaign is a set of 5 missions, with interesting ones such as escort the Air Force One with the US president on board, and an odd rescue mission, which you have to drop a rescue pod to the downed friend pilot.

The game is too short with only these 5 missions but the flight controls and the overall feeling are still remembered by many Amiga users today.

I missed out on this one first time round, but got hold of it on a budget label thanks to my mate Tom. The graphics were showing their age by then, but it has to be said, it was a pretty cool little sim.

The ground detail was just enough for you to get a good buzz from low flying. The cockpit was a fair attempt at making it look like the insides of an F/A-18. The flight performance was fabulous - agile doesn't even come close. The flying area was set around California, with a half dozen airfield to choose from, plus the aircraft carrier - which you had to do CARQUALS from in order to do the missions.

The missions were all AA orientated, for which you were equipped with Sidewinder, AMMRAM and the trusty 20mm gun. I remember there was a "follow my leader" type training mission, where you had to stay on the six of your CO as he went through a vigorous aerobatic routine. In some missions, you could also choose to fly the F-16.

The performance was just about the same from what I remember, but the HUD was different as were the outside views ( you looked like an F-16 rather than a Hornet ). The F-16 was also devoid of any arrestor gear, so no carrier landing in this one ( unless you were feeling saucy ).

This sim is the only one I can remember where as you passed Mach 1, the aircraft would shake briefly and you would be presented with an audible "sonic boom".

Did you know you could fly backwards?

: < )

Yup, backwards. If I remember right, you could get something like 26% reverse thrust, and if you did a dive and slowed it by popping the brakes, flaps and gear, then gave it full reverse thrust, you would slow to a halt, then start to fly backwards in a slow climb. : < )

You could also land on the carrier at *any* speed - I managed to touch down at over 600kts. Oh, and if I remember right, you could also belly land on the water without blowing up. : < )

It was the best flight sim, all crammed in a single low density floppy!

Reading your intro's, I fondly remember my skills in reverse thrust which enabled me to land on short submarines! and later do a three (or more?) point turn across a narrow sub and take off with the barest of margins.

The tracking view (FA-18) from the carrier command centre was a fantastic function, many miles away I line up the FA-18 with afterburners to fly at low altitude (just above the carrier deck level ) by using the zoom view.

I return to the carrier position and pretend I'm having coffee on a peaceful day. My audio HI FI is turned up high... ... boy! once the plane comes, I am tracking the plane from afar and barely see anything till the rumble and glances of the decals of the FA-18.

It's like the Topgun movie!.

The other thing was the great sounds of the turbine engines rumbling on my Hi Fi speakers, I am yet to come across a Flight simulator with that sort of realistic sound.