latest in flight games for video game consoles, The

Flight Journal, Feb 2002 by James, Jeff

For the avid computer flight-simulator fan, the last few years have offered only rather slim pickings. A few years ago, store shelves were stocked with flight sims of all stripes and there were always more on the way. Now, after a flurry of product cancellations and a few years of scarcity, signs that the PC flight-sim drought is coming to an end are apparent (see sidebar "New high-end PC sims promise to end flight-sim drought"). Though the PC will undoubtedly continue to be the platform of choice for the most realistic flight sims, the latest batch of video-game platforms is beginning to offer more sophisticated flight-- gaming fare. Granted, early console flight games were little more than arcade games dressed in flight-sim packaging. Now a new breed of products is hitting the market, riding on the wave of powerful new video game consoles like the Sony PlayStation 2, Microsoft Xbox and Nintendo GameCube.

If you're looking for the utmost in true-to-life flight accuracy, don't trade in your PC and flight controls for a game controller; the PC remains the platform of choice for the most detailed realistic flight sims. That said, this latest batch of console flight games offers mind-blowing visuals, pulse-pounding musical scores and addictive game play designed to draw even the most reluctant novice into the virtual cockpit. Ace Combat 4 (for the PlayStation 2) and Air Force Delta Storm (for the Xbox) are leading the charge and offer visual effects that were unimaginable on consoles a few years ago.

This latest round of console flight games offers Hollywood-level production values, stunning audiovisuals and the gratifying immediacy of turning on a home entertainment system, collapsing into a favorite sofa with game controller in hand, facing a large-screen TV with "Surround Sound" and proceeding to splash hostiles with abandon. In most cases, console flight games are long on action and a bit short on realism when it comes to flight models and true-to-life accuracy, but the progress made in presentation and playability has been remarkable. One thing is certain: with millions of new game consoles slated for purchase over the next few years, these latest console flight games will introduce a whole new generation of virtual pilots to the world of aviation.

With that in mind, we've rounded up some of the most promising new console flight games on the horizon.

Air Force Delta Storm

Publisher: Konami

Developer: Konami

Platform: Xbox

Available: fall 2001

www.konami.com

One of the most impressive console fight games in this latest round is Konami's Air Force Delta Storm for Microsoft's new Xbox game console. The Xbox is arguably the most technically capable of this new breed of game consoles, and Air Force Delta Storm promises to put that horse power to good use to deliver a pulse-- pounding flight experience. Delta Storm features dozens of individual missions and two flight modes: a novice option for a pure arcade experience and an expert control method for more realistic flight. A large array of modem combat aircraft is at the player's disposal, although the game begins with a limited number-the player must win missions to unlock more aircraft. Most of the aircraft modeled are from U.S. and Soviet Air Forces and include the F-4 Phantom, F-8 Crusader, A-10 Thunderbolt, F-14 Tomcat, F-18 Hornet, F-22 Raptor and the Su-27 Flanker. You can also choose from more exotic craft such as the S-37 Berkut and the Ching-Kuo that is being developed by Taiwan. The plot, story and flight mechanics seem a bit thin, but the game is long on special effects and action.

Ace Combat 4: Shattered Skies

Publisher: Namco

Developer: Namco

Platform: PlayStation 2

Available: fall 2001

www.acecombat04.com

Namco has a long history of being one of the best-selling game franchises on the original PlayStation, so it was inevitable that it would bring its popular Ace Combat series to the PlayStation 2. Like Air Force Delta Storm, Ace Combat 4 is rooted in a fictional world that is populated with real-world aircraft. Most modern combat aircraft are included for play, and they range from the Dassault Rafale to the F-22 Raptor; all are rendered with a high degree of detail and accuracy. AC4 boasts breathtaking visuals and includes such details as realistic contrails, visual heat distortion from afterburners, smooth lighting and shadowing and realistic water effects. The flight dynamics seem to be a bit more rigorous than those in Air Force Delta Storm and possibly offer the most realistic flight-sim experience yet on a console.

Pilot Nit Narou 2

Publisher: Victor (Japan only)

Developer: Beluga Software

Platform: PlayStation 2

Available: fall 2001

www.victor.co.jp

This unique PlayStation 2 title is currently available in Japan; whether it will be shipped to the American market was undecided at press time. While most other consoles focus on specific time periods or groups of aircraft, this game casts a much wider net and includes aircraft from five wildly different time periods: WW II, modern jet aircraft, military transports, civilian planes and commercial airliners. This eclectic mix of craft makes for lots of variety in play; you can cruise about the sky in an A-1 Skyraider in one mission and then take the Concorde out for a spin in the next. Multiple flight schools are offered to get players up to speed on the plethora of aircraft. If the game finds a U.S. publisher, look for it on store shelves in fall 2001.