F-16 MULTIROLE FIGHTER/MIG-29 FULCRUM


Return to the Cold War days

By PATRICK ANDREWS



OK, so the Cold War is over. But that hasn't stopped NovaLogic from providing a glimpse into both sides of the old, East-West divide. Here's a chance to hop into one of the US Air Force's most versatile aircraft. And then to take aim from the cockpit of a tough fighter from the old Soviet Union.

Sims of two fighters in one oversized box: The F-16, made by Lockheed Martin, an all-purpose, all-American workhorse now used by 20 countries. And the MiG-29 Fulcrum, no Miggy Mouse affair, a highly manoeuvrable fighter developed by the Soviet Union and now exported to a couple of dozen countries.

You may think they match-up perfectly. NovaLogic does, and that's why the MiGs and F-16s tangle in multiplayer combat over the Internet at NovaWorld. This may also provide a clue to the surprising generosity of two full games in one package.

With a decent 3D card, it's a good-looking pair of sims, too, with highly detailed aircraft, impressive terrain and enough variation between the cockpits to allow you to believe they are different planes. The good thing is, it's all so easy. These high-tech fighters are as easy to get into the air as a beaten-up old VW is to get out on to the highway. Probably easier - you know how dangerous those highways are.

In both games, it doesn't take long before you're airborne and creating havoc. The basics are simple to pick up and before you've managed to memorise the many other controls, both games offer keyboard command sheets for ready reference.

The bad thing is, it's all so easy. There's a solid suspicion that the flyin' and shootin' is all a bit easier than the real thing. Even supposedly difficult manoeuvres, takeoffs and landings are simple enough to make you scoff at the so-called heroics of all those Top Gun-style movies. Mind you, I haven't taken an F-16 for a spin around the block just recently, so it's hard to be certain on these things.

Matching 93-page manuals tell you just about everything you need to know. (The MiG manual cover is, of course, a comradely red). In some military flight simulators, 93 pages are enough to get you through the basics of turning on the radio, probably without FM.

We're not talking here about those most despised of words in the simulator world - Arcade Action - but F16 and MiG-29 are a bit more forgiving than games designed for the purists ... you know, those guys who don't have to look at the glossary to distinguish their HARMs from their AMRAAMs. I'd tell you what they meant, but damn, where is that glossary?

With a good variety of missions, campaigns and even a mission-design tool, the complete package is good value, even if it may not impress the purists.

ORIGINALITY 70%
SOUND/GRAPHICS 80%
PLAYABILITY 75%
ADDICTION 70%
ENJOYMENT 70%