Star Fighter

The space-age flight sim is one of the fastest growing and least needed genre of game around. With so many Shockwaves and Total Eclipses out there already, I dreaded having to play this game. I was happy to discover that Star Fighter, although not the white knuckler I'm sure Studio 3DO was aiming for, was a step above the competition.

It's not exactly what Star higher has that the others don't; it's the style which makes this title more palatable.The look of the game and the plane control are very different from other flight sims. For starters, the enviroment looks "softer" and more lush. Add the seemingly out-of-place, laid-back music score, and you've got Top Gun meets the Relaxation Guy.

Ship control is some of the smoothest and most realistically responsive to date. While it's no piece of cake to operate, you're allowed to ease into the game, which has mission-based gameplay that starts you off doing minute tasks to get the feel for your ship. It isn't until after a few missions that you're forced to save the world. Overrall, a standout title for such a weary genre. Let's just hope it doesn't start multiplying into unwanted sequels, like other flight sims we know....

Star Fighter doesn't quite soar with the eagles, but it doesn't flop with the turkeys, either.

Excellent controls keep Star Fighter flyin' high. Unlike the jets in StarBlade. your ship can fly anywhere whenever you want. Too bad the game moves so slowly-add speed, and Star Fighter would zoom to a higher FunFactor.

Ill-defined graphics also limit the excitement. Colorful backgrounds lack detail, objects suddenly appear as you approach, and there's not enough dramatic intro footage to get you airborne. The sounds vary from effective voices to shrieking music that at times is unbearable

With 60 missions, Star Fighter is worth a long look.

Flight-sim fanatics have probably flown StarFighter's 60 sorties before - but never as the missile approaching ground zero. StarFighter's one-player action puts a new spin on a familiar theme with 360-degree camera angles, zooming ability, and nose views of missiles targeting their quarry.

As the FedNet Space Force's ace pilot, you enforce interplanetary law in the StarFighter, a space-assault vehicle that packs lasers, missiles, bombs, and mines. Your missions are to seek out and destroy objectives like ground targets and satellites.

StarFighter's extras include a rendered intro and end-of-game animations, and voiceovers during mission briefings.

Star Fighter is a pseudo shooter/flight sim that first appeared on the 3DO. Pilot a fast and maneuverable fighter with all the armament needed to clear the level of all the opposition that comes in the form of stationary turret-type obstacles and moving enemies. The landscapes give players a great feeling of realism as they watch miles of realistic, rolling countryside scroll by while keeping an eye out for bogies on their six. Star Fighter is more than just a shooter and much more fun than a stale simulation.

One of the first games resulting from Acclaim's licensing deal with 3DO, Star Fighter is a dramatic 3D shooter that enables you to fly anywhere you want. From a cockpit or behind-the-ship view, you fly 60 missions over land and sea, and even beyond Earth's atmosphere, with an arsenal that includes the all-powerful Megabomb. Last spring's 3DO version sported excellent controls, which should be good news for 32-bit jet jockeys.