Aerofighters Assault Game Review

Aerofighters Assault (N64)

There are few things more rare in life than a successful console

flight simulation. For many years, I have been seeking a console

flight sim that manages to deliver eye-popping graphical fireworks

along with thought- provoking, substantive gameplay. Unfortunately,

the quest continues. AeroFighters Assault flies down the same old

trajectory of the many "action flight sims" before it, attempting to

bridge the gap between arcade shooters and flight simulations. While

the game has its merits, it ultimately manages to do neither

genre justice.

The story of AeroFighters Assault merges reality with science fiction.

Players take command of a UN peacekeeping team, and may choose to

play as one of six pilot characters. Each pilot has his or her own vehicle,

which are like souped-up science fiction versions of actual planes.

Unfortunately for nice people around the globe, some bad guys have

melted the polar ice caps and are flooding Earth's major cities (why

they are doing this is anyone's guess). It's up to our heroic UN team to

spank the nasties, restore order from chaos, and, um, dry up the land.

Considering that AeroFighters Assault was developed by Paradigm,

the makers of the excellent Pilotwings flight sims, one would expect

an equally powerful flight engine here. Sadly, that is not the case.

While the N64 analog joystick provides smooth control, the frame

rate is uneven and at times choppy. This game should not be considered

"Pilotwings with Guns." (Note that we are still looking forward to the

latter title.) It might be considered "Star Fox 64 with Blurry Graphics,

Less Responsive Control, Less Personality, Less Impressive Sound,

and Fewer Enemies."

Unlike Star Fox 64, AeroFighters Assault is not a flight sim on "rails."

Instead of being hurtled forward through a pre-set path, this game

provides a true 3D area to explore (much like Star Fox 64's "all-range

mode"). The graphical environments of flooded cities and so forth are

effective, but lacking in detail. Not only do they seem rather blurry

at times, but also they lack the kind of atmospheric framework that

a good flight sim needs. It's hard to get too excited about cruising over

an ocean with a few buildings peeking above the water.

Perhaps the most satisfying moments in AeroFighters Assault (or any

action flight sim) involve firing a missile that streaks outward in a

line of smoke and ultimately pounds into its target. Alas, because of

the relatively fast arcade-style pace of AeroFighters Assault, there's

no drama involved in this exercise. Players launch volley after volley

of such missiles, and take out numerous targets on each mission. The

rapid pace of the game eliminates any delicious anticipation of the kill.

After a while, it all seems too routine.

Note that, despite the fast pace of AeroFighters Assault, some levels

take an inordinate amount of time to complete. Others are surprisingly

brief. There is little design consistency from level to level.

It is also worth noting that there is a two-player dogfight option in

AeroFighters Assault that is probably more enjoyable than solo play.

However, Star Fox 64 provides similar multiplay dogfight action for up

to four-players, so this is not a unique feature of AeroFighters Assault.

Sound in AeroFighters Assault ranges from a collection of unmemorable

effects to a variety of laughable voice clips. Your cohorts will occasionally

shout quasi-hip words of encouragement like, "Bummer! That's bogus!"

Meanwhile, the apparently Russian bad guys repeatedly tell you, "Desvedanya!"

(That's "goodbye," for those of you whose Russian is a bit rusty.) It's

unfortunate that in this universe, no one's vocabulary extends beyond a

few basic phrases. Maybe that's why they can't all get along.

AeroFighters Assault makes the same fundamental mistake that console

games of its kind have made for years. Neither a true flight sim nor an

authentic shooter, it fails to adequately cover either genre. For some

reason, developers assume that console players are unwilling to give a

true simulation a chance, so they always add action gameplay elements.

The result is a convoluted game.

A better approach would have been for Paradigm to add a militaristic

(think Desert Strike) tone to its Pilotwings 64 engine. With the right

attention to vehicles, weaponry, and mission objectives, the result would

be a landmark N64 title. Alas, AeroFighters Assault is not that game.

Hopefully, Paradigm will learn from its mistakes and fare better with

its next effort.