Aces - Iron Eagle 3 game - flight simulator. First, there is a screensaver with a pilot flying in the cockpit, then a mission selection and briefing. Then you can choose from three types of aircraft starting from an aircraft carrier, and, in the end, hang weapons on the aircraft. Finally take off from an aircraft carrier. The game itself is slightly inferior to TopGun in terms of the quality of the flight mode, but in general it is more detailed and fancy. Particular attention should be paid to sound effects: the noise of the aircraft engine sounds like a real one. The music in the game is also on the level.
Before us is a fighter simulator for the NES console. More precisely, a pseudo-simulator, because the capabilities of the NES console are rather limited. But despite these limitations, we have an amazing video game in a rather rare genre for the console from Nintendo.
It has all the main attributes of the simulator - the view from the cockpit during the flight, mission briefing and setting up the aircraft before departure. Not without an arcade part, if the first part of the mission we fly over the sea or land with a view from the cockpit, then the second part of the mission - the destruction of the mission target, is made in the style of Urban Strike, in an isometric view. The graphics are not bad, in some places - amazing. For example, when you start the game, we are met by a fairly detailed fighter in motion. Looks impressive. The menu with an aircraft carrier floating in the background is also very beautiful.
Mission Briefing - This is a well-done NES intro - animated graphics with text underneath. And then we prepare for the flight, choose a fighter and can arm it at our discretion, fortunately, great knowledge of rockets is not required and you can entrust this option - to a computer. Without hesitation, you can choose the automatic setting. We are offered three steel birds to choose from - F14 Tomcat, F18 Hornet and Harrier. Aircraft cockpits look different.
The mission begins with a cockpit view. From the point of view of playability, performing turns, aiming at a target, launching rockets at the enemy is an exciting activity. Your first impression will be in the spirit - “Real view from the cockpit! With settings and radar!”. Of course, a real live fighter is far away - the resolution of the set-top box would not allow transferring a huge number of buttons and indicators from a real combat vehicle to the screens of gamers. But the radar works, there is a semblance of an autopilot - as soon as we shot down all the enemy fighters, the autopilot turns on, which itself will accompany us to the goal of the mission. Some indicators also work, so when turning left and right, going up or going down to the ground, you will notice that the indicators on the cockpit react to all your actions.
Another indicator in the cockpit is the state of the aircraft in the form of a drawing. Looks good and pretty serious. The same indicator receives a message about missiles launched at us. And of course, the battle mode - we can choose from several missiles, plus the process of targeting and launching the missile, are the most important functions when flying from the cockpit. Detailing of the cockpit for the NES is not bad, enemy planes and launched missiles are also well drawn. But the land, the water surface and the sky are very conditional. But in dynamics you don't pay attention to it. In a word, the flights are well done, you will feel like a pilot of a modern fighter. The video game did not do without arcade elements - by knocking down the enemy like that, a bonus can fall out of it. For example, the red letter B - having flown on which, we will get an additional bomb.
As soon as we destroy all the enemies pursuing us, the autopilot will turn on and accompany us to the goal of the task. We will watch the message that the autopilot is on and notice how fast we are flying, plus the radar will turn into a map, on which we will also notice how fast we are flying to the target. The autopilot mode lasts for a few seconds. And you won't have to wait long. Then the second part of the mission begins - made in an isometric view in the style of Urban Strike. Here, the detail is not bad, although the color palette is monotonous. There are quite a lot of objects, many of them are destructible! For example, by storming a land base, we can blow up many buildings on it! And at the same time, the defenders of the base - tanks, stationary guns and air reinforcements. This mode adds variety and is quite interesting. A terrestrial landscape can consist of a huge number of small green trees and a base of many asphalt-colored elements. And the earth itself is the color of clay. We raid the base and smash it to smithereens. After that, the mission is considered completed! Our plane is taking off and flying away!
The controls are convenient, and playing with a touch joystick on an aneroid device is pleasant and easy. Moreover, there are no problems with control on a real console or emulator. In the end, you can use the pause (key start) and take a breath. Key "B" - rocket launch, key "A" - shooting from a machine gun. Aces - Iron Eagle 3 claims to be a simulator / pseudo-simulator of a fighter, and because of this, you do not need to constantly press the fire button. It makes sense to make maneuvers and wait until your fighter captures the target, and then just press the “B” key. In cockpit mode, a large role is assigned to maneuvers using the cross. Therefore, control from the sensor should not be difficult. In isometric shooting mode, the shooting key will have to be pressed more often. But the dynamism of this part of the mission is moderate,
Before us is a very worthy attempt to make a video game for an 8-bit system about flying a fighter. The graphics are nice, the gameplay does not lag behind and brings positive emotions. Still, we have an entertaining video game, and not a super advanced simulator. Therefore, it is pleasant to play, moreover, it is quite possible to become interested in air and space simulators after completing several missions in Aces - Iron Eagle 3.