F-15 Strike Eagle. (evaluation)

The F-15: a single-seat, all-weather, air superiority and ground attack fighter. The U.S. Air Force bases them all over the world, from West Germany to Okinawa. And with F-15 Strike Eagle from MicroProse, you ckan park one inside your computer.

Park? Did I say park? The real F-15 climbs 50,000 feet per minute, flies at Mach 2.5 (about 1750 miles per hour), and carries a 20mm cannon, MK-82 boms, and Sidewinder and Sparrow missiles. The microcomputer version duplicates these specifications and sends you soaring over Libya, Iran, Syria, Vietnam, and other hostile places.

The action reaches kout and pulls you into the simulation. The earth swirls beneath your wings as you engage in high-speed dogfights with Soviet-made interceptors. SAM missiles track you relentlessly until you activate electronic countermeasures. Targeting sights appear on the heads-up display. Fuel threatens to run out as you try to make it back to base.

The graphics could use some improvement but are satisfactory given the sophistication of the simulation and the limitations of a microcomputer. The enemy aircraft are really modified triangles, and the primary target is a flat triangle. However, the smooth scrolling and rolling action more than make up for rudimentary aircraft silhouettes.

The 36-page manual tells you how to operate the F-15 (at leas the microcomputer version), includes aircraft specifications, and offers tips on flying maneuvers. The latter are interesting, if a bit difficult for a rank novice to reproduce on the screen. I never quite managed to "reduce your bank angle, pull up into a steep dive, roll inverted over the top of a half loop. . ."

Although somewhat unrealistic in some aspects--"lone wolf" attacks went out with World War i and not too many F-15s were around in Vietnam--the overall effect is a fantastic flight simulator. If you want to experience air-to-air combat without putting your hide on the lkin, pick up F-15 Strike Eagle. We recommend it highly.

Products: F-15 Strike Eagle (computer program)