Aerofighter Assault

by aerofighter assault

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• aerofighter assault

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00002SWA8
• Media: Game Cartridge
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #23,809 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

GameSpot Review

Paradigm Entertainment's second N64 offering, Aero Fighters Assault, is a mission-based air combat game codeveloped with Japan's Video System. The title, known as Sonic Wings in Japan, was constructed with the aid of an ex-F-14 fighter pilot onboard as a programmer. But even with the expertise and first-hand experience behind it, the designers seem to have left something out. While managing combat aircraft may be a breeze to a retired fighter pilot, to anyone else, handling a mechanically precise air vehicle will likely present a struggle just in keeping the ground in the right place. But that's just the beginning, as AF truly gives the saying "fight or flight" new meaning.

Collaborative play is key, as you and your team represent Project Blue, a UN-style military airforce that must keep the enemy contingent, Phutta Morgana, from world domination. In the beginning, you learn through a briefing that Tokyo has been flooded as the result of a thermonuclear bomb detonated in the South Pole (what about Australia and New Zealand?). Your first-level goal is to protect a hidden, subterranean factory from the enemy's onslaught. You'll also be informed, wasting no time, that the overall objective of the game is to bomb New York City to pieces. While this certainly poses a stunning project, you'll quickly realize this is the Phutta's objective, and your mission is to stop them. And you'll see quite a few locations from sea to shining sea before you get the chance, as the levels include sinking submarines in the Pacific Ocean, destroying a large mech-crab in a marinated Tokyo, gunning down the enemy in a desert canyon, and much more.

Characters Volk, Hien, Glenda, and Hawk pilot the various planes made available to you, for example, the F-14B Tomcat, A-10A Thunderbolt II, SU-35 Super Flanker, and the FS-X, each equipped with a combination of four distinct weapons. The planes and pilots you don't choose will be your crew for the level. Each fighter has guided missiles, rockets, 20 and 30mm gunfire, fireballs, fire arrows, air mines, as well as other, special signature weapons that fall under names like the Phoenix, Stars, Tomahawk, Makibishi, Hunai Shot, and the Ninja Beam. The Z-trigger is the main weapon of which you have an unlimited arsenal; the A-button is your subweapon - also unlimited; the B-button is your chaff (a defense mechanism that breaks opponents' missile locks) or your air mines, with only 10 available; and the right shoulder button is your special, which unfortunately can only be used twice per round. Ammunition, however, does not mark the only variation in the aircraft. Each model has a distinct turning radius as well as speed and power capabilities - two features that you must master to adequately fend off the numerous enemy craft.

But real-life flight experience and unusual weapons aside, Aero Fighters, while being a full 3D, rip-roaring air combat game for the N64, has trouble standing up next to Ace Combat 2, Namco's same-genre title for the Sony PlayStation. Aero Fighters has nice graphics - until they're actually put to the test. As soon as lots of images appear on the screen, the frame rate slows down noticeably, resulting in choppy and inconsistent gameplay. In AC2, the frame rate is naturally a bit slower, but play is still fluid throughout. Aero Fighters' short cinema sequences between levels are also somewhat rough and blurry compared to the clarity of the graphics in AC2. Aero Fighters' sound is not exempt from criticism either. The music is not appalling but not really very good. And there's no good excuse for the endless loop of garish banter from pilots. Would top-notch pilots engaging in life-threatening battle actually have nothing else to say besides: "Whoa, gnarly; this guy's toast; Borscht," and "Bummer, that's bogus"? And while the chatter may be a soothing reminder that you're "not alone out there," it very quickly becomes an aggravating nuisance and reason to hit the mute button. And while on the topic of sound, unless you're paying close attention or have a Rumble Pak plugged in, you may not notice that you are being shot at until about half your life is gone. The first few times your plane takes a hit result in a sound more like the impotent chirping of a moribund bird. Later on, lots of black smoke and flames shooting from your tail will clue you in that the end is near.

Nevertheless, the game does have some solid features. The special skills, for example, are challenging and presumably realistic enough to keep you busy for hours. Once you learn to master, or at least moderately use, the Padlock view (an alternative to the trail view or cockpit view in that you actually see your entire plane and its relative position to the other fighters as if you were watching from a third-party location), you'll find it adds depth to otherwise somewhat dull, repetitive missions. In fact, it's almost exciting to see your flight skills improve on the screen through this view; however, it will take some time to get used to. Those who aren't used to flight sims may find repose in the N64 analog stick controls or novice level that doesn't give a lot of freedom of movement, but lessens the pressure of flying like a pro and dealing with aero-disorientation from the start.

Aero Fighters also has special moves incorporated into the gameplay that are actual maneuvers performed regularly at air shows. The Cobra is a move in which you laterally drop altitude, maintaining your flight path as you decrease speed, making the plane trailing you zip past. Another is the Culbit, essentially a back flip in which you can, if done correctly, end up behind your predator. Neither move is easy to execute, so chalk up about 30 minutes of your learning curve right there. Aero Fighters races ahead of AC2 in two areas. One, your plane won't stall in Aero Fighters; the developers designed the fighters with a minimum speed and minimum turning radius. Also, AF can't be called easy. With the N64 control, you must learn to maneuver with precision, as it's not as forgiving as AC2.

In a word, realism may be the problem. Theoretically, it's great that you can barrel-roll, slip between 3D-rendered skyscrapers, dive-bomb submersibles, and perform death-defying acts you've only seen at air shows, but where's the fun? This title is lots of work for not a lot of payoff. For a change of pace, you can elect to go directly after the big guys in the boss attack level, or you can dogfight your friends in the death match and at least fight someone as lousy as yourself. Though the latter suffers from the same "Where the hell are you?" quality found in the multiplayer mode of Starfox 64. Overall, the game is frustrating, slow, and boring enough that you might want to make sure you have a copy of your favorite game nearby just so, through your suspension of disbelief, you don't forget that games are actually supposed to be fun. --Lauren Fielder
--Copyright ©1999 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of GameSpot is prohibited. GameSpot and the GameSpot logo are trademarks of GameSpot Inc.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Aerofighters Assault, November 23, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Aerofighter Assault (Game Cartridge)

Aerofighters Assault is a very fun game.It's a mix of a flight sim and a action-packed video game.Now I've read many reveiws for this great N-64 game and I see that I'm one of the few people enjoying this game.(lol)
I personally like the fact that it is easy to fly.I'm comparing it to the Flight Simulater 2000 on the computer.In Aerofighters Assault(I'll call it AF for short)you simply move the analog stick on your control pad to move and Z,A,B,and R to shoot various weapons,simple.There are some more advanced controls such as the afterburner(up C)and airbrake(down C),but compare these simple controls to Flight Sim 2000.In Flight Sim 2000 you have two remember really complex things like:left arrow key=left ailoron up and stuff like that until you realize there's about a zillion keys to press.Then there's the combos of things to press to takeoff,land,etc.I'd be in nowhere land if the game didn't have built-in lessons(I still can only figure out how to takeoff now matter how many lessons I take!).The game isn't any fun unless your a pilot.
I also enjoy the fun of the game.You get to chose your airplane and destroy enemys, save ciies from destruction,launch a space shuttle and more.Not to mention the cool rock music in the backround.
In conclusion, I must say that AF is great fun!Sure there's better games in the world but AF is one of my favorite games and it is much better than most other games.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun Despite the Reviews, March 31, 2002

By 

Michael (Minneapolis, MN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Aerofighter Assault (Game Cartridge)

As an aviation enthusiast, I'm always on the hunt for new flight games. It doesn't matter whether they are sims, combat games or whatever, eventually, they'll find themselves running on one of my platforms. However, when I first read the reviews for Aerofighter Assault, I decided to stay away from this release. I mean, heck, no one had a kind word for it. It's easy to get caught up in the words of wisdom written by game reviewers. We're so used to doing it with movie critics that it's become second nature. However, while reviews are written with a certain amount of objective fact, the ultimate thumbs up or thumbs down is highly subjective indeed. So, the other day, when I had the opportunity to pop an Aerofighter Assault cartridge into my trusty N64, I figured, what the heck.

Maybe it's because I'm not as a sophisticated judge of games as reviewers or maybe I'm too forgiving or maybe I just don't know any better but guess what? This game is fun! Is it the best flight or air combat sim around? No. Is it the most sophisticated? Of course, not. But it does provide the gamer with an entertaining and challenging experience. The game doesn't get caught up in extensive technical demands placed on the gamer in so many of the other flight games, yet, is challenging enough to require some practice to be able to play well. The story line is pure fiction, departing from any heavy historical or documentary references, allowing the player to enjoy the bedlam of trying to defeat the big, bad, mechanized forces of evil as well as the enemy pilots who are out to prevent your next birthday from taking place.

Okay, the music won't win a Grammy and I've seen better frame rates in other games but I haven't experienced the "unplayability" from this...The graphics are not bad and the game offers a fun assortment of combat planes you can strap yourself into. The controls are responsive and smooth and, with practice, you can perform some dazzling maneuvers. Weapons are impressive, there are enough enemies to keep you busy and a number of game modes available including a fun death match...I really enjoy this game. No, I'm not going to give up my other combat or flight sims for this one, but I do enjoy sitting down with this game. If you haven't played it, rent a copy of it and take the time to learn and practice how to play it. Aerofighter Assault is sheer fun and nothing more. Maybe I'm wrong, but isn't that what a video game should be anyway?

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars aerofighter, January 23, 2002

By 

"jaguax21" (Dallas, Texas USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Aerofighter Assault (Game Cartridge)

great game easy to learn compared to a-10 cuba were you have to remember 12 different buttons just to arm your weapons about every key on the key board is taken so 1 wrong press can send you falling out of the sky. aerofighters assault is a simple game that is fun to play single player or multiplayer.