Blue Max

1983 games Atari gamesZX Spectrum gamesCommodore 64 games

arcade gamesshoot’em up

While the title of the game links the game to classic war movie and the World War I medal Blue Max gained fame not as a trademark production, nor tribute to heroes of World War I, but as one of the best ever arcade games with World War I theme. We take off in our plane from friendly airfield and straight away we dive into the action - we have to watch out for enemy airplanes that can shot us down, the anti-aircraft guns on the ground, enemy ships on the river, while at the same time we have to cause as much damage as possible to enemy forces. We can shoot down their airplanes, we can drop bombs on their tanks, anti-aircraft guns, the ships, transport barges and bridges as well as destroy buildings. The interesting option was shooting enemy tanks while flying on low altitude - we could have destroyed light targets that way, but we we more likely to be hit by anti-aircraft fire. But the interesting bit in the game was that our plane could still be flying even if damaged and each damage was causing difference in the control of the plane. For example damaged fuel tank meant that we have leak and losing more fuel than usual, damaged bomb door would mean sometimes we are unable to actually drop a bomb, damaged controls would mean the plane behaves in really sluggish way. Also after landing on next airfield those damages could be fixed... as long as we will be able to reach another airfield.

Classic arcade game that is still a lot of fun - different targets, different ways to play, damages to the plane that make all the difference and the changing surroundings - it is hard to believe that so much elements was fitted in such small game.

User rating: 5 based on 1 votes

★★★★★

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Blue Max trivia

Blue Max medal
Blue Max is the unofficial name that was used for German order Pour le Mérite (For Merit), which was one of the highest military medal awarded both to civilians and soldiers until 1918. To receive one a Blue Max pilot would have to shot down 16 enemy planes, but during World War I that number was increased several times since airborne war was in full swing. At the end of the war it was awarded for about 30 enemies shot down, which meant only the elite fighter pilots could receive it.