F-117 Stealth Fighter
1991 video games Amiga gamesPC gamesApple games
flight simulatorssimulator games
Flight simulator centred around the first stealth plane that went into active service, F-117 Nighthawk, and offering randomly generated missions around the world.
MicroProse started working on the flight simulators very early, with titles like Hellcat Ace from 1981, so by 1991 when F-117 Stealth Fighter came out they were already veterans of the genre. Nevertheless, this title was in some ways different from their other productions - in 1991 F-117A was still more or less a bit of a mystery. The plane went into active service just a few years earlier, and its details were a well guarded secret. And the second difference from earlier MicroProse flight simulators, this one took more patience than reflex to master your plane.
The game offered randomly generated missions in several conflict zones around the world - from Central Europe to Cuba and Persian Gulf. Also, there were different levels of conflict available, which made the rules of engagement completely different. In a Cold War scenario, you were given tasks that required subtle strikes on strategic targets before the enemy will even notice your presence. In limited or conventional war scenarios, you were given more freedom in using your weapons.
F-117 had a limited payload space, hidden within the fuselage, so you had to choose wisely which sets of the rockets or bombs you want to bring on a mission. To make things a bit more complicated, to actually use those weapons you need to open the bay doors, which significantly increased the radar profile of the plane, so in order to attack any target you need to pick the right circumstances or give away your location to the enemy. This made the game quite unique - in order to be stealthy you need to fly low, slow and practically unarmed.
The scenarios varied enough to keep the user occupied for a long time, the combat environment in different parts of the world made some difference in how you should approach the targets, each mission could be quite long depending on how stealthy you want to remain. All of this made F-117 Stealth Fighter a game that could keep the user involved for long hours.
The graphic side was not great, simple vector objects used to describe the whole world, there were hardly any sounds (typically in simulators), and yet the creators made this game very special by recreating the atmosphere of the Cold War and other conflicts. During the flight you constantly have to keep an eye on every data that is provided by the computer to avoid being detected and each ping of one of the radars could mean a difference between the boring flight and all hell breaking loose if you are detected.
Despite the technical limitations that was a great showcase of why MicroProse was one of the leading companies in early 1990s gaming industry - involving game that could show a boring flight of a plane that is not supposed to be seen by the enemy, in a way that that is exciting and could be played for a long time without being repetitive.
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