Jetstrike

1994 video games Amiga games PC games

There are some good scrolling shooters, there are some bad scrolling shooters and there are some frustrating scrolling shooters. Jetstrike fits into all of those categories.

When you take a look at Jetstrike - the number of planes you can choose from, the different missions that you can take part in, the different conditions you will be flying in - it really looks amazing. There are dozens of planes to choose from, all based on real aircraft, modern and historic, each slightly different, each with a different role to play. You have interceptors, fighter-bomber ones, attack aircraft, helicopter, aerobatic aircraft and some joke ones.

And you are gonna need most of them, because there are different missions to fulfil and each of them requires something else. For rescue missions the helicopters have advantage, they can land anywhere, but at the same time they are fragile, and they are easy prey for the interceptors. For bombing missions you need to be fast, stealthy, or resilient. For dogfight missions, you need either great weaponry or superior manoeuvrability. And Jetstrike offers you a wide range of airplanes to choose from. So far so good.

And now the bad bit - the flight. Yes, when a game about airplanes have flight as the bad bit, it could be a problem. And in Jetstrike the problem was with the field of view. The interface was taking about third of the screen, which left 2/3 for the action area. Your plane is in the middle of the screen, and you have a decent view around it in both directions. At least until you take off from the airfield, that is. Aboard a helicopter, not a problem, but aboard a fast interceptor, the field of view is just too small. The minimap is very rudimentary, and you literally can be surprised with what is outside your screen.

And now the frustrating bit - there are plenty of planes to choose from, there is wide range of missions, but one mistake and you are dead. You have more than one plane available, that is not the problem, but reaching some targets is very tricky and with time it is easy to get frustrated. What is more, the enemies are relentless, and they know what they do, so if you lack skills, Jetstrike could be a brutal experience.

Our rating
★★★★☆

Video
★★★☆☆

Audio
★★★☆☆

Playability
★★★☆☆