Falcon
Reviewed by Michael LoCascio
Despite the success that they've enjoyed on the Personal
Computer, flight simulations have never been very popular
with video game players. One of the main reasons for this is
the limited interface systems that video game fans are
presented with - a problem that obviously doesn't exist for
PC users. While flight sims were available in abundance for
the early 8-bit systems, they typically paled in comparison
to their PC brethren, and focused more on the
action/shooting elements of the genre rather than the
realistic aerial aspects. Flight simulations became far less
common during the age of the 16-bit systems, and are
virtually extinct these days. One of the last true attempts
at producing an authentic flight sim for a video game system
was Spectrum HoloByte's Falcon for the TurboGrafx-16, a game
that was doomed to fail right from the start.
Falcon features a very generic, uninspired plot: you're the
pilot of an F-16 Falcon and your job is to thwart the
diabolical plans of your nameless enemy, who happens to be
constructing an atomic bomb factory. You'll have to tackle
sixteen difficult missions in which you'll participate in a
variety of ground attacks and dogfights. While it's nice
that each mission requires the player to complete different
types of objectives, it's questionable whether most gamers
will actually have any desire to play through the game once
they experience its horrid controls and slow-paced action.
Anyone who's ever played the PC version of Falcon knows just
how complex the interface for a flight simulation can really
be. Well, while this TurboChip is a highly simplified
version of the PC game, there still seems to be too much to
handle with the limited, two-button TurboPad. Half the
battle will involve getting a grip on the controls of your
plane; video game controllers are so far from ideal when it
comes to flight sims that it's no wonder that we don't see
these types of games very much anymore. Spectrum HoloByte
did the best that they could, but the fact remains that the
complex, unresponsive controls are sure to frustrate most players.
To their credit, Spectrum HoloByte did include a series of
training missions that will help you get accustomed to the
controls. Unfortunately, Falcon is lacking in more areas
than one. Spectrum HoloByte apparently tried so hard to make
the game realistic, that they forgot to make it fun. The
'action' is tedious and slow; you'll spend the majority of
your time during each mission just getting a handle on the
controls and seeking out your enemies. If you're ever
fortunate enough to find your enemies, you'll have to engage
them in combat, which shouldn't take very long. Complete
your objectives and you'll move on to the next dull mission;
get blown out of the sky and you'll be treated to a rather
depressing scene depicting your funeral. Game play basically
consists of flying around aimlessly for a few minutes,
followed by uninteresting battles which last only for a few
seconds. Flying your F-16 Falcon and annihilating your
enemies is all that you'll be responsible for in this game;
you aren't even required to take off or land your plane.
Despite its complex controls, the action in Falcon is very
simple and dull.
In a fashion that is typical of games in this genre, the
lower half of the screen in Falcon will display your vital
statistics, while the top half will present you with your
view of the action. A radar is displayed at the bottom of
the screen which will help you track down your enemies,
although it can be a bit confusing to read at first.
Alongside the radar are meters that display the amount of
fuel you have left and the level of damage that your plane
has taken. The incredible amount of information that is
presented to you certainly adds a touch of realism to the
game. Unfortunately, there is no eject button on this
particular F-16 Falcon, which may be the only thing you're
interested in finding after you've had enough of the boring
game play.
Even with all of its faults, Falcon does contain a few
bright spots here and there. You are allowed to customize
your plane in a very limited manner before each mission by
selecting the types of weapons you wish to equip it with. Of
course, making wise decisions concerning weapons selection
would require some time getting accustomed to the game,
which most players will not be willing to invest. There's
also a two-player dogfight mode, but it can only be accessed
if both gamers own not only the game, but also a
TurboExpress. Good luck finding someone else who actually
owns this title - not that anyone who owns it would want to
play it anyway.
Not only is Falcon rather slow and dull, but it's also a
very unattractive video game. Every mission looks exactly
the same - which isn't a good thing, since you'll constantly
be flying over an ugly, barren wasteland. There is so much
information displayed on the latch of your plane that most
of the time you won't even be able to see what's going on.
Not that it really matters, anyway, since even when you do
spot the enemy you'll rarely ever be able to make out what
it actually is. It's safe to say that the flying things are
planes, but good luck trying to discern what any of the
other awful, repugnant images in the game are. There's very
little music in Falcon, and none at all while you're flying
your plane. You'll just hear the sound of your engines
wheezing, along with the occasional unimpressive explosion
or two.
Suffice it to say that Falcon is a very rough game that
isn't enjoyable in the least. Spectrum HoloByte deserves
some level of admiration for trying to create a realistic
flight sim for a video game system, but the sad fact of the
matter is that such a game should never even be attempted
(at least not with the interfaces that are currently
available to video game designers). Stay away, even if
you're a big fan of flight simulations.
Overall: 3 out of 10
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