F-16 COMBAT PILOT

Let's imagine for a moment that you have been selected as one of the USAF's elite who will pilot a General Dynamics F-16 Falcon Fighter. This complex military aircraft is not likely to be entrusted to just anyone.

Players must log multiple joystick hours before they can effectively soar into the fray of battle in F-16 Combat Pilot, a fighter jet simulation by Digital Integration. This simulation covers the entire gamut of fighter combat.

Flying five different missions with the code names HAMMERBLOW, DEEPSTRIKE, WATCHTOWER, SCRAMBLE, and TANKBUSTERS, pilots put their F-16s through every conceivable combat scenario: air-to-air bogey interceptions, battlefield close-air support, reconnaissance missions, and the destruction of enemy supplies and military targets. Mastering these missions is mandatory and absolutely necessary to prepare a pilot for the sixth and most challenging multimission campaign: OPERATION CONQUEST.

Just as every aspiring pilot knows, complete study of the supplied manual and all related documentation is required to completely understand your airship and its capabilities. Even experienced pilots may find this a wise first step before sending the F-16 skyward. The creators of this simulation have spent nine man-years in research and development to make F-16 Combat Pilot as real as possible.

Outfitting the F-16's nine hardpoints with weapons is a decision you can oversee yourself, or you can depend on your ground crew to make the right choices for you. Care must be taken not to overload the aircraft.

Mastery of the F-16's seven weapons systems and two radar modes will ensure the pilot better odds in each of the five missions. Tactical Air Command (TAC) monitors your success and ranks you accordingly. A Pilot's Log (save disk) may be maintained since completion of all five missions is quite a lengthy process. Once TAC is satisfied with your accomplishments, you are promoted to Squadron Leader and allowed to plan and lead multiple aircraft against the enemy in OPERATION CONQUEST.

A word of caution to all hotdoggers. F-16 Combat Pilot is not an arcade style shoot-'em-up. It is a complex and very realistic simulation that requires study and dedication. It's tough. However, the satisfaction of directing such a highly technical piece of battle hardware, almost as an extension of one's self, is nothing short of magical.

STEVE HEDRICK