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The Mosquito, affectionately dubbed by pilots as the 'Wooden Wonder', was one of the unsung heroes of World War Two. It didn't come into regular service until after the Battle of Britain, but it made many vital night and daytime raids over Germany during the latter stages of the war. Comprising of wooden fuselages and powered by twin Rolls Royce Merlin engines, the Mosquito was capable of attaining fast speeds while maintaining its incredible aerial manoeuvrability.

Ace Of Aces attempts to emulate the thrill of flying a wartime raid over Germany, not as a traditional flight simulator but as an arcade style simulator which simplifies the aeroplane controls. It concentrates more on the completion of various missions than continually adjusting flight controls.

When the game is first loaded, a menu screen is presented, allowing you to practice or undertake a proper mission. Selecting the practice option allows you to take part in a dog fight or undertake either a train or U-boat bombing mission. Enemy fighters are less hostile and appear less frequently in the practice mode, allowing you to get the general feel of the plane and its control system.

By pressing certain keys on the keyboard or quickly pressing the fire button twice and moving the joystick in the relevant direction, one of five different views from the plane can be accessed: the cockpit, the left or right wing, the bomb bay or the navigator's map.

Selecting one of these views allows various controls to be altered, done by moving a small cursor to the required instrument, holding down the fire button and moving the joystick up or down. This control system is used to increase or decrease the speed of the plane, open or close the bomb bay doors, select rockets or guns and jettison the extra fuel tanks - amongst other things.

All five of these control screens must be used in conjunction with each another to help fly the plane and complete a mission. The plane is actually manoeuvred by traditional pilot style joystick control. Pressing the fire button activates either guns or rockets, depending on which weapon is selected.

Once you feel confident enough, you can attempt a proper mission. There are four missions to choose from: V-1 rocket, bomber, train, and U-boat. My combination of these missions can be undertaken.

In the V-1 mission you have to intercept and shoot down a group of V-1 bombs before they reach their target, which is usually London. The bomber mission runs along similar lines, only you must intercept and destroy a squadron of Junkers JU-88 before they offload their bombs onto some poor unsuspecting British city.

The Train and U-boat missions follow the same format, both requiring a pilot to fly low over a target and bomb it. The train mission is far more precise though, as you have to drop bombs on the correct carriages - some are marked with an iron cross and carry German soldiers; others are marked with a red cross and house POWs.

After a short mission briefing, the plane has to be armed. The screen displays an assortment of weaponry, such as bombs, bullets and rockets, and it's up to you to decide which armament is required. There's also the fuel aspect to worry about: too much weaponry means that fuel is burned faster, so it's best to carry one or two extra drop tanks and jettison them when they've been used up.

Once that's all settled you can begin the mission proper. You always start from a position above the English Channel and must fly to your target area. A radar is provided along with a map of Western Europe and all its features (including your target), so you can plot a route and see exactly what's going on.

Throughout each mission, you will be persued by Messerschmit ME-109 aircraft, which must be shot down. And then there's the added hazard of thunderstorms which are best avoided as lighting strikes can prove highly damaging to the Mosquito.

A mission will only be deemed complete if, once you've destroyed your target, you fly to a position over your airfield. If you finally make it home you are given a summary of your performance and a score for hits on enemy and fuel remaining. You can then enter your name in the hi-score table. If you should fail to complete a mission you are still given a score, but you are unable to enter it on the hi-score table. After all, you're dead!

Ace Of Aces is the best factual war simulation I've seen. Dambusters looked impressive but was let down by its playability and Desert Fox was, at times, a little unbelievable.

Accolade seem to have got the balance right with this and have produced a brilliant game which offers wonderful atmosphere and plenty of playability.

I've always been interested in the history behind the 'Wooden Wonder' and consequently played this in the hope that It might offer some of the feel of flying a Mosquito during a wartime raid. It does, and it's quite easy to become totally engrossed when playing it, especially when you're chasing after V-1 Buzz bombs or trying to escape the wrath of a group of ME-109's. The graphics are stunning and the effect of flying over the clouds is superb. The interior of the plane is very nicely drawn and the view through the open bomb bay doors when you're over your target is ace. The throbbing sound of the engine is truly stunning - it sounds just like an old propeller aircraft. Some of the other sound effects are a bit on the tinny side though.

This is a great program, which won't appeal to the mainstream Commodore owners but should be looked at by anyone who is keen on reliving a Mosquito raid.

Dambusters was authentic and atmospheric, but it didn't quite achieve the balance between a flight simulation and a playable game as intended. Ace Of Aces on the other hand, captures both elements effectively and is far more impressive and playable - though the four missions are lacking in content and prove a little monotonous once completed. If Ace Of Aces offered more of a lasting challenge then it would be brilliant.

As it stands well, it's still worthy of consideration, especially if like a decent simulation which isn't too taxing or demanding.

There is a difficult compromise to be made with flight simulations on home computers. They should be playable and not too complicated. Ace Of Aces is certainty easy enough to play. The graphics are great and there are many neat touches. I particularly like the way enemy planes disappear into the clouds, and being able to look over the two wings and still see targets as they try to get behind you is effective.

The controls aren't overly responsive when flying, but then I've never flown a mosquito. The only gripe I have with Ace Of Aces is that, with the amount of control available over the plane, it would have been nice if you had to take off and land. Most disappointing.

Still, Ace Of Aces is a highly competent simulation which shouldn't be missed by anyone who likes this type of game.

Presentation 96%
An extremely well thought out program with plenty of options and suitable touches.

Graphics 90%
Detailed screens and convincing flying effect.

Sound 85%
A couple of reasonable ditties and some great spot FX - especially the engine hum which is incredibly realistic and atmospheric.

Hookability 90%
Just the thing for non-pilots to get into.

Lastability 84%
Lots to do but it can prove repetitive.

Value For Money 85%
Money well spent, especially if you're into militaria.

Overall 88%
An excellent program which lacks that little something to make it a classic.