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Fast and furious, Double Phantom is the first two computer fighter duel for the BBC. Take off and see...

Two summers ago there was a rumour going around of a flight simulator working on two BBCs simultaneously via the RS423 port. It never made it to the computer shops but the idea inspired great interest. There have also been a submarine game and an adventure, both of which used the RS423 to link computers. Now the idea comes to fruition with Doctor Soft's Double Phantom, not just a two player, but a two computer game with two BBC Micros linked via their user ports.

Phantom Combat itself has been a very successful program, appearing regularly in the charts, as indeed did Doctor Soft's 747 before it. The speed of the original made it a contender for the doubling up idea which was not a planned extension of the game. The pack contains the disc or tape, the ribbon cable link and full documentation. The instructions are all important with any flight simulator and Phantom Combat has many instruments and control keys to learn.

The Phantom pack instructions are well presented and fairly detailed. An extra leaflet explains the Double Phantom additions.

The pretty generous length of data link cable makes the joining up of two BBC Micros (Model B, B+ or Master) as easy as plugging in a printer or mouse. The disc is booted and a graphics intro screen of a sinister-looking pilot gives way to a simple menu. From now on, one computer acts as the command computer and the other as the slave. Both must load code from the disc so for convenience you can save the slave code to another disc or tape for use on the parasite machine.

Alternatively, you can successfully pass the disc between machines during the loading sequence. The screens come up almost simultaneously and the noise of the engines bursts forth.

Double Phantom is very easy to practise and play because of the different modes of operation. In the practice modes you can experiment in the knowledge that hitting the ground at Mach 1.3 will only bruise your pride. To be able to arm your weapons you only have to achieve 12,000 feet altitude and thence to combat. In operational modes you have to act much more responsibly to stick around. The details of what each of TRNG, FORM, CIRC and CBAT modes actually mean are in the instructions. Circuit and formation are good training modes for practising your aviator's skills. When landing field assignment conditions are met you can get down to refuel and rearm. Landing practice is essential to get the approach and speed absolutely right.

The pilots have full control of thrust, brakes, flaps and landing gear. Special keys in formation mode perform half loop and roll and full loop. Escape ejects you from the aircraft; you retain some of your score and live to fly again.

For the purpose of our picture, we set up our BBC Micros side by side. This means that each pilot can check up on the actions of the other by glancing across. There's not much to be gained by this. If your opponent's screen is not in sight then you'll find most of the information you need about your opponent on the instrument panel - distance away from you in kilometres and altitude in thousands of feet. What you won't be able to track is his heading and bearing. The heading and bearing readings on your instrument panel are the most important in tracking your opponent. Get these close together and you are on target. Skillful use of speed and altitude can put you on course first.

The Phantoms are often moving deceptively fast, especially when converging head on, and your opponent will only ever be in your sights for a few fleeting moments so be alert. Getting a height advantage or getting on the tail of your opponent puts you in the box seat. Joystick control makes combat twice as easy and is highly recommended. If you are keyboard-bound you have choice of desensitised or enhanced key controls - for combat manoeuvring.

Any visual realism in the game is naturally limited. The instrument panel is attractive and complex and needs careful study at first and regular glances during play. The three-dimensional graphics which represent the airfield, the horizon and your opponent are limited. The opponent's aircraft resembles a paper dart more than a Phantom. But don't worry about it. Imagination is all. And Double Phantom really grips you. The fact that you are competing against a human opponent makes you concentrate on playing the game. The speed of movement on screen and the sensitivity of the controls, especially joysticks, makes it very enjoyable. You can literally play for hours on end, eliciting shouts of anguish and triumph that would worry close relatives if you were playing the computer.

The realism of the gameplay is independently confirmed by Phantom pilot Paul Courtnage, who has flown over 1,000 hours in Phantoms. His view of the single Phantom game is that the "simulator actually approximates to the aircraft very well indeed" and that both keyboard and joystick have "a good feel to them, the response being not unlike the real thing".

Further evidence, if needed, is the fact that GEC are using Phantom Combat to demonstrate voice control of advanced fighter aircraft in this year's Farnborough Show!

Double Phantom burst onto our television screens on a Micro Live program earlier this year with the authors, Roger Selby and Nick Brown throwing their planes about in an impressive demonstration. Getting some way towards this skill level is a major part of the long term challenge and enjoyment which Double Phantom provides.

The realism which is a stated part of the Doctor Soft design philosophy combines with playability (good speed and response) to make an excellent game. The dual pilot game is a unique chance to fight it out with human opponents.

Double Phantom costs £19.95 on disc. If the disc format is unsuitable for your machine (some double-density systems) then Doctor Soft will send an appropriate disc on receipt of the original, free of charge.

It's a shame that you can't play against the computer when an opponent is unavailable and plainly the game is limited in its appeal by being disc only and by requiring the cooperation of two BBC owners. But we think it's worth doing everything possible to overcome such problems in order to play Double Phantom. There are plenty of sites where two, and more, BBCs are in close proximity, in schools, colleges, offices, computer clubs, etc. Only one BBC needs a disc drive to load the game. Double Phantom may make you new friends if you were to advertise in the local press for an adversary! In the A&B office it will continue to cause great chaos as the printers are detached and the BBCs moved into position for another lunchtime session.