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Yeeeeeharr!!!! I circled back over the funeral ground of my opponent's MiG, my F-16 badly damaged, having lost its communications systems due to enemy fire (an air to air guided missile, the dirty swine). Now I gotta limp back to base, relying on my computer map to get me home, and my crack (or is that cracked?), pilot's flying skills to land me safely. Still, any landing...

Now pay attention y'all. Synchronize those Micky Mouse watches. You start the game by selecting one of five missions. These are Scramble, Hammerblow, Deepstrike, Tank Buster and Watchtower.

Scramble is air-to-air interception. Having said that there's always the possibility of going into close combat with enemy planes and snuffing them (or yourself), in each mission. Hammerblow is about offensive counter-air operations. This means knocking out enemy military installations (radars, runways - you know, little inexpensive things like that), whilst being offensive (thumbing your nose, etc).

Deepstrike means taking out enemy support installations (power stations, factories, union leaders). Tank Buster is as the name suggests, the art of being very nasty indeed to people who happen to drive tanks. Watchtower is nothing to do with the Jehovahs witnesses (unless they happen to have been take prisoner in one, in which case those Red's have some sense), but is the reconnaissance mission, where you steal the facts from 'over' the noses of the enemy!

You can let the crew choose your weapons, or choose them yourself, cos' you don't like anyone messin' with your baby. You have a variety of air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles to choose from, as well as extra fuel, and a reconnaissance pod (ATARS, advanced tactical air reconnaissance system). All of the options (mission and weapon), are selected by clicking an arrow on the relevant icons.

Having satisfied Tactical Fighter Command that you are capable holding your own with the best of the reds by completing all five missions, then you will take command of your men in Operation Conquest, an all out 'death or glory' joy ride in a squadron of F16 Fighting Falcons armed to the wingtips!

Once in the cockpit you're faced with an impressive array of displays, including the head-up with it's automatic targeting system, the 'passive' radar, the... (ugh, arrgh, that button was a fag-lighter!!!).

Enough of this. Suffice to say that if you want thrills, spills, and excitement galore then buying this game would go a long way to giving you that, no probs. The graphics are excellent, the line graphics working well and the cockpit display being interesting without being complicated. In fact this can be said for all aspects of F-16 Combat Pilot, lack of this quality probably being the worst falling of most flight simulators. The attempted recreation of an authentic jet-engine sound is good. The controls are responsive, maybe even delicate but there is a definite sense of realism to this simulator.

I could have spent hours on F-16 Combat Pilot. Definitely 'The Right Stuff'.

I like flight sims and this one soars above most competition. If you want high action, then fly off and get F16.