Home Computing Weekly


Falcon Patrol

Author: M.B.
Publisher: Virgin Games
Machine: Commodore 64

 
Published in Home Computing Weekly #45

You are a lone Harrier, with limited fuel to sustain you against two to four attacking fighters.

The graphics show about a quarter of the total playing area, with the rest displayed as a Defender-type radar display. Your remaining fuel is also shown, along with the remaining number of air-to-air missiles.

These two commodities can be replenished by landing vertically on a kind of landing pad. There are five or six of these in the area, but they are susceptible to being bombed by the opposition.

Falcon Patrol

The enemy can of course shoot back. When they hit you, there's a very good crash sequence showing your plane catching fire and dropping slowly to the ground to explode in a shower of flames.

The 3D display of the ground is good, too, with refuelling dumps, buildings, roads and of course the landing pads. Cars and lorries drive along the wrong side of the road, though, and petrol is called gas, hinting at American roots.

Sound effects make full use of the SID chip. Overall, this is one of the best games for the C64 that I have seen.

M.B.