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Tomahawk is a flight simulator which puts the player in command of an AH-64A APACHE advanced attack helicopter - claimed by the US Army to be the most deadly helicopter gunship in the world.

The title screen boasts a comprehensive list of options, including four skill levels ranging from trainee to ace. The helicopter may be flown during day or night, with the cockpit view changing to infra-red for night visibility. Weather conditions can also be altered via a Clear or Cloudy option. Crosswinds and turbulence can be added, to make the handling of the helicopter trickier.

There are four missions of varying difficulty to be completed. The first is a training mission which gives the pilot the opportunity to become familiar with the handling of the chopper, as well as teaching him or her to distinguish between allied and enemy tasks and guns. The other three levels put the pilot in battle situations, ranging from a small attack force to a complete invasion.

Occupying the bottom third of the screen is an instrument panel, covered with all the gauges and dials needed to keep the chopper airborne. The most important function, the 'collective' gauge, is displayed at the left of the panel. This is used to adjust the angle of the rotor blades, thus increasing the amount of lift. Torque gauges lie to its right, indicating the amount of stress put on the engine by the current collective. An audible warning sounds when the torque reaches a dangerous level.

The thrust level is shown as a dial, and above it is a fuel gauge. Speed, altitude, vertical speed in feet per second, time to objective, and distance from objective are all shown numerically on a computer VDU on the right.

Combat armaments include a target identification readout which identifies a target before it becomes fully visible, and a droppler navigation system, which allows the player to navigate and find targets. There are three different weapon types to become familiar with. The Chain Gun, Non-Guided Missiles and Hellfire Guided Missiles.

Tomahawk is a simulation and consequently doesn't have the playability of Super Huey, due to the immense amount of information that has to be taken in at one time - but the work is worth it.

The slow screen-update lets the whole thing down a bit, and the control can be a little sluggish, but the overall feel is there. The four missions are basically the same - you simply fly around and blast everything, but it's good to have something to do once you get the hang of flying.

Basically Tomahawk is a well thought-out flight simulation, with wargame overtones - and I thoroughly recommend it.

I don't like flight simulations at all. Super Huey is great because it's arcade orientated, rather than being an 'incredibly realistic' simulator like this. I don't know why people bother producing this type of simulation on home micros - as far as I'm concerned, they're simply not powerful enough to provide the graphic capabilities to give a real impression of flight.

Tomahawk just strengthens my opinion - the vector graphics are very weak, and don't relay any of the exhilaration and excitement experienced during a real helicopter trip. If this is the case, it's not really a flight simulation - is it?

This is definitely an enthusiast's simulation, concentrating exclusively on realism. Consequently, the action isn't immediate and instantly rewarding, and it's actually quite tricky to keep the chopper airborne.

The vector graphics aren't very effective, and sometimes it's very difficult to distinguish between objects. Another niggling point is the slow speed at which the screen updates - even at top speed the helicopter seems to be crawling along.

However, if you don't mind these minus points, Tomahawk has plenty to keep you glued to your C64. Personally, I would wait to see Gunship before making a decision.

Presentation 92%
Informative and easy to read instructions, and a series of comprehensive options.

Graphics 71%
Fairly slow and occasionally unclear vector graphics give some impression of flight.

Sound 56%
Suitable spot FX, although they're rather quiet.

Hookability 72%
Lots to read before play, but it's relatively straightforward.

Lastability 73%
Four similar missions present plenty of challenge.

Value For Money 70%
Considerably cheaper than the real thing!

Overall 74%
Adequate fodder for simulation freaks.