The arcade coin-op Wing War was a top blast, and any game that contains influences from that surely warrants a bit of attention. The whole idea of a wartime-based game presents a veritable banquet of possibilities, but strangely no software house has chosen to seriously develop such a title... until now.

If you aren't a fan of Kamikaze-type action, then you can expect air attacks, bombing raids, and all manner of Spitfire tomfoolery bundled onto the Saturn disc. For those familiar with the goings on of WW2, you'll no doubt be aware of Japanese suicide pilots and their urge to destroy everything, including themselves.

You may also be aware of the bandanas they donned before diving to their deaths. We're convinced that anyone who persists in wearing that kind of accursed accessory is doomed to crash and burn. Know what we mean?

There are seven planes to choose from, and to be honest they're all pretty similar. The slight variations between them revolve around the positioning of their cannons, top speed and manoeuvrability. It's easier to take a nippy Spitfire through the game than the lumbering Lockheed Lightning. WW2 fact fans can view the planes (and all the game's ships) in a rotating viewer with their matching stats:

1. American P-51
2. Kyusyu JW7
3. Grumman Hellcat
4. Lockheed Lightning
5. Messerschmit 262
6. Supermarine Spitfire
7. Mitsubishi Zero

You are rarely asked to do the same thing on more than one level. Some levels are even subdivided into joint missions.

1. Mission 1
   This is a basic introductory level with nothing strenuous, so destroying the squadrons should be easy. Avoid dogfights if you can - it's not difficult to shoot at planes, but intensely frustrating when you can't shake them off.
2. Mission 2
   There are two parts to this. First, a heavily defended oil rig which succumbs after several intense bombing runs. Then you must turn your attention to a fleeing aircraft carrier, again disarming and scuttling it when defenceless.
3. Mission 3
   This take place in a canyon tighter than a pair of Justine Frischmann's leather pants. One false move or rashly-cornered bend and you're chasm fodder. The strategy here is to hunt the planes out using the tactical map. You are then forced to take out a land-based rig before supper.
4. Mission 4
   This time your initial priority is to protect. Now your aircraft carrier is within the attack range of Japanese bombers, and the dreaded Kamikaze squadrons. When you get a break, retaliate by sinking a few frigates and destroyers. Rule Britannia!

The visual detail in some areas of Wing Arms is excellent. For instance, when you perform a 180 degree roll, the parts of the planes that are no longer facing the sunlight will darken as the underside gets brighter. Nothing to write home about, but a nice touch.

The game offers three different viewpoints for you to play under. The cockpit perspective lets all the instruments from the plane be seen on the dashboard, and has the advantage of a crosshair, to help with your aiming. However, the instrumentation and structure limits the view. The chase view is probably the best, and is situated behind your plane. Your area of vision is greater, but the lack of a sight makes aiming your weapons - particularly missiles - more difficult.

The third viewpoint initially appears to be a fairly redundant position in front of the plane, facing backwards. However, selecting this when flying away from bombing runs allows you to dodge the flak fired after you. This is the most effective when used against oil rings and aircraft carriers.

Some of the ideas of the Wing War coin-op resurface to good effect.

Choose a plane, fly about, shoot things.

My first impression when playing this wasn't a good one, and the occasional slow-down only increased my frustration. But the more and more you play this the better it gets.

Some enemy planes don't even bother to move from your fire which makes it a great laugh when your missiles send them crashing into the ocean. The detail on some of the ships in the later levels is really cool, and at least you can distinguish what's to be shot at.

The different views may appear pointless at first but, when used in the correct places, enhance the game's depth and interest. Overall, it's excellent once you start to appreciate its gameplay, but a few patchy areas spoil the overall effect.

Wing Arms is a shoot-'em-up in a very original and enticing setting. None of the planes on offer are less than fifty years old, and their primitive weaponry and high manoeuvrability give them a great 'interactive' feel absent from the world of the hi-tech helicopter gunship.

Although Wing Arms is dressed up as a flight sim, it effectively discards all the most boring bits of the medium - i.e. the mechanics of keeping your plane in the air - and adopts only the most exhilarating bits - flying itself.

Wing Arms may not be absolutely state of the art in the graphics department, in fact in certain areas it's horribly primitive, but it more than compensates elsewhere.

Graphics 84%
P. Superb intro, and some nice touches.
N. Some sections not up to scratch (e.g. Admiral Blocky).

Animation 80%
P. Planes move realistically.
N. Some slowdown when the screen is very busy.

Music 81%
P. 'Guns of Navarone'-style martial music that strikes a chord.
N. Tunes are short and tend to repeat.

Effects 85%
P. The speech is excellent, as are the plane noises and gunshots.

Playability 87%
P. Good fun to play. Quite addictive too.
N. The slow-down really is annoying.

Lastability 82%
P. The variety and difficulty are well balanced.

Overall 86%
Quite good fun to play, but let down by the slow sections. Should still appeal though.