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Going back a few years, Cascade slipped out an excellent flight sim called Ace which was met with good reviews and healthy sales to complement them. It was followed, much later, by Ace 2 which wasn't as good but did have a two player option. Now, 99 years before its release date there's Ace 2088.

The packaging rates in my top ten least informative of all time, so incorporating my PBE system (Playing By Ear) I took off in search of some gameplay. It didn't take me long to find out I had 118 planets to free, using three ships with limited weapons supply. In true leather pilot way I bumbled off into space forgetting to pack such essentials like Fire And Forget missiles or Anti-matter Torpedoes. Pointing my Ziegler III fighter at the blue disc I presumed to be a planet I hit the throttle button and pushed the engine to maximum. What came as a complete surprise to me was the way that planet spun off the screen, a quick dive for the instruction pamphlet and I found out that by pressing 'N' I'd be lined up. Great stuff.

Correcting my course I ploughed headlong into a wave of enemy space craft who broke formation in a very neat way. After that I didn't really see anything else which created an impression.

Finally I made it to a planet, to find a boring blue semicircle taking up most of the display (refer to boring picture with caption elsewhere on this page). No scrolling, nothing. I switched on the targeting gear and started searching for the bases. They are small and insignificant, so I skated over them several times before I found them.

Eventually I managed to plant a bomb in its vitals. No effects here, just a little message telling you whether you hit it. Then it is time to return to base for a refit. If you relish the prospect of doing this a hundred and seventeen more times you're either as perverse as our ad manager or you just might like this game. I just could not be bothered with all the hassle.

This may sound a little harsh, but that's what I'm paid for - constructive (and destructive) criticism. On these grounds I criticise the graphics for being poorly designed and having very little variation; the sound because there's hardly any of it; and the playability because there is none. Sorry Cascade but it looks like it's back to the drawing board again.