ST Format


F-16 And B-17

Categories: Review: Software
Author: Chris Lloyd
Publisher: Floppyshop
Machine: Atari ST

 
Published in ST Format #41

F-16 And B-17

A couple of plain 'n simple blasting and bombing games shunted on to the same disk. Both written by one Martin Ribbink in trusty old STOS Basic, F-16 and B-17 are OK for half an hour's fiddling but they're hardly going to give MicroProse any sleepless nights.

B-17 is a variation on that decrepit old Blitz thing, where your plane flies left to right across the screen and, when it wraps around the screen, it drops down a level. The idea is to flatten the skyscrapers with your bombs and create enough room for your plane to land safely by the time it gets down to the bottom of the screen. Extra features include the ability to target fuel - enabling you to move your plane up - and bomb pods which mean you can temporarily lob more destructive bombs. In fact, you probably wrote a similar type of game in that week when you entertained a mild desire to learn how to program, before realising that you weren't going to get anywhere near the assembly level.

F-16 is a bit more involved. This time you have control over your plane as you fly left to right across the wrap-around screen, bombing and shooting things. Occasionally, there's a 3D intermission, during which you get attacked by a plane - in 3D... and, er, that's it. Graphics are OK and it's playable. All in all, though, it's a good effort with a touch more originality needed. See me.

Chris Lloyd