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Usually, an add-on disk, such as the Sublogic Scenery Disks, aren't really worth reviewing, but when an entire expansion system appears that almost creates a new game it's worth a little coverage. Falcon Mission Disk: Volume 1 is such a disk.

First of all I'd better explain what a mission disk actually is. Rather than simply creating scenery to fly around, a la Sublogic, Falcon is like being posted to active service after training. It doesn't just create a new environment, there is a whole battle against a new enemy that puts you up against new and advanced hardware.

The flight sim aspect of Falcon has remained almost unchanged. The only things that have been altered are the one or two small in-flight 'bugs' that remained in the finished version of the game, which makes it much easier to land the craft now.

The stark desert landscape of the original has now been replaced with a luscious green terrain, full of trees and bushes. The regular pyramids of the original have been replaced by irregular mountains. There is far more to explore, with extra ground features, like fields and buildings, and even a large lake, that does serve a purpose.

Which brings me, rather nicely, to the other more significant different. Rather than being just a series of disconnected missions to be taken in any order as many times as you like, Falcon Mission Disk 1 contains a full scale offensive against your base. The first line of attack if the tanks trying to overrun your base. These are deposited just a mile or two north of your airfield by landing craft that move across the lake. Behind that, you have trucks carrying supplies, trains also carrying supplies, supported by MiG-29s (rather than the 25s in the original) and finally the three strongholds, the tank factory, the munitions arsenal and the power station.

Glancing through the list of missions, you quickly notice that they follow a logical sequence of attack against the enemy, and should all the missions be completed sequentially, then the war is won.

Unlike the original Falcon, mission results do have an effect on other missions. Things stay 'dead' for a certain number of missions. Knock out a bridge to stop the trucks from reaching their destination, and the bridge stays knocked out for the next three missions you play, for example, which helps to lighten the load.

Falcon Mission is big, it's involving and it manages to take the capabilities of an excellent product and use them to much better effect than the original ever did. If you have Falcon, this is a must; if you don't, why?