Flying Nightmares

Moby ID: 37890
Macintosh Specs

Description

Flying Nightmares is a 3-D flight-sim game that has the player take to the controls of the Harrier jet, flying in a series of missions with realistic controls and weapon systems against a horde of enemy planes and ground units.

The player can also fly alongside three computer wingmen that will help them out during missions, completing certain objectives such as destroying certain enemy units or protecting friendly units. There is a multitude of views to choose from (1st, 3rd, and even a missiles POV) and features FMV sequences between missions that tell the story of the game.

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Screenshots

Credits (3DO version)

26 People (17 developers, 9 thanks) · View all

3DO Version
Additional Programming
Original Design
Programming
Producers
3D Art
User Interface
Opening Animation
Sound
Music
Test
Mission Design
Additional Testing
  • Studio 3DO
User Manual
[ full credits ]

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 63% (based on 11 ratings)

Players

Average score: 3.1 out of 5 (based on 3 ratings with 1 reviews)

Heavy on the simulation, light on the game

The Good
This game is rather unusual in that it is both military operations simulator and a flight sim. In this game you serve as both the commander of a U.S. Marine Corps Expeditionary Unit (MEU), and as a Harrier pilot. The operations simulator has you planning both flight missions and a beach head invasion of East Timor (which has since gained autonomy and renamed itself). The game manual (yes, I still have it), is actually a really interesting read; it goes into the geo-political background of the sim, and the make-up of the MEU and the enemy forces.

The Bad
The AI in the game is very uninteresting. Dog fights don't ever really get close in, mostly just quick passes, circling and trying to get missile lock. Don't expect any Harriers you are not piloting yourself to do well vs. SAMs or enemy aircraft; and you can't plan multi-aircraft missions, so they aren't really wingmen. The operations planning GUI resembles the operations software the Marine Corps was using at the time (probably on DEC Alphas), which means the interface is not intuitive in the modern context (or even for us Mac users when the game was released). Finally, it is almost impossible to land the Harrier, at least not without a full HOTAS setup. Fortunately, the game does give you an autopilot landing feature.

The Bottom Line
I can't really recommend going back and playing this one, unless you already have some nostalgia for it.

Macintosh · by xfade551 · 2024

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Identifiers +

  • MobyGames ID: 37890
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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by Big John WV.

Macintosh added by SiliconClassics.

Game added December 25, 2008. Last modified November 2, 2024.