REVIEW

					 JET
					by Mark Underwood

	Jet was first announced nearly a year ago and I have been
    bothering the guys at my local computer shop ever since.  (Hi guys!)
    This program has finally made it from the realms of vapor ware to
    vapor-trail ware.
	I will begin this review honestly, by stating that I am a flight
    simulator maniac, and a simulator has to be really bad for me not to
    get at least some enjoyment from it.  In fact I bought Flight Simulator
    II before I bought my Amiga.  So please forgive my bias.
	When you get the box home you will find it contains your program
    disk, a 55 page instruction manual, a quick reference card, some
    pamphlets, the warranty card and a large lump of foam.  Yes foam!  The
    foam is supposed to fill out the box and stop it getting crushed,
    but it doesn't work, (trust me).
	The instruction manual is comprehensive and includes details on
    how to load the program, (you can't load Jet from the Workbench without
    at least 1meg of memory), general flying, dogfighting tips, how to run
    the program over the phone, maps and illustrations plus a potted
    history of jet combat.
	You can fly the aircraft using the mouse, a joystick, the keyboard
    or a combination of the three.
	When the disk is booted you get a digitized loading picture to
    while away the (10 or so) seconds that you have to wait.  You are then
    presented with a menu giving you a choice of scenarios.  These include
    the choice of flying a F-16 Falcon or a F-18 Hornet in dogfight, free
    flight or target strike mode along with some combinations of these.
    Once this selection is made you then exit to a weapons selection menu.
    Extra weapons mean extra weight and extra weight means a slower and
    less manouverable aircraft.  So be warned!  After these menus you get
    into the good bit of the program, the flying.
	You start off on either the deck of an aircraft carrier, or in a
    hanger by an airfield, depending on which aircraft you wish to fly.
	Your view is the standard, out the front window type, but you can
    also choose to look around you, or follow your aircraft with various
    chase planes, or view the plane from the tower, or you can even get a
    view from the warhead of a missile once you launch it. A second window
    can be called up.  This can be moved and sized at will and any view
    you like can be put in it.  I personally use the second window as a
    rear vision mirror for those times that you need to watch your tail,
    (no, not when reverse parking!)  A third window behaves similarly,
    but contains a map of the area you are in.  All windows can be
    individually zoomed in or out to suit yourself.  You can also select
    an attitude indicator and/or range circle as a head up display.  The
    various instruments are to each side of and below the main window.
    They represent your speed, altitude, throttle settings and all the
    usual paraphernalia associated with flying an aeroplane.  You can
    switch the instruments off, leaving a wide screen view that is very
    good for sight seeing.
	So you throttle up, (good spooling jet engine noise here), and
    pull back on the stick and find the jet leaping into the air almost
    straight away, (no Cessna, this one).  The animation is very quick  and
    smooth.  You will find out how quick once you first get into a terminal
    spin.  The controls are very responsive and she handles like a dream.
	Now, depending on your choice of vehicle, you get to bomb
    factories, attack ships or fend of enemy aircraft.  Each scenario has
    different scenery, including mountains, clouds, rivers, and at night
    there are city lights as well as the stars and the moon, (nice touch,
    that).
	You have various missiles, bombs and guns to choose from to do
    your best with.  If you can't shoot down the enemy aircraft with your
    long range missiles it means you have mix it in close with the
    machine guns.  The enemy has missiles as well, so you have to learn to
    dodge them.  If you do get shot down, or hit the ground you can eject,
    then watch yourself parachute to safety from the control tower view.
    If you get too close to the ground at any time you can see your
    aircraft shadow rushing up to meet you, so pull up quick.
    You have three planes to start with, and another one is awarded for
    every 10,000 points.  As the game progresses you can also be awarded
    with medals for your acts of derring-do.
	Anyhow, life goes on, you shoot the enemy, the enemy shoots you.
    I found myself sweating heavily after one particular dogfight, and
    that was only level 2.  And then you have to land on a very small
    carrier deck.  This is hair raising stuff!
	This program also gives you the option of using Flight Simulator
    II scenery disks.  The manual says you can use the FSII master disk
    as a scenery disk, but I found this didn't work, but other scenery
    disks worked well.  Ever fly a F-16 up the canyon to Niagra falls at
    Mach 2? very interesting.
	Another option that I have yet to try is the possibility of
    hooking your computer up to a modem, dialing up a friend, and then
    trying to blow each other into itty bitty pieces.  (My phone number  is
    (045) 77 5860).  This should lead to some interesting neighborhood
    rivalries.
	This game is my current favorite and I highly recommend it to
    all, but especially to flight sim buffs, (I did say I was biased,
    didn't I?).


    Purchased:- Computerscope, (Blacktown)         Price $119.00



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