Ace of Aces (video game)

Last updated
Ace of Aces
Ace of Aces (video game) Cover Art.jpg
Developer(s)
Publisher(s)
Programmer(s) Stuart Easterbrook
Artist(s) Rick Banks
Grant Campbell
Composer(s) Greg Mark (DOS)
Platform(s) Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, MSX, Atari 8-bit, Atari 7800, MS-DOS, Master System
Release 1986
Genre(s) Air combat simulators
Mode(s) Single-player

Ace of Aces is a combat flight simulation video game developed by Artech Digital Entertainment and published in 1986 by Accolade in North America and U.S. Gold in Europe. [2] [3] It was released for the Amstrad CPC, Atari 8-bit family, Atari 7800, Commodore 64, MSX, MS-DOS, Master System, and ZX Spectrum. Set in World War II, the player flies a RAF Mosquito long range fighter-bomber equipped with rockets, bombs and a cannon. Missions include destroying German fighter planes, bombers, V-1 flying bombs, U-boats, and trains. In 1988 Atari Corporation released a version on cartridge styled for the then-new Atari XEGS.

Contents

Ace of Aces received mixed reviews but went on to become one of the best-selling Commodore 64 video games published by Accolade. [2] The game sold 100,000 units. [4]

Gameplay

Gameplay screenshot (Atari 8-bit) Ace of Aces (video game) Atari 8-bit PAL screenshot.png
Gameplay screenshot (Atari 8-bit)

Upon launching the game a menu screen with options to either practice or partake in a proper mission is shown. If the player decides to do the practice mode, they can choose whether to do dog fight training or a U-boat or train bombing. When playing the practice mode, the enemies are less aggressive. There are five different view options — the cockpit, both left and right wings, the navigational map and the bomb bay — which can be accessed by using the keyboard or by double-tapping the fire button and moving the joystick to the desired direction. [5]

When in missions, the player controls a twin-engined balsa RAF Mosquito [6] which is already airborne, mitigating the necessity of takeoff. When starting a mission, the player chooses what supplies they wish to bring, but the more the player brings the lower the maximum speed of the plane. At the end of missions, landing is not required and points are awarded according to how many enemies are shot down, along with the amount of unused fuel, bombs, and missiles.

When missions are completed, the player can choose to combine two or more of the other missions to produce a mashup. [7]

Reception

Commodore 64

In a 1987 Compute! article, Ace of Aces was noted as Accolade's second best selling Commodore 64 game. [2] Compute! , along with other reviewers, praised the graphics and sound in Ace of Aces. [8] 1991 and 1993 Computer Gaming World surveys of strategy and war games gave it one and a half stars out of five, calling it "somewhat ahistorical". [9] [10] In issue 20 of Zzap!64 , the reviewer said it was the best factual war simulation they had played. They compared it to Dambusters and said the playability in this was better. Desert Fox was also used as a comparison, which was referred to as "sometimes unbelievable". [5] An article by the Computer and Video Games magazine published in 1986 said that it was another well-made and well-presented game by Accolade and continued to say that the action-packed gameplay would be able to keep "even the most critical computer pilot busy for some time to come". All four criteria were highly rated, with graphics getting a 10, along with sound, value and playability all getting an 8. [6]

Master System

The graphics, along with sound and other features which were highly praised in the Commodore 64 version weren't so highly acclaimed in the Master System version. [11] [12] Chad Reinhardt for Defunct Games mentioned that Ace of Aces starts with potential but the poor controls and lack of ability to interact with the plane makes it forgettable. Reinhardt criticised how different the practise mode was from the main game and continued by adding how little help it actually helps when attempting missions. He gave the game a D+ overall. [13] Other reviewers commented that there was no feeling of excitement when playing the Sega version. [12] In a review on Kultboy, it was given a rating of 20% and said the reasoning behind the low review was because the plane, which is meant to be a fighter plane, flies like a tanker. Comparatively the score for graphics the game was given was high, with 68%. [14] Sega Pro gave the game a rating of 56 and praised the graphics when they were static but continued on to say they were impractical in-game. [15]

Other platforms

The ZX Spectrum version was met with reviews disliking the complexity of changing controls and how it may be distracting during a dogfight. [16] In issue 38 of Your Sinclair , reviewers Ben Stone, Paul Sumner and Mike Dunn criticised the difficulty of the game and how the game only contains enough gameplay for a few days. [17] [18] Steve Panak, writing for ANALOG Computing , preferred Ace of Aces to Infiltrator as an Atari 8-bit flight simulator. [19] Atari 7800 Forever only gave a 2.5 out of 5, but ranked it as the best flight simulator for the system. [20]

Related Research Articles

<i>Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom</i> 1982 video game

Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom, known as Zoom 909 in Japan, is a pseudo-3D rail shooter released as an arcade video game by Sega in 1982. The player controls a spaceship in a third-person perspective, adapting the three-dimensional perspective of Sega's earlier racing game Turbo (1981) for the space shoot 'em up genre. It used the Buck Rogers license, referencing the space battles, though Buck himself is never seen.

<i>Paperboy</i> (video game) 1985 video game

Paperboy is an arcade action game developed and published by Atari Games, and released in 1985. The player takes the role of a paperboy who delivers a fictional newspaper called The Daily Sun along a street on his bicycle. The arcade version of the game featured bike handlebars as the controller.

<i>Impossible Mission</i> 1984 video game

Impossible Mission is a video game originally written for the Commodore 64 by Dennis Caswell and published by Epyx in 1984. The game features a variety of gameplay mechanics from platform and adventure games, and includes digitized speech. Impossible Mission, which casts the player in the role of a secret agent infiltrating an enemy stronghold, is widely considered one of the best games for several platforms.

<i>California Games</i> Sports video game

California Games is a 1987 sports video game originally released by Epyx for the Apple II and Commodore 64, and ported to other home computers and video game consoles. Branching from their Summer Games and Winter Games series, this game consists of a collection of outdoor sports purportedly popular in California. The game was successful and spawned a sequel, California Games II.

<i>Nebulus</i> (video game) 1987 video game

Nebulus is a platform game created by John M. Phillips and published by Hewson Consultants in the late 1980s for home computer systems. International releases and ports were known by various other names: Castelian, Kyorochan Land, Subline, and Tower Toppler.

<i>Trailblazer</i> (video game) 1986 video game

Trailblazer is a racing video game developed by Mr. Chip Software and published by Gremlin Graphics for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Atari 8-bit family, Amstrad CPC and Commodore 16/Plus/4 in 1986. It was ported to the Amiga and Atari ST.

<i>War in Middle Earth</i> 1988 video game

War in Middle Earth is a real-time strategy game released for the ZX Spectrum, MSX, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, MS-DOS, Amiga, Apple IIGS, and Atari ST in 1988 by Virgin Mastertronic on the Melbourne House label.

<i>Beach Head II: The Dictator Strikes Back</i> 1985 video game

Beach Head II: The Dictator Strikes Back is a 1985 video game for the Commodore 64, a sequel to Beach Head, developed and published by Access Software. It was designed by Bruce Carver and his brother, Roger, and was released for the Amstrad CPC, Apple II, Atari 8-bit family, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum.

<i>Personal Computer Games</i> Defunct British magazine

Personal Computer Games was a multi-format UK computer games magazine of the early/mid-1980s published by VNU.

<i>Enduro Racer</i> 1986 video game

Enduro Racer (エンデューロレーサー) is an arcade racing game from Sega. It was released in 1986 with two arcade cabinet versions, a stand-up cabinet with handlebars and a full-sized dirt bike cabinet. It is often seen as a dirt racing version of Hang-On, as it uses a similar engine and PCB. The game was later released for the Master System in 1987, the ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64 in 1988, and the Amstrad CPC and Atari ST in 1989.

<i>Boulder Dash Construction Kit</i> 1986 video game

Boulder Dash Construction Kit is the fourth game in the Boulder Dash series. It published for the Commodore 64 and Atari 8-bit family in 1986 by Epyx. Ports were released for the Apple II, Atari ST, Amiga, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, and MS-DOS. The Spectrum version was rereleased as Boulder Dash IV: The Game. Boulder Dash Construction Kit includes new levels and a level editor.

<i>Human Killing Machine</i> 1989 video game

Human Killing Machine is a 2D fighting video game. The game was developed by British company Tiertex, who hired external team Blue Turtle to produce the graphics, and published by U.S. Gold, released in March 1989. It was touted as a sequel to Tiertex's home computer conversion of Street Fighter. It was released for 8-bit and 16-bit home computer formats.

Tiertex Design Studios Limited was a British software development company and former video game developer based in Macclesfield, England; it was founded in 1986, focusing on porting games to home computers and handheld platforms.

<i>The Real Ghostbusters</i> (1987 video game) 1987 video game

The Real Ghostbusters is a 1987 shoot 'em up arcade game developed and published by Data East. It is loosely based on the animated series of the same name. In Japan, Data East released it as a non-Ghostbusters arcade game under the title Meikyuu Hunter G. In 1989, Activision published The Real Ghostbusters for Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum.

<i>Ace</i> (video game) 1985 video game

Ace is a combat flight simulator video game published for the Commodore 64, VIC-20, and Plus/4 in 1985 by Cascade Games. It was ported to the Amstrad CPC, Amstrad PCW, Amiga, and ZX Spectrum.

<i>Mickey Mouse: The Computer Game</i> 1988 video game

Mickey Mouse: The Computer Game, also known as just Mickey Mouse, is an action game developed and published by Gremlin Graphics in 1988 for the Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum.

<i>Top Gun</i> (1986 video game) 1986 video game

Top Gun is a 1986 combat flight simulation game based on the film of the same name. It was developed and published by British company Ocean Software, and was released for several computer platforms. In the United Kingdom, it was released for Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum in December 1986. The following year, it was released for Atari ST. In the United States, it was published by Thunder Mountain. In 1989, it was published by The Hit Squad as a budget re-release for ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64.

<i>Ghost Chaser</i> 1984 video game

Ghost Chaser is a platform game designed by Frank Cohen and published in 1984 by Artworx for the Atari 8-bit family and Commodore 64 home computers. U.S. Gold published the game in Europe.

<i>Stealth</i> (1984 video game) 1984 video game

Stealth is a pseudo-3D rail shooter designed by Tracy Lagrone and Richard Sansom. The game was published in 1984 by Broderbund for the Atari 8-bit and Commodore 64 home computers.

References

  1. ↑ "Tiertex Products". Tiertex Design Studios. Archived from the original on 20 December 2005. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 Ferrell, Keith (December 1987). "The Commodore Games That Live On And On". Compute's Gazette. pp. 18–22. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  3. ↑ "U.S. Gold Games". IGN. Archived from the original on 16 June 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  4. ↑ B.C, Burnaby (June 24, 1991). "Investment in home computer helped turn teen into a tycoon". Edmonton Journal . p. 10. Retrieved November 28, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
  5. 1 2 "ZZap!64 Magazine Issue 020". ZZap!64. December 1986. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  6. 1 2 "Computer and Video Games Magazine Issue 062". Computer and Video Games . Future Publishing. December 1986. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  7. ↑ "Computer Gamer – Issue 22 (1987-01)". Computer Gamer . Argus Specialist Publications. January 1987. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  8. ↑ Bateman, Selby (October 1986). "A Great Year For Games". Compute!. p. 18. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
  9. ↑ Brooks, M. Evan (November 1991). "Computer Strategy and Wargames: The 1900–1950 Epoch / Part I (A-L) of an Annotated Paiktography". Computer Gaming World. p. 138. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  10. ↑ Brooks, M. Evan (September 1993). "Brooks' Book of Wargames: 1900–1950, A-P". Computer Gaming World. p. 118. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  11. ↑ "Ace Of Aces". gamescollection.it (in Italian). 14 September 2008. Archived from the original on 2016-08-15. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  12. 1 2 Larkin, Michael (18 August 2010). "Ace of Aces review – Sega Master System". Mean Machines Mag. Archived from the original on 16 June 2016.
  13. ↑ Reinhardt, Chad (25 December 2005). "Ace of Aces Review for Master System". Defunct Games. Archived from the original on 16 June 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  14. ↑ "Ace of Aces – Schlafpille im schleichflug". Kultboy.com (in German). Archived from the original on 16 June 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  15. ↑ "SegaPro UK Issue 01" (PDF). Sega Pro . Paragon Publishing. November 1991. p. 18. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  16. ↑ "Computer Gamer – Issue 27". Computer Gamer . Argus Specialist Publications. June 1987. p. 22. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  17. ↑ "Ace of Aces". ZX Spectrum Reviews. Archived from the original on 16 June 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  18. ↑ "Your Sinclair Magazine Issue 38". Your Sinclair . Dennis Publishing. February 1989. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  19. ↑ Panak, Steve (September 1988). "Panak Strikes". ANALOG Computing . p. 83. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  20. ↑ Funkmaster V. "REVIEW: Ace of Aces". Atari 7800 Forever.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.