Flight Simulator II (Sublogic)

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Flight Simulator II
Flight Simulator II cover.jpg
Developer(s) Sublogic
Publisher(s) Sublogic
Atari Corporation
Designer(s) Bruce Artwick
Platform(s) Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64, PC-98, Amiga, Atari ST, Tandy Color Computer 3
Release
  • Apple II
  • NA: 1983
  • Atari 8-bit, C64
  • NA: 1984
  • PC-98
  • JP: 1986
  • Amiga, Atari ST, TCC 3
  • NA: 1987
Genre(s) Amateur flight simulation
Mode(s) Single-player

Flight Simulator II [1] [2] is a video game developed by Bruce Artwick and published by Sublogic as the sequel to FS1 Flight Simulator . It was released in December 1983 for the Apple II, [3] [4] [5] in 1984 for Atari 8-bit computers [6] [5] and Commodore 64, [7] [5] [8] in 1986 for the Amiga [9] [10] [5] and Atari ST, [11] [12] [5] the Atari XEGS as a pack-in title in 1987, [13] and in August 1988 for the Tandy Color Computer 3. [14]

Contents

Development

Flying over the southern end of Meigs Field in Chicago (Apple II) Sublogic Flight Simulator II.png
Flying over the southern end of Meigs Field in Chicago (Apple II)

After the release of Flight Simulator for the IBM PC, Sublogic backported its improvements to other computers as Flight Simulator II. [3] This version, like the Microsoft release, does away with wireframe graphics for solid colors, and uses real-world scenery (although limited to a few areas in the United States).

It includes the ability to load additional scenery from floppy disks. [15] Twelve Scenery Disks covering the entire continental United States were released by Sublogic. A typical Scenery Disk covers three aeronautical sectionals, offering radio-navigation and visual scenery aids in the sectional areas covered. [16] Four other Scenery Discs cover Western Europe, Japan, Hawaii and San Francisco. [17]

Reception

InfoWorld in 1984 praised Flight Simulator II for the Apple as "a complicated but exhilarating game ... Bruce Artwick has really done it all", and stated that it was superior to Microsoft's version. [18] InfoWorld's Essential Guide to Atari Computers recommended the game as the best flight simulator for the Atari 8-bit, stating that "If you become a pro", players are "well on your way to understanding how powered flight actually feels". [19]

Roy Wagner reviewed and compared Solo Flight and Flight Simulator II for Computer Gaming World , and stated that "This program is outstanding and certainly one of the best examples of excellent programming, documentation, and a full use of the capabilities of a microcomputer." [20]

II Computing listed it ninth on the magazine's list of top Apple II games as of late 1985, based on sales and market-share data, [21] and it was Sublogic's best-selling Commodore game as of late 1987. [22]

In 1996, Computer Gaming World declared Flight Simulator II the 79th-best computer game ever released. [23]

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References

  1. ↑ "Flight Simulator History - FS-II (1983)". fshistory.simflight.com. Archived from the original on 2022-08-29. Retrieved 2022-08-29.
  2. ↑ "Flight Simulator II (1984)". MobyGames. Archived from the original on 2023-03-21. Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  3. 1 2 Hockman, Daniel (April 1987). "Bruce Artwick's Flight Simulator / You've Come A Long Way, Baby! / The History of an Epic Program". Computer Gaming World. No. 36. pp. 32–34.
  4. ↑ "Fastalk - Strategy". Softalk. March 1984. p. 24.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Flight Simulator History - Timeline". fshistory.simflight.com. Archived from the original on 2022-08-29. Retrieved 2022-08-29.
  6. ↑ Haney, Jim (February 1985). "FLIGHT SIMULATOR II". Analog Computing. No. 27. pp. 58–59.
  7. ↑ Florance, David (October 1984). "Two Flight Simulators For The 64". Compute!'s Gazette. No. 16. pp. 100–106.
  8. ↑ Lechner, Jack (December 1984). "FLIGHT SIMULATOR II". GAMES Magazine. No. 58. p. 51.
  9. ↑ "Info Magazine Issue 13". 1987.
  10. ↑ "Flight Simulator II". Lemon Amiga. Archived from the original on 2022-08-29. Retrieved 2022-08-29.
  11. ↑ "Page 6 - Issue 21 (1986-05)(ABACUS)(GB)". 1986.
  12. ↑ "Page 6 - Issue 28 (1987-07)(ABACUS)(GB)". 1987.
  13. ↑ "Editorial: Ever-Changing Atari Marketplace". www.atarimagazines.com. Archived from the original on 2018-12-12. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
  14. ↑ "The Rainbow Magazine (Radio Shack Color Computer) (August 1988)". August 29, 1988 – via Internet Archive.
  15. ↑ Davidson, John (February 1990). "Surrealism in the Sky". New Atari User. No. 42. p. 54.
  16. ↑ subLOGIC Scenery Disk. Sublogic. 1985. pp. 1, 2, 3.
  17. ↑ "subLOGIC's Flight Simulator scenery add-ons". MobyGames. Retrieved 2025-02-04.
  18. ↑ Mace, Scott (1984-05-07). "In Praise of Classics". InfoWorld. p. 56. Archived from the original on 2023-08-02. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  19. ↑ Mace, Scott (1984). InfoWorld's Essential Guide to Atari Computers. Harper & Row. pp. 80–84. ISBN   978-0-06-669006-3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  20. ↑ Wagner, Roy (August 1984). "Two Flight Simulators". Computer Gaming World. Vol. 1, no. 17. pp. 28–29, 39.
  21. ↑ Ciraolo, Michael (Oct–Nov 1985). "Top Software / A List of Favorites". II Computing. p. 51. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  22. ↑ Ferrell, Keith (December 1987). "The Commodore Games That Live On And On". Compute's Gazette. pp. 18–22. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  23. ↑ "150 Best Games of All Time". Computer Gaming World. November 1996. pp. 64–80. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
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