Thud Ridge: American Aces In 'Nam

Last updated
Thud Ridge American Aces In 'Nam.jpg
Developer(s) Acme Animation
Publisher(s) Three-Sixty Pacific
Designer(s) Dave O'Mally
Tris Orendorff
Brian Hilchie
Artist(s) Gordon Dean Griffiths
Dan Hoecke
Composer(s) Krisjan Hatlelid
Krishna Bera
Platform(s) Commodore 64, MS-DOS
Release
Genre(s) Flight simulation
Mode(s) Single-player

Thud Ridge: American Aces in 'Nam is a computer game published by Three-Sixty Pacific in 1988 for the Commodore 64 and MS-DOS.

Contents

Plot

Thud Ridge is a combat flight simulator that allows the player to pilot a Republic F-105 Thunderchief—also known as a "Thud"—during the Vietnam War. The player must contend with enemy MiGs, SAMs, flak, and a MiG ace pilot called the Grey Ghost. Thud Ridge includes 10 missions, and players determine the level of simulation difficulty by choosing from Lieutenant, Captain, or Colonel level. The player earns the Bronze Star by completing Missions 1 through 3, the Silver Star and a promotion to Colonel by completing Missions 4 through 6, and membership in the Wild Weasel Thud Drivers if the player completes all ten missions. [1]

Title screen ThudRudgeTitleScreenC64.gif
Title screen

Gameplay

Thud Ridge uses few commands to operate the aircraft. It does not have digitized sound, but beeps indicate actions such as weapons firing. The player controls the flight of the aircraft using a joystick or keypad, and the player uses the keyboard to control other functions. The game has four basic screens that show different aspects of the jet and its flight. One screen allows the player to view the aircraft functions. The main display includes a real-time view of the Thud and the surrounding geography, and also the weapons and firing information. The plane uses an automatic weapons cursor, which changes shape to match the weapon in use. The Engine Function Panel can appear beneath the real-time graphics display, and presents gauges which show the engine and nozzle temperatures and fuel levels, as well as data such as the throttle of the plane, an indicated for the afterburner, the mission time elapsed, a warning for radar-lock, and a graphic display showing the Thud and its remaining weapons. One more screen shows where SAM installations can be found, and another screen shows a map. [1]

Reception

The game was reviewed in 1989 in Dragon #151 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the game 3 out of 5 stars. [1] A 1992 Computer Gaming World survey of wargames with modern settings gave the game two stars out of five. [2]

Reviews

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>DragonStrike</i> (video game) 1990 video game

DragonStrike is a 1990 flight simulator based on the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy tabletop role-playing game. It is set in the Dragonlance campaign setting.

<i>Road Runner</i> (video game) 1985 video game

Road Runner is a racing video game based on the Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner shorts. It was released in arcades by Atari Games in 1985.

<i>Aaargh!</i> 1987 video game

Aaargh! is a single-player action video game in which the player controls a giant monster with the goal of obtaining eggs by destroying buildings in different cities across a lost island. It was designed for Mastertronic's Arcadia Systems, an arcade machine based on the custom hardware of the Amiga, and was released in 1987. It was ported to a range of other platforms and released on these across 1988 and 1989. Electronic Arts distributed the Amiga version of the game.

<i>A-10 Tank Killer</i> 1989 video game

A-10 Tank Killer is a 1989 combat flight simulation video game for DOS developed and published by Dynamix. An Amiga version was released in 1990. The game features an A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft. Following the success of Red Baron, version 1.5 was released in 1991 which included Gulf War missions and improved graphics and sounds. Several mission packs were sold separately. A sequel published by Sierra, Silent Thunder: A-10 Tank Killer II, was released in 1996.

<i>Wings of Fury</i> 1987 video game

Wings of Fury is a scrolling shooter, with some combat flight simulator elements, originally written for the Apple II by Steve Waldo and released in 1987 by Broderbund. The player assumes the role of a pilot of an American F6F Hellcat plane aboard the USS Wasp in the Pacific during World War II. It was also released in 1989 for the X68000 and in 1990 for Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, Amiga, and MS-DOS compatible operating systems. A Game Boy Color version was published in 1999.

<i>Dragon Crystal</i> 1990 video game

Dragon Crystal (ドラゴンクリスタル) is a 1990 video game developed and published by Sega for their Game Gear and Master System. The game is similar to and shares assets with Fatal Labyrinth, which was also released around that time.

<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>Chuck Yeagers Advanced Flight Trainer</i> 1987 video game

Chuck Yeager's Advanced Flight Trainer is an aircraft simulation computer game published by Electronic Arts in 1987. It was originally released as Chuck Yeager's Advanced Flight Simulator. Due to a legal dispute with Microsoft over the term "Flight Simulator", the game was pulled from shelves and renamed. Many copies of the original version were sold prior to this. Chuck Yeager served as technical consultant for the game, where his likeness and voice were prominently used.

<i>F/A-18 Interceptor</i> 1988 video game

F/A-18 Interceptor is a combat flight simulator developed by Intellisoft and published by Electronic Arts for the Amiga in 1988. The player mainly flies the F/A-18 Hornet, but the F-16 Fighting Falcon is also available for aerobatics, free flight and the first mission. Contrary to the title of the game, the real F/A-18 is not a true interceptor aircraft, having been designed instead as a multirole anti-ship strike fighter.

<i>Bloody Wolf</i> 1988 video game

Bloody Wolf, released in Europe as Battle Rangers, is a run and gun arcade game released by Data East in 1988. Two commandos take on an entire army with many weapons, and defeat bosses to advance levels.

<i>Vapor Trail: Hyper Offence Formation</i> 1989 video game

Vapor Trail: Hyper Offense Formation, known in Japan as Kuuga – Operation Code Vapor Trail and usually simply referred to as Vapor Trail, is a 1989 shoot 'em up arcade game developed and published by Data East. Vapor Trail was followed by Rohga: Armor Force and Skull Fang.

<i>F29 Retaliator</i> 1989 video game

F29 Retaliator is a combat flight simulator video game developed by Digital Image Design and published by Ocean Software in 1989 Amiga and Atari ST, 1991 for the PC, and for the FM Towns and NEC PC-9801 in 1992-1993. Its working title was just Retaliator. The game was developed during the end of the Cold War, based mostly on speculations on then-future aircraft that were expected to be in use by the year 2002, in particular based on the design of the Lockheed Martin F-22 and the Grumman X-29A.

<i>The Kristal</i> 1989 video game

The Kristal is an adventure game first released in 1989 for the Amiga computer. It was later released for the Atari ST and MS-DOS. It was developed by the UK-based company Fissionchip Software, and published in Europe by Addictive Games and in the US by Cinemaware. Unusually for a video game, the game is based on a play, The Kristal of Konos, written in 1976; the authors of the play worked together with the game developers and the play was never shown in theatres or on film before the game's release. A dialog introducing the setting was recorded by Patrick Moore, who introduced both the game and play.

<i>Harrier Combat Simulator</i> 1987 video game

Harrier Combat Simulator is a combat flight simulation game published in 1987 by Mindscape for the Commodore 64. Ports for Amiga, Atari ST and IBM PC followed in 1988.

<i>PT-109</i> (video game) 1987 video game

PT-109 is a naval simulation video game developed by Digital Illusions and Spectrum HoloByte in 1987 for the Macintosh and MS-DOS. This game is roughly based on the events involving the Motor Torpedo Boat PT-109.

<i>Dive Bomber</i> (video game) 1988 video game

Dive Bomber is a video game developed by Acme Animation in 1988 for the Commodore 64. It was ported to Atari ST, Apple II, ZX Spectrum and MS-DOS.

<i>The Computer Edition of Risk: The World Conquest Game</i> 1989 video game

Risk: The World Conquest Game is a computer game developed by Virgin Mastertronic International in 1989 for DOS.

<i>If It Moves, Shoot It!</i> 1989 video game

If It Moves, Shoot It! is a video game developed by Irish studio Emerald Software and published by Martech in 1988 published by Broderbund in 1989 for the Amiga. An DOS port was released in 1989 in North America by Broderbund.

<i>Tangled Tales: The Misadventures of a Wizards Apprentice</i> 1989 video game

Tangled Tales: The Misadventures of a Wizard's Apprentice is a computer game developed by Origin Systems in 1989 for the Apple II, MS-DOS, and Commodore 64.

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

Falcon is a combat flight simulator video game and the first official entry in the Falcon series of the F-16 jet fighter's simulators by Spectrum HoloByte. Originally developed by Sphere for Macintosh and MS-DOS in 1987 and ported to several platforms between 1988 and 1992, the game earned commercial success and critical acclaim.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Lesser, Hartley; Lesser, Patricia; Lesser, Kirk (November 1989). "The Role of Computers". Dragon (151): 52–56.
  2. Brooks, M. Evan (June 1992). "The Modern Games: 1950 - 2000". Computer Gaming World. p. 120. Retrieved 24 November 2013.