Combat flight simulators are vehicle simulation games, amateur flight simulation computer programs used to simulate military aircraft and their operations. These are distinct from dedicated flight simulators used for professional pilot and military flight training which consist of realistic physical recreations of the actual aircraft cockpit, often with a full-motion platform.
Combat flight simulation titles are more numerous than civilian flight simulators due to the variety of subject matter available and market demand. Many free flight simulators, such as the open source Linux Air Combat, Falcon 4.0, Digital Combat Simulator and Rise of Flight, can be downloaded for free off the Internet.
History
1970s
Prior to the rise of modern-day video games, electro-mechanical games (EM games) were produced that used rear image projection in a manner similar to a zoetrope to produce moving animations on a screen. This technology led to the rise of flight simulation arcade games, initially in the form of EM games. One such EM game was Jet Rocket, a flight simulator released by Sega in 1970 that featured cockpit controls that could move the player's aircraft around a landscape displayed on a screen and shoot missiles at targets that would explode when hit. The game displayed three-dimensional terrain with buildings, produced using special belt technology along with fluorescent paint to simulate a night view. Upon its debut, the game was cloned by three Chicago arcade manufacturers, which led to the game under-performing in North America. Sega released several other similar EM flight combat games, including Dive Bomber (1971) and Air Attack (1972).
Combat flight simulator video games began appearing from the late 1970s. In 1975, Taito released the arcade video game simulator Interceptor, an early first-person combat flight simulator that involved piloting a jet fighter using an eight-way joystick to aim and shoot at enemy aircraft.
Sega's last EM combat flight simulator was Heli-Shooter (1977), which combines the use of a CPU processor with electro-mechanical components, screen projection and audio tape deck. The gameplay involves the player piloting a helicopter using a throttle joystick (to accelerate and decelerate) and pedals (to maneuver left and right) across a realistic three-dimensional landscape and shooting at military targets across the landscape. In Japan, it was one of the top ten highest-grossing EM arcade games of 1977, and it released in North America the same year. Other games such as the earliest version of Microsoft Flight Simulator (1982) had crude graphics, simple flight models, and a combat option with "dog fighting" in a World War I Sopwith Camel. Shortly after Microsoft Flight Simulator was released for the 8-bit computer, Microsoft released Jet in 1985. This simulator used simple filled wire frame graphics and a small generic battle space to allow players to fight MiGs in an F-18 or F-16. There were also titles released for the Atari 2600 that simulated flight combat, two examples being Mattel's Air Raiders (1982) and Milton Bradley's Spitfire Attack (1983).
Later in the 1980s, it became a trend for arcade flight combat simulators to use hydraulic motion simulator arcade cabinets. The trend was sparked by Sega's "taikan" games, with "taikan" meaning "body sensation" in Japanese.
1990s–present
In the early 1990s, arcade flight combat simulators began adopting 3D polygon graphics. Taito's Air Inferno (1990) was a 3D flight simulator utilizing a motion simulator cockpit cabinet. Atari Games followed with the 3D flight combat simulator the following year, Steel Talons (1991). Namco then followed with the 3D arcade combat flight simulator Air Combat (1993).
During the 1990s to early 2000s, there was a transition from traditional video game platforms like arcades, to consoles such as the original PlayStation, for their ability to be played at home. PC games remained popular during this time, as many publishers continued to produce games primarily for the PC platform. Due to the limitations and the relative simplicity of the controllers available for gaming consoles at the time, flight simulators remained largely absent from consoles for years to come. Several rival publishers rose during this period such as NovaLogic with titles like the Comanche Series that simulated helicopter combat, and Electronic Arts with Jane's WWII Fighters which improved upon features such as detailed visible damage.
Newer software in the genre include Digital Combat Simulator (released in 2008 and mostly simulating modern aircraft), Rise of Flight (released in 2009 and set in World War I) and IL-2 Sturmovik: Cliffs of Dover (released in 2011 and set in World War II). These three are examples of accurate simulation PC games, as opposed to arcade-style air combat games such as Bandai Namco Entertainment's highly-successful Ace Combat series.
Types
Combat flight games are classified according to their historical period, type of aircraft, and level of detail. This method of classifying means that many simulators belong to more than one category, which leads to arguments about what can be considered actual simulations instead of games. Generally, simulations are expected to be imitations of real-world technology, while games are not; therefore, every game with flying in them does not fit into the category of "flight simulation".
Combat flight games level of realism can be classified as the following:
- Combat flight shooter (less realistic)
- Survey simulation
- Study simulation (most realistic)
Combat flight shooter
Combat flight shooters have various elements that are less realistic than simulators, such as simplified controls and physics models, compressed or non-existent start up times, emphasis on close-range dogfighting over beyond-visual-range combat for modern jets, and the ability to carry a physically impossible amount of weapons compared to real-life aircraft loadouts. Examples of console or PC games include Ace Combat, H.A.W.X., and Project Wingman.
Many arcade combat flight shooters in amusement arcades are housed in cockpit arcade cabinets that use motion simulator technology, often incorporating hydraulics. Popular examples include the original arcade versions of After Burner, Thunder Blade and Air Combat. Sega's R360 motion simulator cabinet notably features full 360-degree rotation, used by the arcade games G-LOC: Air Battle and Wing War.||
|}
World War II
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Title !! Developer/Publisher !! Year !! Notes
|-
|Ace of Aces|| Accolade || (1986) ||
|-
|Battlehawks 1942 || LucasFilm Games || (1988) ||
|-
|Bomber || Inline Design || (1989) ||
|-
|Their Finest Hour || LucasFilm Games || (1989) ||
|-
|Hellcats over the Pacific || Parsoft Interactive / Graphic Simulations || (1991) ||
|-
|Chuck Yeager's Air Combat || Electronic Arts || (1991) ||
|-
|Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe || LucasFilm Games || (1991) ||
|-
|Fighter Duel: Corsair vs. Zero || Jaeger Software || (1991) ||
|-
|Aces of the Pacific || Dynamix Sierra || (1992) ||
|-
|B-17 Flying Fortress || Vektor Grafix || (1992) ||
|-
|Aces Over Europe || Sierra Entertainment|| (1993) ||
|-
|Reach for the Skies || Virgin Games|| (1993) ||
|-
|1942: The Pacific Air War || MicroProse || (1994) ||
|-
|Overlord || Rowan Software || (1994) ||
|-
|WarBirds || iEntertainment Network || (1995) ||
|-
|Air Warrior || Kesmai || (1995) ||
|-
|Fighter Duel || Jaeger Software || (1995) ||
|-
|Fighter Ace || VR-1 Russia / BST Soft || (1997) ||
|-
|Air Warrior II || Kesmai || (1997) ||
|-
|Air Warrior III || Kesmai || (1997) ||
|-
|European Air War || MicroProse|| (1998) ||
|-
|Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator || Microsoft Games Studio|| (1998) ||
|-
|Luftwaffe Commander || Strategic Simulations, Inc. || (1999) ||
|-
|Fighter Squadron: The Screamin' Demons Over Europe || Parsoft / Activision|| (1999) ||
|-
|Jane's WWII Fighters || Jane's Combat Simulations || (1999) ||
|-
|Aces High || HiTech Creations|| (2000) ||
|-
|B-17 Flying Fortress: The Mighty 8th || Wayward Design || (2000) ||
|-
|Combat Flight Simulator 2 || Microsoft Games Studio|| (2000) ||
|-
|Rowan's Battle of Britain || Empire Interactive || (2000) ||
|-
|IL-2 Sturmovik || 1C:Maddox Games || (2001) ||
|-
|Combat Flight Simulator 3: Battle for Europe || Microsoft Games Studio|| (2002) ||
|-
|Secret Weapons Over Normandy || LucasFilm Games || (2003) ||
|-
|IL-2 Sturmovik: Forgotten Battles
|1C:Maddox Games
|(2003)
|
|-
|World War II: Pacific Heroes
|City Interactive
|(2004)
|
|-
|Pacific Fighters || 1C:Maddox Games || (2004) ||
|-
|Battle of Britain II: Wings of Victory || A2A Simulations || (2005) ||
|-
|Combat Wings
|City Interactive
|(2005)
|
|-
|Heroes of the Pacific || Transmission Games || (2005) ||
|-
|IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946 || 1C:Maddox Games || (2006) ||
|-
|Air Conflicts || 3Division Entertainment / Frogster Interactive || (2006) ||
|-
|Combat Wings: Battle of Britain
|City Interactive
|(2006)
|
|-
|Attack on Pearl Harbor || Legendo Entertainment || (2007) ||
|-
|Dogfights: The Game || Kuma Reality Games || (2007) ||
|-
|IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey || Gaijin Entertainment || (2009) || Wings of Prey on PC
|-
|Air Conflicts: Aces of World War II || Cowboy Rodeo / Graffiti Entertainment || (2009) ||
|-
|Heroes over Europe || Transmission Games || (2009) ||
|-
|IL-2 Sturmovik: Cliffs of Dover || 1C:Maddox Games || (2011) ||
|-
|Air Conflicts: Secret Wars || Games Farm / bitComposer|| (2011) ||
|-
|Birds of Steel || Gaijin Entertainment || (2012) ||
|-
|Air Conflicts: Pacific Carriers || Games Farm / bitComposer|| (2012) ||
|-
|Combat Wings: The Great Battles of World War II
|City Interactive
|(2012)
|
|-
|Dogfight 1942
|City Interactive
|(2012)
|
|-
|IL-2 Sturmovik: Great Battles || 1C Game Studios || (2013) ||
|-
|World of Warplanes || Wargaming|| (2013) ||
|-
|War Thunder || Gaijin Entertainment || (2013) ||
|-
|Wings over the Reich || OBD Software || (2018) ||
|}
Korean War
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Title !! Publisher/Developer !! Year !! Notes
|-
|Chuck Yeager's Air Combat || Electronic Arts || (1991) ||
|-
|Sabre Ace: Conflict Over Korea || Eagle Interactive|| (1997) ||
|-
|MiG Alley || Rowan Software || (1999) ||
|-
|War Thunder || Gaijin Entertainment || (2013) ||
|}
Vietnam War
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Title !! Developer/Publisher !! Year !! Notes
|-
|Chuck Yeager's Air Combat || Electronic Arts || (1991) ||
|-
|Flight of the Intruder || Spectrum Holobyte || (1991) ||
|-
|Wings Over Vietnam || Third Wire || (2004) ||
|-
|Jane's Fighters Anthology || Jane's Combat Simulations || (1997) ||
|-
|Strike Fighters 2: Vietnam || Third Wire || (2009) ||
|-
|Mach Storm || Namco || (2013) ||
|-
|Air Conflicts: Vietnam || Games Farm/BitComposer Entertainment || (2013) ||
|-
|War Thunder
|Gaijin Entertainment
|(2018)
|Vietnam-era aircraft added from update 1.81
|}
Modern
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Title !! Publisher/Developer !! Year !! Type !! Notes
|-
|Fighter Pilot || Digital Integration Ltd.|| 1983 || || F-15 Sim
|-
|F-15 Strike Eagle || MicroProse || 1985 || ||
|-
|Jet (video game) || subLOGIC || 1985 || ||
|-
|Jump Jet / Harrier Mission || Anirog Software Ltd.|| 1985 || ||
|-
|Tomahawk || Digital Integration Ltd.|| 1985 || || AH-64 Sim
|-
|Falcon || Spectrum HoloByte || 1987 || ||
|-
|JetFighter: The Adventure
|Velocity Development
|1988
|
|
|-
|F/A-18 Interceptor || Electronic Arts || 1988 || ||
|-
|F-19 Stealth Fighter || MicroProse || 1988 || ||
|-
|F-15 Strike Eagle II || MicroProse || 1989 || ||
|-
|F-16 Combat Pilot || Digital Integration Ltd.|| 1989 || ||
|-
|Fighter Bomber || Vektor Grafix || 1989 || || Released as Strike Aces in the USA
|-
|F29 Retaliator || DID || 1989 || || The F29 is a fictional fighter jet.
|-
|Apache Strike || Activision || 1989 || ||
|-
|A-10 Tank Killer || Dynamix || 1990 || ||
|-
|JetFighter II: Advanced Tactical Fighter
|Velocity Development
|1990
|
|
|-
|Chocks Away || The Fourth Dimension || 1990 || ||
|-
|Falcon 3.0 || Spectrum Holobyte || 1991 || ||
|-
|F-22 Interceptor || Ingram Entertainment || 1991 || ||
|-
|F-117A Nighthawk Stealth Fighter 2.0 || Microprose || 1991 || ||
|-
|LHX || Electronic Arts || 1991 || ||
|-
|Top Gun: Danger Zone || Konami || 1991 || ||
|-
|Birds of Prey || Electronic Arts || 1991 || ||
|-
|Chuck Yeager's Air Combat || Electronic Arts || 1991 || ||
|-
|AV-8B Harrier Assault || Domark || 1992 || ||
|-
|Harrier Jump Jet (video game) || MicroProse || 1992 || ||
|-
|Air Combat || Namco || 1993 || Arcade||Arcade video game
|-
|Air Combat 22 || Namco || 1995 || Arcade||Arcade video game
|-
|Combat Air Patrol || Psygnosis || 1993 || ||
|-
|F-15 Strike Eagle III || MicroProse || 1993 || ||
|-
|Tornado || Digital Integration Ltd.|| 1993 || ||
|-
|TFX || DID || 1993 || ||
|-
|Dogfight || MicroProse || 1993 || ||
|-
|Super Strike Eagle
|MicroProse
|1993
|
|Super NES console game
|-
|Strike Commander || Origin Systems || 1993 || Simlite ||
|-
|Fleet Defender || MicroProse || 1994 || ||
|-
|Comanche || Novalogic || 1994 || ||
|-
|Flying Nightmares || Domark Software, Inc. || 1994 || || Harrier Sim
|-
|EF2000 || DID || 1995 || ||
|-
|Apache Longbow || Digital Integration Ltd.|| 1995 || ||
|-
|Su-27 Flanker || Eagle Dynamics || 1995 || ||
|-
|A-10 Attack! || Parsoft Interactive || 1995 || ||
|-
|Air Combat || Namco || 1995 || Arcade||PlayStation console game
|-
|Coala || Empire Interactive || 1995 || ||
|-
|Comanche || Novalogic || 1995 || ||
|-
|Navy Strike || Empire Interactive || 1995 || ||
|-
|F-22 Lightning II || Novalogic || 1996 || Simlite ||
|-
|Jane's AH-64D Longbow || Jane's Combat Simulations || 1996 || ||
|-
|A-10 Cuba! || Activision || 1996 || ||
|-
|Bogey Dead 6 || SCEE || 1996 || ||
|-
|iF-16 || Digital Integration Ltd.|| 1996 || ||
|-
|Ace Combat 2 || Namco || 1997 || Arcade ||
|-
|Jane's Fighters Anthology || Electronic Arts || 1997 || ||
|-
|JSF || Eidos || 1997 || ||
|-
|Hind || Digital Integration Ltd.|| 1997 || ||
|-
|F/A-18 Korea || Graphic Simulations Corporation|| 1997 || ||
|-
|F-22 Raptor || NovaLogic || 1997 || Simlite ||
|-
|F-22: Air Dominance Fighter || DID || 1997 || ||
|-
|iF-22 Raptor || Magic Labs|| 1997 || ||
|-
|Jane's Longbow 2 || Jane's Combat Simulations || 1997 || ||
|-
|Comanche 3 || Novalogic || 1997 || ||
|-
|Jane's F-15 || Jane's Combat Simulations || 1998 || ||
|-
|Jane's IAF: Israeli Air Force || Jane's Combat Simulations || 1998 || ||
|-
|Falcon 4.0 || MicroProse || 1998 || ||
|-
|Enemy Engaged: Apache vs Havoc || Razorworks || 1998 || ||
|-
|Aero Fighters Assault || Paradigm Entertainment || 1998 || ||
|-
|Comanche Gold || Novalogic || 1998 || ||
|-
|Hell-Copter || Ubisoft || 1998 || ||
|-
|Mig-29 Fulcrum || Novalogic || 1998 || Simlite ||
|-
|F-16 Multirole Fighter || Novalogic || 1998 || Simlite ||
|-
|Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere || Namco || 1999 || Arcade ||
|-
|F-22 Lightning 3 || NovaLogic || 1999 || Simlite ||
|-
|Jane's F/A-18 || Jane's Combat Simulations || 1999 || ||
|-
|Jane's USAF
|Jane's Combat Simulations
|1999
|
|
|-
|F/A-18E Super Hornet || Titus Interactive/Digital Integration Ltd.|| 2000 || ||
|-
|AeroWings 2: Airstrike || Crave Entertainment and CRI || 2000 || ||
|-
|Airforce Delta || Konami || 2000 || Arcade ||
|-
|Gunship! || MicroProse/Hasbro || 2000 || ||
|-
|Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies || Namco || 2001 || Arcade ||
|-
|Eurofighter Typhoon || DID || 2001 || ||
|-
|Comanche 4 || Novalogic || 2001 || ||
|-
|Flanker 2.5 || Eagle Dynamics || 2002 || ||
|-
|Aces of the Air || Highwaystar || 2002 || ||
|-
|AirForce Delta Storm || Konami || 2002 || Arcade ||
|-
|Lock On: Modern Air Combat || Eagle Dynamics || 2003 || ||
|-
|F/A-18 Operation Iraqi Freedom || Graphsim Entertainment|| 2003 || ||
|-
|Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War || Namco || 2004 || Arcade ||
|-
|Airforce Delta Strike || Konami || 2004 || Arcade ||
|-
|Falcon 4.0: Allied Force || Lead Pursuit|| 2005 || ||
|-
|Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War || Namco || 2006 || Arcade ||
|-
|Red Jets || Graffiti Entertainment || 2006 || ||
|-
|Wings Over Europe || Third Wire Productions || 2006 || ||
|-
|Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation || Namco Bandai Games || 2007 || Arcade ||
|-
|Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception || Namco Bandai Games || 2006 || Arcade ||
|-
|Ace Combat: Joint Assault || Namco Bandai Games || 2010 || Arcade ||
|-
|Ace Combat: Assault Horizon || Namco Bandai Games || 2011 || Arcade ||
|-
|Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy || Namco Bandai Games || 2011 || Arcade || Remake of Ace Combat 2||
|-
|Strike Fighters 2 || Third Wire Productions || 2008 || ||
|-
|Digital Combat Simulator||Eagle Dynamics|| 2008 || Study ||
|-
|H.A.W.X || Ubisoft || 2009 || Arcade ||
|-
|H.A.W.X 2 || Ubisoft || 2010 || Arcade ||
|-
|Apache: Air Assault || Gaijin Entertainment || 2010 || ||
|-
|Take On Helicopters: Hinds || Bohemia Interactive || 2012 || ||
|-
|Strike Fighters 2: North Atlantic || Third Wire Productions || 2012 || ||
|-
|Air Missions: HIND || 3DIVISION/Games Farm|| 2016 || ||
|-
|VTOL VR|| Boundless Dynamics, LLC.
|| 2017 || ||Uses near futuristic aircraft while maintaining realism
|-
|Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown || Bandai Namco Entertainment || 2019 || Arcade ||
|-
|War Thunder
|Gaijin Entertainment
|2020
|
|Modern aircraft and systems made their debut starting from 2020;Most notably the addition of Su-27, F-16 and F-15 families to the game's tech tree.
|-
|Project Wingman || Sector D2 / Humble Games || 2020 || Arcade ||
|-
|Tiny Combat Arena
|Why485 / Microprose
|2021
|Arcade
|
|-
|Nuclear Option
|Shockfront Studios
|2022
|Simlite
|Allows usage of Tactical and Strategic nuclear weapons
|}
See also
- Flight simulation video game
References
External links
- MiGMan's Flight Sim Museum, video game flight simulators from the 1970s to the present day