Producer: Creative Sparks
Memory Required: 48K
Retail Price: £6.95
Language: Machine code
Author: Graham Johns

Delta Wing is a battle flight simulation, but unlike Digital Integration's Fighter Pilot, your aircraft is a make believe one - a very high performance one at that. Creative Sparks have also created a game for two players with two computers and monitors for a very realistic fight. But the game is also playable with one player against the computer. The game includes various skill levels and provides numerous friendly and enemy bases as well as enemy fighters to battle with.

There are four skill levels - trainer, novice, pilot and ace. On the simplest level the enemy aircraft do not move, and on the other levels the player may select the number of enemy bases to be attacked - one bomb is allowed for each base.

Delta Wing has a double display - instruments plus map and instruments plus windscreen view. The instrument panel is very detailed including meters for altitude, vertical speed (most useful in landing), brake indicator (for use on the ground or in the air), thrust, fuel, airspeed, artificial horizon, flaps and undercarriage (up or down). For attack purposes there are also the vertical position locator (VPL) and radar. A compass is also supplied for general direction in conjunction with the map. The VPL shows the height of enemy aircraft relative to your height. The radar has a long and short range scan.

In addition to the instruments, the graphic display also shows the pilots knee and hand on the joystick. The view through the cockpit window shows sky and ground relative to attitude and all movements are reflected in the instrument panel's artificial horizon which shows pitch angle and roll angle. Once in visual range, enemy bases and aircraft appear as wire frame objects moving fully in 3D. Your own bases are similar, but a different configuration of lines.

Similar representations appear on the map together with your present position and that of enemy bombers etc.

Refuelling and re-arming require landing near a friendly base. Although there are no runways in the game, landing must be carried out fully. Landing too far away from a base need not be fatal, as it is possible to taxi towards one on the ground.

The packaging includes an excellent inlay with all instructions very simply laid out and with colour diagrams showing instrumentation and map display information.

COMMENTS

Control keys: I/P left/right, W/Z up/down, N to fire. Additionally there are 10 function controls
Joystick: Sinclair, Kempston, Fuller, AGF, Protek
Keyboard play: extremely responsive
Use of colour: excellent
Graphics: excellent, fast detailed very good wire frame 3D
Sound: good tunes, not much during game for speed of graphics
Skill levels: 4 with 5 sub-levels
Lives: 3
Screens: 2
Special features: 2-player game networked via Interface 1

Delta Wing is like Fighter Pilot but it takes Fighter Pilot further so that bases which you can bomb are included. The screen layout is excellent and you can actually see the pilots legs and arm reacting to your key commands. Responses are also excellent and in some cases over-responsive. This is quite a good flight simulation/shoot em up type of game but the graphics of the enemy planes and bases are not that good. I still think Fighter Pilot is better but this is still a good game. The sound and menu options are fine and the bonus for friends with interface one of a two-handed game means they can play against each other. All in all another good game from Creative Sparks.

This game must be compared to the highly successful Fighter Pilot, although compared against FP it is by no means as difficult to play or enjoy. Control layout is totally realistic and highly informative even though this is not actually a real plane. As you control the plane, everything is instantly on the move, pilot's hands and knees move in accordance with your joystick, the instruments all react spontaneously - in this sense it is utterly perfect and in my opinion unbeatable. Enemy bases and aircraft are all wire drawn for graphic speed, but this doesn't spoil any playability of the game whatsoever. Colour has been realistically used and especially on the instrument panel very impressively used. The graphics are very fast and very realistic. This is the most playable and enjoyable shoot em up that I've seen; although, saying that, it is detailed enough to be a simulation as well. I recommend it!

It's unavoidable to compare Delta Wing with Fighter Pilot but Delta Wing isn't out to out-fly Fighter Pilot, because this is more of a shoot em up game than a simulation in the sense that FP was. For starters Delta Wing is not a real plane, and it's manoeuvrability would probably rip the wings off most present day fighters. Sailing along at a comfortable height of 65,000 feet doing almost 2,000 knots is fun in itself, especially as at that speed you can see the symbol of your aircraft on the map moving quite clearly. But to nose dive from that height on an enemy base, see it appear as a small dot in the field of green, grow into a shape, and then pull out at the last second to whizz right over the top of it and bomb it is almost heaven! The various skill levels have been well chosen from the simplest right up to the ace level where the enemy fighters are no easy match. The controllability of Delta Wing is such, however, that you can really dog fight with the computer, slamming on your air brakes and rolling to get the enemy in front of your sights again. Because of this, the amazing graphics, their neatness and responsiveness, Delta Wing is the most like flying I've ever seen on a computer. It is huge fun, an absolute must!

Roger: This was the one that kept me up at nights - not that 1 broke any 'high scores'. Delta Wing is definitely a game for patient technocrats. It's based on only two screens, but these are complicated and composite. Simulator tendencies are confirmed by the continuous presence of cockpit instrumentation across the bottom. Altitude, air-speed, fuel gauge, radar and artificial horizon add in to a total of 14 informative variables to complement the pilot's hand moving the on-screen joystick according to player instruction.

All it takes is a tweak of the old handlebar moustache and there you are, blasting 'em out of the sky or bombing their bases. The second screen flashes up on request and is made up of a map showing your bases (which can be landed at for fuel and ammunition), their bases (which can be bombed), and the current position of enemy planes (which got me reciting 'Tally Ho' and 'Wizard Prang' epithets...).

A significant attention span and a great deal of prcsevcrance are vital though, because in this game nothing comes easily. Just taking off, involving correct ground speed related to flap position and timed pull-back on the joystick, is a thoroughly skilful operation. Being honest, I could barely get off the runway but I felt like an RAF pilot! 4/5 HIT

Ross: Slightly simpler controls here than with other flight games. It's good and fast, but too similar to existing roducts to sell that well. 3/5 MISS

Dave: This game drops in somewhere between the flight simulators and Zzoom. It's quite playable and easier to fly than most others of its type. If you want to fly, but don't want to be able to tell your flaps from your ailerons then this is the one for you. 3/5 HIT

Publisher: Mastertronic
Price: £2.99
Memory: 48K
Joysticks: Sinclair,Kempston, Fuller. AGF/Protek

There is something in the world of marketing called the USP - the Unique Selling Point. Remember those initials because you'll be needing them later.

There is nothing at all unique about the game idea of Delta Wing it's a 'war in the air... blah, blah, blah... jet fighter to defend the bases... blah, blah, blah... land to refuel... bomb their bases... blah,... blah. In short, an everyday tale of shoot 'em up flight simulators.

As to the graphics, well they look more like paper darts than MiG fighters, with their wire-frame 3D effect, and if the bases are marked as diamonds on the map that's because it's all they are on the ground.

If you can forgive it this multiplicity of failings and treat it as an arcade game it plays reasonably well, though I was fascinated to find how easy it is to actually ram another speeding jet!

Now we return to the USP and this game has one. Boy, does it have one! if you can find a Spectrum-owning friend and you both have Interface I and separate TVs, then you can indulge in true one to one combat with each of you getting your own cockpit view.

It's a novel touch and one that I'm sorry to say I was unable to test because... I've not got a friend! if you're more privileged than me in this respect it's probably worth the three pounds for a unique experience.

MACHINE: Spectrum 48K
CONTROL: Kemp, Sinc, AGF, Fuller, Keys
FROM: Creative Sparks, £6.95

When Fighter Pilot was brought out for the Spectrum the general opinion seemed to be that it was an excellent game. I never really got the hang of it and consequently I was put off flight simulators for a while.

So I was pleased to find that Delta Wing was a bit simpler on the technical side without losing any of the atmosphere or action of a combat flight simulator.

The cockpit view is fairly standard with an artificial horizon to show the angle of flight, radar, and compass as well as a gauge to show the height of an incoming enemy plane.

The idea is to locate and destroy a number of enemy bases whilst defending your own bases from attacks by enemy planes. A map is displayed if the 'M' key is pressed which shows the position of your plane, the nearest enemy plane and all the bases.

Combat is far more realistic than in Fighter Pilot. Once an enemy plane is located its altitude does not fluctuate wildly - an annoying feature of FP. The bombing of bases takes quite a while to get the hang of: you need to be quite high in the sky when the bomb is dropped to avoid being destroyed in the blast of your own bomb. Quick reactions are needed here because the base is not in your sights for long.

As well as the movement keys (or joystick) you have to operate a few functions from the keyboard. There are four skill levels and the number of enemy bases (1-5) can be selected.

Despite its similarities to Fighter Pilot I found this a superb combat flight simulator with colourful, clear graphics including a little hand pumping the throttle. But sadly, as seems to be the rule with this type of game, there is hardly any sound (without a Fuller soundbox).

It's inevitable that comparisons will be made between this game and Fighter Pilot from Digital Integration. And I for one am unwilling to state categorically which is best.

Certainly, Fighter Pilot has more options but the Delta Wing aircraft is easier to fly. The map and radar may be more useful on FP but at least on Delta you can bomb the enemy's bases.

The choice is between the long-term challenge of FP and the more immediate, but nonetheless demanding, task of Delta Wing.

ROBERT PATRICK

Once all the controls had been mastered I found the flying really quite easy, much less complicated than on a dedicated simulator, such as Psion's. The controls are responsive but a joystick is necessary for any 'feel'.

What really impressed me about this program was the way it worked as a game - a facet often neglected by simulations. For all my efforts I never actually downed an enemy, but never got bored trying.

Overall, perhaps not quite as polished as Fighter Pilot but well worth a look at.

PETER WALKER

Spectrum
Mastertronic
Simulator
£2.50

Pleasant pilot animation, good wire frame perspective graphics of the enemy aircraft, but there is one aspect which makes this game exceptional for every Spectrum owner - two-player mode. With two Spectrums with Interface 1, strap yourself in and prepare for hours of stomach-churning fun.

Completely hidden from your opponent, you invent new manoeuvres, he invents new countermoves. Climb, dive, brake, turn - you will not be able to put this game down.

If you and a friend have Interface 1, this program is one you will not want to miss at this give-away price.

Mastertronic
£2.99

Flight simulations tend to be a little boring to arcade addicts. OK, they need 50 fingers and an alert mind and may be realistic but just flying around aimlessly seems a bit pointless.

Delta Wing attempts to overcome this by adding a combat element to the action, you have to bomb the enemy bases the number of which, one to six, you select at the start. Air to air combat is also featured and the enemy planes are out to destroy both you and your bases.

Flying seems a little easier than on some programs, but it certainly isn't simple. The control panel at the bottom of the screen contains 14 indicators and gauges and there are 14 control keys to master. Graphically the game is excellent, the cockpit panel is crammed full but is still readable, they even found room to show your hand on the joystick, moving up/down/left/right as you press the keys. Even the pilot's knees move!

The usual two screen modes, an actual view and an aerial map are included and I suspect that the lack of ground detail in view mode is the price paid for the combat routines.

Speed is always a factor in this kind of program, and here the program scores, scenery (mostly horizon) is acceptably smooth and enemy planes (wire frame) move very quickly - blink and you'll miss them apart from the bullet holes which appear in your window.

All joystick protocols are supported and there is even a two player option for two Interface 1 owners connected by the net.

Simulation purists may not like the combat routines and arcade addicts may not like the amount of simulation, but I loved it!