F-29 Retaliator

Game review

The first flight simulator I ever got my hands on was the Retaliator. At that time, I was still the king of the whole area, and the monitor on my computer did not turn off due to the constant visits of friends. But about that later, now to the game.
In 1991, Ocean Software got an excellent idea. The result of this idea is surprisingly this game, an air traffic simulator in the near future, probably now. You can choose from two aircraft, the F-22 and the F-29. Today, I suspect the situation is such that the F / A-22 Raptor extended the US military supply contract until 2010. As with the F-29, I do not think that it ended up as only one of the development versions. But ok, in the game I did not find significant differences in control, perhaps only in the colors of the aircraft (and the installation of elevators ....). So I always preferred a black F-22. In any case, they are both test aircraft of the US Army, and thus the first mission is offered. Desert. You have to start (brake first) and shoot down training targets ...

But war is not nursing and who would fly as a capart of a training mission when he has a choice of mission somewhere in the Pacific, a battlefield in the Middle East, and ultimately a conflict in Central Europe. You can choose more armament for the chosen plane and then just ... well, it's not just, but just fighting.

There are two basic flight modes in the game. Classic missions, where you have to destroy this and that, or something else, and if not it and other goals. After the successful completion of the mission, you can continue ... You are just revealing other levels. The second mode is Zulu Alert. Much more interesting and fun, for a beginner there is a certain advantage that you do not have to start, you will immediately appear above the base. Pleasing not? The surprise, however, is the full radar of enemy aircraft. Unpleasant. The goal is to shoot down all the planes, which is initially an impossible task because you will be happy if you survive long enough. The flashing monitor eject will be your friend and mentor, ejection will be inevitable and you will appear as a parachutist falling to the ground. Also unpleasant. After a few attempts, however, only one plane will remain in the sky, yours. Excellent feeling and especially experience, because whoever manages the zulu alert can handle all missions.

Unfortunately, missions have one drawback. Thanks to secrecy, you will not know its target, so the situation when you fly with the last gallon of fuel and look for the remaining target and especially the inscription on the screen Well done commander - return to base, is not only common, but mainly depressing ... On the other hand, excellent secrecy is also good for something, isn't it?

A few more words to control. If you often watch American movies, where a ten-year-old girl with ponytails lands with a plane the size of a district town (of course damaged), quickly get used to the harsh reality that this is simply not the case. Only real experts can land in this game. So I can only recommend learning it as soon as possible, because after the mission it is uncomfortable to get stuck in the sand. At a speed of 200km / h especially ....

So use flaps, brakes and most importantly your head, and you will definitely like the game ...

btw: is there a word catapult? Isn't that a bit of a weird word? And what about Jan Tleskač? Did he fly at twenty-two like me?

Reviewed by Anonym – 1. april 2014