Airfix Dogfighter (PC)

Author's product rating:   

Gameplay/Playability
Graphics
Sound
Value for Money
Longevity

Advantages:	It's fun,relive your childhood !
Disadvantages:	Only ten missions, not varied enough .  Where's Barbie's car??

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

..crept the Supermarine Spitfire, with CJKAce at the stick. Approaching the edge of the green baize, he wiped the sweat from his brow before ramming the throttle high, easing back on the stick slightly so as to clear the cushion before diving hard at the hearth, home of the enemies base.

Anti - aircraft fire races to meet me and I can see a tank swivelling it's turret to get me in it's gun sights. I target the tank, ignoring the AA guns for now, and loose three rockets in quick succession.

I swap to bombs as I near the airbase and ease off on the throttle slightly. As I get above the base, I trigger the bomb release and slam the throttle forward again, to take me out of the blast zone.

I can hear the blasts behind me, a quick scan of the radar shows that the tank is gone but the base remains, so I bank hard right around the sofa.

What's that?

I dip the nose of the plane and skim along the floor, positive that I spotted something under the sofa. I did! It's a model kit! Maybe it's the P51 Mustang. I turn slightly and slow down, so as to fly under the sofa when something hits my aircraft.

An enemy fighter has crept up behind me and blasted me from the sky with it's rockets. Oh well, start again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Airfix Dogfighter is one of the most fun games I have ever played. Although it's in the simulation section it's more of a blast 'em up.

The scenario for the game is very easy. You pilot model aircraft (either Allied or Axis) around a house destroying everything in sight, while trying to complete the main mission (usually stopping your enemy developing a new weapon, re-inforcing their base etc.) and the secondary mission.

You start the game with one model plane, and have to collect glue, paint and plans to unlock a new model. This is usually the secondary objective of every mission and the parts you need can be hidden anywhere. Inside a vase, an enemy aeroplane etc, so you blast everything in sight.

The house is very well detailed and you can fly under beds, along the top of shelving units looking for things to destroy and objects to collect. Weapons such as bombs, rockets and a !laser! can be collected, as well as fuel and ammo for your cannons. Another object to collect are stars, which increase your tech level. The more stars you collect, the more destructive your weapons are.

Enemy units are quite varied. You will come across jeeps, tanks and even submarines lurking in the bath. Bombers, supported by fighters, try to destroy your home airfield and have to be stopped.

It's difficult to describe just how much fun this game is. If you ever built a model when you were a kid, and then ran around your house with it held in one hand, screaming machine gun noises as you dove it towards your sisters Barbie car, then you will really enjoy this game. It is so satisfying scooting along the carpet, under the sofa then climbing and banking to the right before diving at the lone tank with all guns blazing.

The game can also be used in network mode and over the internet, but I've yet to try this. Anyone interested?