Previewed
01.21.2000
Publisher
CRI
Developer
CRI
Format
GD-ROM
Origin
Import
Available
Jan.
20, 2000
(Japan)
Exclusive
Yes
Difficulty
Adjustable
Dimensions
3D
View
1st/3rd
Person
Genre
Flight/Sim
Player(s)
1
Options
Backup
10
Mission
Stick
Network
Rumble
VGA
Box
Requires
n/a
Importable
95% |
| Intro |
|
> It's no secret that Aero
Dancing featuring Blue Impulse (known as AeroWings in America) is one
of my favorite games for Dreamcast. Well, CRI was originally going
to release Aero Dancing Todoroki Taichou no Himitsu Disc (aka Aero Dancing
SD) as a free bonus disc for owners of the first game. However, eight
months later they've added some more features and decided to sell it for
a nice price (approximately $39). Aside from the new Sky Mission
Attack levels, F-104 Starfighter, new maps, data transfer ability, and
Gallery mode, CRI included a movie and demo of their forthcoming sequel:
Aero Dancing F.
> Importing isn't a problem especially for owners of the first game.
Unfortunately, an American publisher has not been identified so a domestic
release seems kind of unlikely, especially considering it's not a full
sequel. |
| Graphics |
|
> I thought CRI was going to tweak the graphics a bit, but I can't tell
the difference between Aero Dancing SD and the original Aero Dancing.
That's not all that bad because I still think the Aero Dancing series has
the best combination of detail, speed, smoothness, and realism you can
find in a flight simulation (especially on consoles).
> This game has two new maps to fly in (actually 1.5): first is "My Room",
which is reminiscent of Toy Commander; second is "Festival", which is the
same as "Base" with a crowd added to the field. The My Room map is
decent, but Toy Commander is better suited for that sort of flying.
> If you like supersonic flight, then the addition of the Lockheed F-104
Starfighter is welcome. CRI has modeled the aircraft very well, as
it looks just like its supposed to. A new cockpit accompanies the
F-104 and it's done nicely too. |
| Control |
|
> CRI hasn't changed a thing -- and that's good! I do wonder if they
completed bug testing the F-104 because it likes to dance on the runway
a bit. They did, however, get the F-104s sluggish handling down pat.
Now before you ask -- no, I've never actually flown an F-104. I'm
guessing it doesn't handle that well because of it's high stall speed and
thin stubby wings (and I'm probably right). If you plan on doing
any kind of maneuver that involves looping, then make sure you have plenty
of altitude and speed to play with. |
| Sound |
|
> Other than a few new tunes all the original music is included.
It's still upbeat and arcade like. The sound effects are identical
as well, which is great. One thing is for sure, Aero Dancing SD sure
seems to have a lot more babbling going on while navigating the menus. |
| Fun |
|
> My first consideration is that this disc sells for less than $40, which
is pretty good for an import. It's not a full blown game like AeroWings,
but it's about 2/3 that size. The new Sky Mission Attack levels are
much more challenging -- not that AeroWings' were cake. Having a
Free Flight mode almost makes this disc worth the price of admission alone,
as that's my favorite mode. The Gallery mode contains 10s of different
replay videos for you to watch. These are cool because many of them
include some pretty crazy maneuvers. You're also able to transport
data from Aero Dancing SD to Aero Dancing featuring Blue Impulse via a
save game file. All in all, I can't get enough of this game (or flight/sims
for that matter). |
| Bottom
Line |
|
> Take Aero Dancing's sound and control; add new Sky Mission Attack levels,
2 new Maps, 1 new aircraft, 1 new mode, and an Aero Dancing F playable
demo to give you a good reason to buy this game. It's still very
similar to the original game so I'd only recommend it to hardcore flight
sim fans like myself. |
| Ratings |
| Overall: 9.1 | Graphics:
9.0 | Control: 9.4 | Sound: 9.0 | Fun: 9.0 |
~
Shinobi ~
| Widescreen
Mode |
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