| I've been enjoying
flight/simulation games since the release of Flight Simulator 1.0 on IBM
compatible PCs in 1982. Once home consoles became prevalent, I yearned
for flight-sim realism in a market full of action, platform and shooter
games. There were a couple decent flight-sim games on Sega Genesis, including
F22 Interceptor, LHX Attack Chopper, and F-15 Strike Eagle II. The closest
thing to real flying you could get on Sega Saturn is Thunderstrike 2 and
Wing Arms. Unfortunately, the genre was largely ignored on consoles until
Sega Dreamcast hit the market in 1999.
Aero Dancing ~featuring
Blue Impulse on Dreamcast hit Japan in March of 1999, and became a North
American launch title on 9/9/99. No, this wasn't just a half-hearted attempt
to release filler on a new console. Aero Dancing was the first full-fledged
flight simulation on consoles to include formation flying, highly realistic
physics, and a complete free flight mode. The Japanese Air Self-Defense
Force (JASDF) flies the Kawasaki T-4, which is the aircraft one uses to
master Blue Impulse's various show maneuvers. Of course real formation
flying is supremely difficult to master, so the developer, CRI, has to
be commended for balancing realism with user patience. Aero Dancing was
a dream come true for flight fans!
In a two year
span, Sega/CRI would create three main games with three supplemental discs
(SD) in this "Elite Series":
-
1.0) Aero Dancing
~featuring Blue Impulse / AeroWings
-
1.1) Aero Dancing:
Torodoki Taichou no Himitsu Disc (SD)
-
2.0) Aero Dancing
F / AeroWings 2
-
2.1) Aero Dancing
F: Todoroki Tsubasa no Hatsu Hikou (FSD)
-
3.0) Aero Dancing
i
-
3.1) Aero Dancing
i: Jikai Sakuma de Machite Masen (iSD)
Each game
in the series contains a plethora of aircraft to fly and unlock. One of
the biggest complaints among gamers was the lack of missiles and bombs
in the initial game. CRI fixed that with the 2.0 release, Aero Dancing
F, which featured air-to-air combat training. Throughout the series of
six Dreamcast games, CRI continually improved the flight models, graphics,
and physics. After Aero Dancing FSD, CRI began work on a sequel with internet
dog-fighting.
Aero Dancing i
brought 4-player internet battles, link vs. cable compatibility, and the
AV-8B Harrier to the table. To master the Harrier's vertical take-off and
landing capability is quite an achievement. Air-to-air and air-to-ground
missions are well represented in both Aero Dancing i games. I've played
the point-to-point vs. mode a few times, and it ranks high among other
flight-sims. It's surely the best Dreamcast flight-sim.
The series continued
on PlayStation 2 with Aero Dancing 4 (Japan) in 2002, followed by Aero
Elite (North America) in 2003. In closing, Sega/CRI created the most complete
variety of aircraft, locales, modes and realism in the Aero Dancing flight-sim
series. If you fancy yourself as a pilot, you should definitely try at
least one of the games in this "Elite Series".
~Shinobi |
