F/A-18 Hornet version 2.0
Review by Doug Call
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Genre: flight simulator
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Publisher: Graphic Simulations
Phone:
Website: http://www.graphsim.com/
Requirements: PowerMac native and 68K versions available. Accelerated for Power Macs (100% compatible with 680x0 machines)

History: Spectrum Holobyte’s Falcon has an F/A-18, add-on but this is a stand alone product from a totally different company. In fact, Graphic Simulations does not feel that there product compares with Spectrum Holobytes in any way.

Graphics Simulations Corporation is a Texas company that has spent the last few years producing exemplary flight simulator products.

Plot: Take the challenge as F/A-18 Hornet straps you in for the ride of your life. Each of the many scenarios take you deep into a new conflict in the Middle-East. Fly against the newest technology and the best trained pilots the enemies of freedom can produce. Fly against the Iraqi air and ground forces.

General game play:

Planes you fly: You get to fly the F/A-18 Hornet which is the Navy’s own dual mission attack fighter that can change from attack to fighter modes, knock off the enemy aggressors, and roll back into the attack pattern and finish the bomb run. It is a remarkable aircraft.

Planes you fight:

Guns and Missiles: Use your M61 Vulcan cannon or Sidewinder and AMRAAM missiles for air-to-air defenses. Laser-guided bombs or AGM-88 HARM and AGM-65 Maverick missiles provide the most effective and destructive air-to-ground ordnance available to any fighting force.

Missions, Theaters, Campaigns, and Careers: The theater of operations is the Persian Gulf and the number of missions you get to fly in that theater is 28. The game also includes six (6) training missions in Hawaii and six (6) network missions in Arizona. Enhanced versions of the Kuwait Tour of Duty missions with more aircraft and highly detailed bases and targets.

Huge mission area containing the Middle-East.

Difficulty settings:

Realism settings:

Wing person commands:

Views:

Radar, HUDs, and MFDs: Constant vigilance is kept by your AN/APG-65 radar system. Accurate weapon and instrument simulation. Exact simulation of the F/A-18 HUD and instrument panel. Realistic radar display featuring B-sweep line and Target Aspect Angle Pointer, indicating the heading of the selected target on the radar screen. New avionics including Radar Warning Receiver (RWR), a passive device allowing the detection of air, ground, and missile objects emitting radar through a full 360 degrees around the aircraft. The long range RWR will be on the instrument panel in the look-down mode. The short range RWR will appear on the HUD for better Situational Awareness.

AWACs interaction:

Artificial Intelligence (AI):

Graphics: Most sophisticated 3D models available shy of an SGI workstation. Leading edge 3-D technology. New graphics with triple the level of detail of previous versions, to take advantage of new Power PC technology. Hornet 2.0 features more polygons than any other flight simulator in the home computer market!

Animation: Incredibly fast and fluid graphics.

Voice actors: Digitized radio voice messages require 8 MB RAM.

Music score:

Sound effects: Stunning custom sounds.

Multi-player options: F/A-18 Hornet supports up to four players over a network. Team up with your friend in the next cubicle to fly against the infidels from accounting. Six network missions in Arizona are supported. Network and ARA modem play (requires Apple Remote Access) are supported. Network communication: Taunt your enemies over the net!

Utilities: Reproduction of the "Strike Fighter Report" and Color map of the Middle-East are bonus features. Hornet 2.0 upgrade for your copy of F/A-18 Hornet will be included with purchase of Korean Crisis.

Future plans:

References:
http://www.graphsim.com/ourprods.html
http://www.graphsim.com/hornet2.0.html