Despite the success that they've enjoyed on the Personal Computer, flight simulations have never been very popular with video game players. One of the main reasons for this is the limited interface systems that video game fans are presented with - a problem that obviously doesn't exist for PC users. While flight sims were available in abundance for the early 8-bit systems, they typically paled in comparison to their PC brethren, and focused more on the action/shooting elements of the genre rather than the realistic aerial aspects. Flight simulations became far less common during the age of the 16-bit systems, and are virtually extinct these days. One of the last true attempts at producing an authentic flight sim for a video game system was Spectrum HoloByte's Falcon for the TurboGrafx-16, a game that was doomed to fail right from the start. Falcon features a very generic, uninspired plot: you're the pilot of an F-16 Falcon and your job is to thwart the diabolical plans of your nameless enemy, who happens to be constructing an atomic bomb factory. You'll have to tackle sixteen difficult missions in which you'll participate in a variety of ground attacks and dogfights. While it's nice that each mission requires the player to complete different types of objectives, it's questionable whether most gamers will actually have any desire to play through the game once they experience its horrid controls and slow-paced action. Anyone who's ever played the PC version of Falcon knows just how complex the interface for a flight simulation can really be. Well, while this TurboChip is a highly simplified version of the PC game, there still seems to be too much to handle with the limited, two-button TurboPad. Half the battle will involve getting a grip on the controls of your plane; video game controllers are so far from ideal when it comes to flight sims that it's no wonder that we don't see these types of games very much anymore. Spectrum HoloByte did the best that they could, but the fact remains that the complex, unresponsive controls are sure to frustrate most players. To their credit, Spectrum HoloByte did include a series of training missions that will help you get accustomed to the controls. Unfortunately, Falcon is lacking in more areas than one. Spectrum HoloByte apparently tried so hard to make the game realistic, that they forgot to make it fun. The 'action' is tedious and slow; you'll spend the majority of your time during each mission just getting a handle on the controls and seeking out your enemies. If you're ever fortunate enough to find your enemies, you'll have to engage them in combat, which shouldn't take very long. Complete your objectives and you'll move on to the next dull mission; get blown out of the sky and you'll be treated to a rather depressing scene depicting your funeral. Game play basically consists of flying around aimlessly for a few minutes, followed by uninteresting battles which last only for a few seconds. Flying your F-16 Falcon and annihilating your enemies is all that you'll be responsible for in this game; you aren't even required to take off or land your plane. Despite its complex controls, the action in Falcon is very simple and dull. In a fashion that is typical of games in this genre, the lower half of the screen in Falcon will display your vital statistics, while the top half will present you with your view of the action. A radar is displayed at the bottom of the screen which will help you track down your enemies, although it can be a bit confusing to read at first. Alongside the radar are meters that display the amount of fuel you have left and the level of damage that your plane has taken. The incredible amount of information that is presented to you certainly adds a touch of realism to the game. Unfortunately, there is no eject button on this particular F-16 Falcon, which may be the only thing you're interested in finding after you've had enough of the boring game play. Even with all of its faults, Falcon does contain a few bright spots here and there. You are allowed to customize your plane in a very limited manner before each mission by selecting the types of weapons you wish to equip it with. Of course, making wise decisions concerning weapons selection would require some time getting accustomed to the game, which most players will not be willing to invest. There's also a two-player dogfight mode, but it can only be accessed if both gamers own not only the game, but also a TurboExpress. Good luck finding someone else who actually owns this title - not that anyone who owns it would want to play it anyway. Not only is Falcon rather slow and dull, but it's also a very unattractive video game. Every mission looks exactly the same - which isn't a good thing, since you'll constantly be flying over an ugly, barren wasteland. There is so much information displayed on the latch of your plane that most of the time you won't even be able to see what's going on. Not that it really matters, anyway, since even when you do spot the enemy you'll rarely ever be able to make out what it actually is. It's safe to say that the flying things are planes, but good luck trying to discern what any of the other awful, repugnant images in the game are. There's very little music in Falcon, and none at all while you're flying your plane. You'll just hear the sound of your engines wheezing, along with the occasional unimpressive explosion or two. Suffice it to say that Falcon is a very rough game that isn't enjoyable in the least. Spectrum HoloByte deserves some level of admiration for trying to create a realistic flight sim for a video game system, but the sad fact of the matter is that such a game should never even be attempted (at least not with the interfaces that are currently available to video game designers). Stay away, even if you're a big fan of flight simulations. Overall: 3 out of 10
