Acrojet

Acrojet is a 1985 flight simulator video game by MicroProse. It was originally developed for the Commodore 64 (C64), but then ported to other systems. It emphasized aerial acrobatic flying and maneuverability.

Description

In the game, the player flies a BD5J, a small agile jet. The player has to complete a series a series of eight stunt courses and routines with the jet. For example in one set, the player has to fly the plane around a series of pylons. In another, the player must fly a figure eight. Stunts get harder as play progresses. Some game parameters, such as weather, are configurable.^[1]

Acrojet contains ten acrobatic events which can be played by up to four players and at four different levels of difficulty. In all ten events the player flies a BD5J Acrojet over a series of obstacles:

• In the Pylon Race, the player has to fly around pylons and land safely.
• In the Slalom Race, the player has to fly a 'figure 8'.
• In the Ribbon Cut, the player has to break two ribbons.
• In the Inverted Ribbon Cut, the player has to perform the same stunt but, flying the plane upside down.
• In the Ribbon Roll, there are two ribbons in a row and the player has to fly under one and complete a full roll followed by flying under the second ribbon.
• In the Under Ribbon Race, the player has to perform a slalom by flying in sequence under three ribbons.
• In the Under Ribbon Loop, the player has to fly under a ribbon followed by a loop and passing over the same ribbon upside down.
• In the Spot Landing event, the player has to fly up to 2,000 feet (610 m) and land on the runway as close as possible to a marked spot.
• In the Flame-Out Landing event, the player has to perform the same stunt but then without the engines running.
• The tenth and last event, the Cuban Eight, the player has to make a half-loop over a ribbon, followed by a half-role, a half loop and flying under the first ribbon again.

Some game parameters can be set. The player can decide how the weather conditions are going to be. An instrument panel at the bottom of the screen contains several read-outs, like a altitude meter, a compass, an artificial horizon and a vertical velocity meter.

Credits

The original C64 version was programmed by William "Mike" Denman and Edward Hill Jr. The sound and music was done by Sid Meier, who also researched the science, along with Denman. "Stunts" were by Bill Stealey, actually a retired United States Air Force Lt. Colonel and Command Pilot. Michael Haire was credited with the artwork.^[1][2]

References