Computer Air Combat

Name: Computer Air Combat
Programmer(s): Jack T. Avery and Charles (Charlie) Merrow
Publisher: SSI
Year: 1980

Description:

Computer Air Combat was a flight combat game released for the Apple II in 1980 by Strategic Simulations Inc. (SSI). The game put players in control of World War I fighter planes, letting them battle enemy aircraft in the skies above Europe. SSI, known for making war games, designed this as one of their early attempts at real-time action games.

The game used simple graphics made from text characters and basic shapes. Players saw their view from inside the cockpit, with enemy planes appearing as small dots that grew larger as they got closer. The instrument panel showed altitude, speed, and ammunition count. Sound effects were limited to basic beeps for gunfire and engine noise.

Players controlled their aircraft using the keyboard to climb, dive, turn, and adjust throttle. The goal was to shoot down enemy planes while avoiding being shot down. Combat happened quickly, requiring fast reflexes and good timing. Players had to line up their gunsight with enemy planes and fire machine guns at the right moment. Running out of ammunition or fuel meant the mission was over.

The game included different mission types. Some required shooting down a specific number of enemy planes. Others involved protecting friendly bombers or attacking ground targets. Difficulty increased as players progressed, with enemies becoming faster and more aggressive. Later missions featured multiple enemy planes attacking at once.

Computer Air Combat stood out because it tried to create realistic flight physics on the Apple II's limited hardware. Planes stalled if they flew too slowly or climbed too steeply. Diving increased speed while climbing reduced it. This made the game harder than simple arcade shooters but more rewarding for players who mastered the controls.

The game competed with other Apple II flight games like Flight Simulator and Skyfox. While those games offered better graphics or more features, Computer Air Combat focused on pure combat action. It became popular among players who wanted quick battles rather than complex flight procedures.

SSI continued making war games and became one of the most successful strategy game companies of the 1980s. Computer Air Combat showed that the Apple II could handle action games, not just text adventures and educational software. The game helped establish combat flight simulators as a popular genre on home computers.

Though primitive by today's standards, Computer Air Combat gave many Apple II owners their first taste of aerial combat gaming. Its influence can be seen in later flight combat games that balanced realistic physics with arcade action.