Pilotwings

"One of the first SNES games, but still a great one."

First of all I should state that not everyone will like this game. It was quite unique for its time and it still is. The basic premise is to become a master of the skies, hence the name. You achieve this by competing in a variety of events, including skydiving, hang gliding, piloting a light plane, rocketbelting, and finally piloting a helicopter. Each action scores you points, mistakes cost you. If you reach the required number of points, you advance to the next level. The save option is a password. Enough about that..... here is the review.

Graphics: 8/10

I thought about this for a while, and determined that the graphics deserved at least an 8 because this game was released in 1991, plus, they're not that bad! Obviously they are a little blocky at times, but I felt the altitude changes were handled reasonably well. Throw in with that some funny animations, such as crashing from a high altitude on the rocketbelt and hitting the ground hard on a hang glider, and you have a visually adequate game.

Sound: 7/10

Nothing special with the music, but I think the sound effects are well done. Nice sounds with the light plane, all the beeps and chimes are appropriate, but not overused or annoying. A 7 is justified because the game doesn't astound with its sound effects, but it doesn't overdo it.

Gameplay: 9/10

This area is good. Controls are fluid for the most part, and the challenge is fitting. There were a few extremely difficult and frustrating objectives though, one that comes to mind is collecting top points on the hang glider levels. It is sheer luck to be able to land on the moving platform in the water with the glider. The plane takes a little getting used to, but after that it is very fun and not hard to achieve a respectable score. Extra points to this game for mixing up the plane activities also; from straight landing, to taking off and landing, to flying through rings and arches and then landing. The rocketbelt is just plain fun, not hard, and skydiving does take a little practice, concerning body angles, but once you get it right, you should be able to consistently achieve good scores.

Replay: 7/10

The rocketbelt is fun to play again and again, and you can always try to better your scores. And of course, trying for the bonus levels is always fun.

Overall: 8/10

Solid game, fair challenge, gave a taste of what the SNES could do. If you like flying games, or FUN games, give this one a try. Chances are you won't be disappointed.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 11/01/99