Project Stealth Fighter
Project Stealth Fighter | |
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Developer(s) | MicroProse |
Publisher(s) | MicroProse |
Designer(s) | Jim Synoski Arnold Hendrick |
Programmer(s) | Jim Synoski Dan Chang Gregg Tavares |
Artist(s) | Michael Haire Michele Mahan |
Composer(s) | Ken Lagace |
Platform(s) | Commodore 64 ZX Spectrum |
Release | 1987 (C64) 1989 (Spectrum) |
Genre(s) | Combat flight simulator |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
Project Stealth Fighter is a combat flight simulator released for the Commodore 64 in 1987 by MicroProse, featuring a fictional United States military aircraft. During the time of the game's release, there was heavy speculation surrounding a missing aircraft in the United States Air Force's numbering system, the F-19. Project Stealth Fighter was later renamed F-19 Stealth Fighter and was remade in 1988 for the 16-bit systems with much improved graphics.
Gameplay
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c0/Project_Stealth_Fighter_screenshot.png/220px-Project_Stealth_Fighter_screenshot.png)
In the game, the player take on the role of a fictional fighter pilot flying missions of varying difficulty over four geographic locations: Libya, the Persian Gulf, the North Cape, and Central Europe.
Reception
Publication | Award |
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Your Sinclair | Megagame[1] |
Zzap!64 | Gold Medal[2] |
The game was critically acclaimed. Computer Gaming World in 1987 stated that Project Stealth Fighter pushed the limits of 8-bit hardware (noting the resulting great difficulty in landing at airfields) but concluded favorably: "Timely? It couldn't be more so. Realistic? Yes ... Challenging? Definitely!"[3] In a 1994 survey of wargames the magazine gave the title two stars out of five, stating that F-19 and F-117 had superseded it.[4] Compute! in 1988 called the game "a superlative flight simulator". It praised the graphics, stating that they improved on those of the company's F-15 Strike Eagle. The magazine concluded: "If you're to have only one flight simulator in your library, let it be this one ... Project: Stealth Fighter is Microprose's best".[5] The Commodore 64 version's review in Zzap!64 said that the "Project Stealth Fighter is excellent, and sets new standards to which other must now aspire".[6] ACE stated the game as certainly enjoyable and the rating for C64 version is 863 out of 1000.[7]
Project: Stealth Fighter was awarded the Origins Award for "Best Military or Strategy Computer Game of 1987".[8]
The game was nominated for the Golden Joystick Awards '88 in the category "Best Simulation - 8 Bit".[9]
A port to the ZX Spectrum version was first advertised in 1988 prior to the game being renamed for the 16-bit releases.[10] By the time it was published late 1989, it used the F-19 Stealth Fighter title in-game but was still packaged as Project Stealth Fighter.[11] A review in Your Sinclair called it "the best Speccy flight sim to date".[12]
Both the Spectrum and Commodore 64 versions were subsequently reissued as F-19 Stealth Fighter[13][14] in the same packaging as the 16-bit versions.[11][15]
In late 1990, the combined sales of F-19 Stealth Fighter across four platforms took the game into the UK Top 20 All Format games chart.[16]
References
- ^ Game review, Zzap magazine, Dennis Publishing, issue 47, November 1989, page 16
- ^ Game review, Zzap magazine, Newsfield Publications, issue 35, March 1988
- ^ Brooks, M. Evan (December 1987). "Project: Stealth Fighter". Computer Gaming World. p. 26.
- ^ Brooks, M. Evan (January 1994). "War In Our Time / A Survey Of Wargames From 1950-2000". Computer Gaming World. pp. 194–212.
- ^ Bobo, Ervin (February 1988). "Project: Stealth Fighter". Compute!. p. 51. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
- ^ Scan
- ^ "Project Stealth Fighter". ACE (4): 60, 61. January 1988.
- ^ "The 1987 Origins Awards". The Game Manufacturers Association. Archived from the original on 2012-12-16.
- ^ "Golden Joystick Awards 1989". Computer and Video Games (92). Future Publishing: 62. Retrieved 13 January 2012.
- ^ "Project Stealth Fighter – Coming Soon For Your Spectrum". Crash. No. 57. Newsfield. 22 September 1988. p. 55. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
- ^ a b "Project Stealth Fighter Also known as F-19 Stealth Fighter". Spectrum Computing. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
- ^ "Project Stealth Fighter". Your Sinclair. No. 47. Dennis Publishing. 10 October 1989. p. 16. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
- ^ "Spectrum review: F-19 Stealth Fighter". Crash. No. 73. Newsfield. 25 January 1990. p. 118. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
- ^ "F-19 Stealth Fighter – Spectrum". The Games Machine. No. 28. Newsfield. 8 February 1990. p. 54. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
- ^ "Project Stealth Fighter - Also known as F-19 Stealth Fighter". Lemon64. Kim Lemon. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
- ^ "The Gallup All Formats Top 20". Computer and Video Games. No. 107. EMAP. 16 September 1990. p. 65. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
External links
- Project Stealth Fighter at MobyGames
- Project Stealth Fighter at SpectrumComputing.co.uk
- Project Stealth Fighter at Lemon 64
- Project Stealth Fighter Manual on Steam