Ace of Aces (Sega Master System review)

Developer: Artech Studios, Tiertex
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1991

Ace of Aces is a combat flight simulator that was released on numerous formats including the Atari 7800 (1988).

+ Having multiple plane viewpoints is spectacular and there's tons of nuance to staying alive, such as dousing onboard fires.

+ There's real intensity when flying below the clouds to bomb trains and U-boats, especially as you're so close to ground level.

+ Practice mode is great for working on specific missions, and the pre-stage images are clearer than the Atari 7800 version.

- However, the difficulty is more random than on the 7800 and taking damage seems like pot-luck rather than lack of skill.

- Frame-rate is low and it's irritating having to constantly realign your altitude because of delayed button presses.

- No take-off or landing sequences does deter from the game's realistic feel, and there can be huge lulls in the action.

- Rockets have a slow travel speed that makes them pretty much useless, and the droning plane SFX is annoying.