Pure multi-player mayhem
Unrelated to the classic WWI flight sim by Cinemaware, also called Wings, this is a neat little cave shooter that plays out like a mix of Sopwith and Asteroids. It's a game best experienced in multi-player mode but even if you don't have anyone to play it with, it remains a fun and exciting old-school blaster. The game plays out in topdown fashion and in single-player mode sees you flying your little spaceship around a series of cavern-like environments, rescuing hostages in classic Defender fashion and then returning them to the landing pad. This mode is briefly entertaining, requiring as it does plenty of skill to cope with the physics-based movement of you ship but the attraction soon palls as you realise it's all pretty much the same, no matter what level you're playing. However, the real excitement starts when you drag some friends around your computer, and when played in this manner, Wings ranks as a superb little game. It's basically one big deathmatch, where the objective is simply to blow the living daylights out of your friends, and like Worms, this stands as one of the purest testaments to the joys of multiplayer gaming. There's a good range of ships to choose from, with some cool weapons to play around with and plenty of levels to enjoy as well as lots of customisable options. Graphics are decent if unspectacular, and do their job well enough, allowing you to concentrate on the action, of which there is plenty. The whole thing is backed up by a few cool tunes and if you can find three other buddies to play with, there is much to enjoy here. However, if you're playing solo, you might want to skip this.
