Aces high!
This updated version of the original Fighter Duel (itself a port of an Amiga title of the same name) carries the highly intriguing subtitle of 'Special Edition' and in actual fact, there's about enough in the way of extras to warrant having it slapped all over the box. The original was a pretty decent piece of WWII combat flight action which offered players some thirteen realistically modeled planes from the period and then allowed them to cause havoc in the skies with eight missions. This re-release takes the original game and updates it quite significantly (obviously, this is more noticeable if you've actually played the previous version) in a variety of ways. Firstly, the controls are now a lot more accessible and responsive which makes getting off the ground and actually surviving combat a whole lot easier, while there's also a few more planes to take for a spin and which is certainly going to please the real aviation enthusiasts. The other improvements are more to do with multi-player aspects and added control support so most are unlikely to really notice this, unless they have the necessary hardware. However, whether you've played the game before or not, it remains a reasonably enthralling flight sim that might not be quite up the standards of Dawn Patrol or Air Power, but which remains worth a look. The missions, although not extensive, are pretty exciting stuff, with plenty to blow up and time to enjoy the scenery, while the planes have a real sense of character that modern ones just can't touch. Visuals are nice for the period too, so if you have a hankering for some period flying, then this might just scratch your itch.
