Flying Nightmares

Undoubtedly one of the best flight sims ever made for the Macintosh, Domark's Flying Nightmares is an outstanding simulation of the Harrier fighter, with significant strategic planning elements, similar to Digital Integration's Tornado.

Meant to be an evolution of Domark's earlier AV8B Harrier Assault, Flying Nightmares more than fulfills its claim as one of the first true flight / war sims for the Macintosh that can rival the PC competition. The graphics are smooth, and detailed, and the sound very adequate. However, it is the realistic flight controls and dynamics of this title that put it literally light years beyond its closest competition.

True to the real-life Harrier, flying the plane is no easy task. If you play the game without a joystick, expect to learn many button combinations to do even the most basic maneuvers. Without a joystick, expect a steep learning curve'you will likely not be able to land on the carrier on your first go. I actually crashed on takeoff numerous times before getting the hang of it.

Flying Nightmares makes no claims to be an instant arcade shoot-em-up. You need a lot of patience muster the controls, and survive many ground attack missions before you will even see an enemy plane. However, once you master the control of the plane, it will be well worth your effort. After all, this is the modern aircraft that can take off vertically and features a wide array of high-tech weaponry. The autopilot also deserves mention as one of the best I have ever seen'it could land a plane on an aircraft carrier, among other marvels.

If you enjoy Domark's earlier flight sims such as SVGA Harrier, Flying Nightmares is simply a must-have. Along with Out of The Sun, it ranks among Domark's best flight sims that are much improved over previous games.

Although the game was never released for the PC (only on 3DO system and Macintosh), this is the one classic that makes it worthwhile to install Basilisk II Mac emulator on your PC. Too bad the planned sequel, Flying Nightmares 2, was never released. Highly recommended.

Review By HOTUD