Flight of the Intruder

Flight of the Intruder is a flight simulator developed by Rowan Software and published by Spectrum HoloByte in 1990 for MS-DOS, Amiga, and Atari ST. It was ported to the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1991 with Imagineering as the developer and Mindscape as the publisher. The game is based on the novel of the same name and received as the successor of the first game of the Falcon video game series. Gameplay This combat flight simulator allows players the choice of flying either the Grumman A-6 Intruder or the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II from aircraft carriers against targets in North Vietnam. Players were challenged both by the comprehensive enemy defenses and the restrictive and complex rules of engagement of the period. Realistic features include unreliable missiles and smokey engines for the Phantom (as in real life, the trail would disappear in afterburner). At lower realism settings, the F-4 has an internal cannon in addition to the missiles, in contrast to real USN F-4's that were armed only with missiles. A wide range of mission types is available, from simple bomb runs or combat air patrols to SEAD missions requiring close cooperation between the call signs involved. The player can plan each mission in detail. Based on the given number of planes in their flight, they are able to choose from various armament options for each plane. A mission editor allows for changes in waypoints and also how friendly AI is supposed to behave in each phase of the mission. There is also the option to use a default loadout and keep the waypoints unchanged. In flight, the player is allowed to switch between the planes at will, taking control over the respective airplane or leave the AI flying and just spectate. The game also comes with a fast-forward feature, e.g., to shorten the waiting time for the transit leg from the aircraft carrier and back, which is slowed to normal time progression if there is a hostile plane in visual range. The aircraft cockpits, especially the different modes and settings of radar and targeting systems, as well as flight controls are complex. The game offers different levels of realism and difficulty and a manual giving background stories quoting real life pilots of the era.