Steel Talons

Description

Once again, the Lynx dares to go where other portable game systems fear to
tread, with an adaptation of STEEL TALONS, the arcade helicopter flight
simulator. Your objective is to fly a military chopper through twelve filled-
polygon missions, blowing away enemy armaments and camps while staying alive.
Each of your four helicopters can take a small number of hits, and the battle
computer and instruments provide lots of information, but in the end it takes
skill and strategy to win. Are you up to the challenge?

Confession time -- when I heard that STEEL TALONS was being adapted for
the Lynx, I shuddered in fear. After all, the last attempt at a polygon
simulator was the very disappointing HARD DRIVIN'. If the Lynx couldn't handle
a car, how much worse would a helicopter simulation be? Surprise! STEEL TALONS
is a LOT of fun to play, and represents the cutting edge of Lynx software
technology. John Sanderson and NuFX have learned a lot from their earlier
effort, and this title is to be commended.

Three features from the arcade game have been removed from the Lynx: The
ability to play two players simultaneously, the use of fuel limits, and the
option to completely simulate an Apache helicopter's control set (the arcade
default used simplified controls to make flying easier). Otherwise, everything
else is preserved. You have control of your speed, altitude, and heading, and
instruments show everything from structural integrity to ammo remaining to the
location of you and your targets. The game can be seen either from behind your
chopper, or from the cockpit for double points. The instruction manual is a
little sparse on details, leaving players more about the game to discover.