Black Dawn

Description

Every now and then a game in the "Beer and Pretzels" subgenre comes along. There has yet to be a "Beer and Big Ole Hunkin' Stogie" game, but perhaps that genre should be created for Black Dawn - a game that epitomizes everything everyone who doesn't play games denounces about every video game: excessive, violent, loud, irresponsible, and largely geared to lowest-common-denominator male machismo.

And: It. Is. Absolutely. Terrific.

Black Dawn is a helicopter-combat arcade game in which players pilot a single, mythical, muscled-up combat chopper against, well, everybody. In a series of air/ground battles spanning the globe, players take to the air in a "Mohawk" and torch everything from Iraqi tanks, to South American drug havens, to unarmed Cessnas, to Los Angeles crack houses. Players can toggle the viewpoint between third-person or first-person views, but either way the immediate airspace is soon buzzing with deadly airborne 3-D enemies, incoming SAMs, and spinning defense/weapon power-ups. The top of the list is graced by the awesome Tactical Nuke (beginner's note: Don't even think of firing the Tactical Nuke at a nearby target). Deployment of this mighty weapon results in a gorgeous, screen-devouring shockwave that sprays away from the impact point in a glorious, expanding 3-D crown. In fact, every explosion in this game is a joy to watch and hear, and players get lots of them before the first mission is out - possibly even some they planned.