Summary
Jet Fighter (1975): The Granddaddy of Dogfighting Games
Released in 1975, Jet Fighter is an arcade game that pits two players against each other in a simulated dogfight. The game is housed in a custom cabinet that includes two 8-way joysticks (one per player) meant to look like older style flight sticks. Each stick has a fire button mounted on the top. The players fly in simulated jets around the screen, engaging in a dogfight and attempting to score hits on their opponent within a limited amount of time. When a player is hit, their plane spins around and an explosion is heard. After a few seconds, the plane recovers, pointing at a random direction.
Jet Fighter was one of the first video games to feature a first-person perspective, and it was also one of the first games to use a joystick for control. The game was a critical and commercial success, and it helped to popularize the dogfighting genre.
Gameplay
The goal of Jet Fighter is to shoot down your opponent’s plane before they shoot down yours. The game is played on a single screen, and the players’ planes are represented by small sprites. The players can move their planes in any direction, and they can fire their guns by pressing the fire button.
The game is played in short rounds, and each round has a time limit. If neither player is able to shoot down the other player’s plane within the time limit, the round ends in a draw.
Controls
The player’s plane is controlled using the joystick. The joystick can be moved in any direction to move the plane in that direction. The fire button is located on the top of the joystick.
Scoring
The player scores points by shooting down the other player’s plane. The player also scores points for each second that they remain alive.
Legacy
Jet Fighter was a critical and commercial success, and it helped to popularize the dogfighting genre. The game was ported to several home computers, and it was also released as an arcade game in Japan.
Jet Fighter has been cited as an inspiration for many other dogfighting games, including After Burner, Top Gun, and Ace Combat. The game is still considered to be one of the best dogfighting games ever made.
Conclusion
Jet Fighter is a classic arcade game that is still a blast to play today. The game’s simple gameplay and competitive nature make it a great choice for both casual and hardcore gamers. If you’re a fan of dogfighting games, then you owe it to yourself to check out Jet Fighter.
Additional Information
- Jet Fighter was developed by Atari, Inc.
- The game was released in arcades in 1975.
- Jet Fighter was ported to the Atari 2600, ColecoVision, and Intellivision home computers.
- The game was also released as an arcade game in Japan under the name Air Combat.
Review Score
8/10
Art
Cover Art
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