Battlehawks 1942
Encyclopedia
Battlehawks 1942 was a World War II
naval air combat flight simulation video game released in 1988 by LucasFilm Games
. It was set in the Pacific air war theatre, and was the first of Lucasfilm Games' trilogy of WWII flight simulations. It was followed by "Their Finest Hour
" (1989) and "Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe
" (1991). http://www.totallygames.com/games/ww2.htm
The 127 page manual for Battlehawks 1942 included a 100 page illustrated overview of the Pacific war.
In each of these battles, the player could experience the same situation from the US side or the Japanese side of the battle. The player could fly authentic aircraft of the era--Wildcats, Dauntlesses
and Avengers
on the U.S. side and Zeros
, Vals
and Kates on the Japanese side. Realism settings such as invincibility, unlimited ammo and unlimited fuel, starting altitude and the caliber of the opposition pilots were present, so Battlehawks was an amazingly customizable game.
Each mission started with a briefing, giving the pilot a general outline of what was needed to do. In a departure from the usual flight-sim standards requiring players to perform take offs and landings, Battlehawks 1942 allowed players to get immediately into the action.
As with most flight simulators, Battlehawks had a cockpit point-of-view, switchable with the keypad for a look around the plane. Instruments were few: airspeed, altimeter, bank and pitch, fuel, rate-of-climb, RPM, compass and indicators for fuel and engine/airframe damage. The planes also had levers for landing gear, speed brakes (if equipped) and flaps.
The Battlehawks 1942 manual included detailed Fighter Tactics instructions, such as deflection shooting or how to perform overhead approaches from the same or the opposite course. Mission types included escorting bombers as well as fighter interceptions, which were generally quite challenging and gave a great view of the diversity of the missions that were flown in the Pacific in 1942. Allied players flying Grumman F4F Wildcats would find themselves often vastly outnumbered in a desperate attempt to save their carriers from waves of Japanese Aichi D3A
Val dive bombers.
There were also dive-bombing and Torpedo-bombing missions on both sides. Dive-Bomber and Torpedo-Bomber tactics were also discussed in the manual.
The graphics throughout Battlehawks 1942 used a sprite-based
(so called) 3D engine, which is based on bitmaps which are rotated and scaled depending on the player's view. Muzzle flashes and tracers were present, the planes took hits and caught fire, smoked or exploded with the pilot bailing out with a parachute.
Enemy artificial intelligence
(AI) also was of high quality. Enemy aircraft would twist, turn, jink and realistically evade enemy fire. The performance characteristics of the various aircraft were realistically modeled so that, for example, the more nimble Japanese Zeros were very good at outmaneuvering US planes such as the F4F Wildcat.
Excellent pilots achieved promotions and several medals in Battlehawks (Air Medal
, DFC
, Bronze Star
, Silver Star
, Navy Cross
and the Medal of Honor
- if the own plane received severe hits, the Purple Heart
was awarded).
Pacific theater air combat simulation successors of Battlehawks include: "Aces of the Pacific" (1992), "1942: The Pacific Air War" (1994), "Pacific Strike" (1994), "WarBirds" (1997), "MS-CFS2: WW II Pacific Theater" (2000), "Abacus Carrierops für Microsoft FS2002 & FS2004" (2004) and "Pacific Fighters" (2004).
gave a glowing review of the game, citing its graphics and historical accuracy. CGW also praised the game's innovative replay feature, giving the player a free-roaming camera with which to view the action. The magazine later awarded the game as "Action Game of the Year", reiterating those praises.
The game was reviewed in 1989 in Dragon
#142 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the game 5 out of 5 stars.
According to creator Lawrence Holland, Chris Roberts boasted to him at an industry conference that he had reverse-engineered Battlehawks 1942 to create the game engine for [Wing Commander].
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
naval air combat flight simulation video game released in 1988 by LucasFilm Games
LucasArts
LucasArts Entertainment Company, LLC is an American video game developer and publisher. The company was once famous for its innovative line of graphic adventure games, the critical and commercial success of which peaked in the mid 1990s...
. It was set in the Pacific air war theatre, and was the first of Lucasfilm Games' trilogy of WWII flight simulations. It was followed by "Their Finest Hour
Their Finest Hour (1989 video game)
Their Finest Hour is a World War II air-combat flight simulation video game, released in October 1989 by LucasFilm Games.-Summary:This video game was the second of a trilogy of World War II titles by LucasFilm Games, the others being "Battlehawks 1942" and "Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe"...
" (1989) and "Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe
Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe
Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe is a World War II air-combat flight simulation video game released in August 1991 and expanded in 1992 by LucasFilm Games. It is a MS-DOS game for IBM PC compatibles....
" (1991). http://www.totallygames.com/games/ww2.htm
The 127 page manual for Battlehawks 1942 included a 100 page illustrated overview of the Pacific war.
Gameplay
In Battlehawks 1942 the player could participate in four pivotal naval battles of the Pacific war:- The Battle of the Coral SeaBattle of the Coral SeaThe Battle of the Coral Sea, fought from 4–8 May 1942, was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II between the Imperial Japanese Navy and Allied naval and air forces from the United States and Australia. The battle was the first fleet action in which aircraft carriers engaged...
(May 4-8, 1942) - The Battle of MidwayBattle of MidwayThe Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...
(June 4-5, 1942) - The Battle of the Eastern SolomonsBattle of the Eastern SolomonsThe naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons (also known as the Battle of the Stewart Islands and, in Japanese sources, as the , took place on 24–25 August 1942, and was the third carrier battle of the Pacific campaign...
(August 23-25, 1942) - The Battle of the Santa Cruz IslandsBattle of the Santa Cruz IslandsThe Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, 26 October 1942, sometimes referred to as the Battle of Santa Cruz or in Japanese sources as the , was the fourth carrier battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II and the fourth major naval engagement fought between the United States Navy and the Imperial...
(October 26, 1942)
In each of these battles, the player could experience the same situation from the US side or the Japanese side of the battle. The player could fly authentic aircraft of the era--Wildcats, Dauntlesses
SBD Dauntless
The Douglas SBD Dauntless was a naval dive bomber made by Douglas during World War II. The SBD was the United States Navy's main dive bomber from mid-1940 until late 1943, when it was largely replaced by the SB2C Helldiver...
and Avengers
TBF Avenger
The Grumman TBF Avenger was a torpedo bomber developed initially for the United States Navy and Marine Corps, and eventually used by several air or naval arms around the world....
on the U.S. side and Zeros
A6M Zero
The Mitsubishi A6M Zero was a long-range fighter aircraft operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service from 1940 to 1945. The A6M was designated as the , and also designated as the Mitsubishi A6M Rei-sen and Mitsubishi Navy 12-shi Carrier Fighter. The A6M was usually referred to by the...
, Vals
Aichi D3A
The , Allied reporting name "Val") was a World War II carrier-borne dive bomber of the Imperial Japanese Navy . It was the primary dive bomber in the Imperial Japanese Navy, and participated in almost all actions, including Pearl Harbor....
and Kates on the Japanese side. Realism settings such as invincibility, unlimited ammo and unlimited fuel, starting altitude and the caliber of the opposition pilots were present, so Battlehawks was an amazingly customizable game.
Each mission started with a briefing, giving the pilot a general outline of what was needed to do. In a departure from the usual flight-sim standards requiring players to perform take offs and landings, Battlehawks 1942 allowed players to get immediately into the action.
As with most flight simulators, Battlehawks had a cockpit point-of-view, switchable with the keypad for a look around the plane. Instruments were few: airspeed, altimeter, bank and pitch, fuel, rate-of-climb, RPM, compass and indicators for fuel and engine/airframe damage. The planes also had levers for landing gear, speed brakes (if equipped) and flaps.
The Battlehawks 1942 manual included detailed Fighter Tactics instructions, such as deflection shooting or how to perform overhead approaches from the same or the opposite course. Mission types included escorting bombers as well as fighter interceptions, which were generally quite challenging and gave a great view of the diversity of the missions that were flown in the Pacific in 1942. Allied players flying Grumman F4F Wildcats would find themselves often vastly outnumbered in a desperate attempt to save their carriers from waves of Japanese Aichi D3A
Aichi D3A
The , Allied reporting name "Val") was a World War II carrier-borne dive bomber of the Imperial Japanese Navy . It was the primary dive bomber in the Imperial Japanese Navy, and participated in almost all actions, including Pearl Harbor....
Val dive bombers.
There were also dive-bombing and Torpedo-bombing missions on both sides. Dive-Bomber and Torpedo-Bomber tactics were also discussed in the manual.
The graphics throughout Battlehawks 1942 used a sprite-based
Sprite (computer graphics)
In computer graphics, a sprite is a two-dimensional image or animation that is integrated into a larger scene...
(so called) 3D engine, which is based on bitmaps which are rotated and scaled depending on the player's view. Muzzle flashes and tracers were present, the planes took hits and caught fire, smoked or exploded with the pilot bailing out with a parachute.
Enemy artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
(AI) also was of high quality. Enemy aircraft would twist, turn, jink and realistically evade enemy fire. The performance characteristics of the various aircraft were realistically modeled so that, for example, the more nimble Japanese Zeros were very good at outmaneuvering US planes such as the F4F Wildcat.
Excellent pilots achieved promotions and several medals in Battlehawks (Air Medal
Air Medal
The Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States. The award was created in 1942, and is awarded for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.-Criteria:...
, DFC
Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." The...
, Bronze Star
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
, Silver Star
Silver Star
The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
, Navy Cross
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...
and the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
- if the own plane received severe hits, the Purple Heart
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
was awarded).
Pacific theater air combat simulation successors of Battlehawks include: "Aces of the Pacific" (1992), "1942: The Pacific Air War" (1994), "Pacific Strike" (1994), "WarBirds" (1997), "MS-CFS2: WW II Pacific Theater" (2000), "Abacus Carrierops für Microsoft FS2002 & FS2004" (2004) and "Pacific Fighters" (2004).
Reception
Computer Gaming WorldComputer Gaming World
Computer Gaming World was a computer game magazine founded in 1981 by Russell Sipe as a bimonthly publication. Early issues were typically 40-50 pages in length, written in a newsletter style, including submissions by game designers such as Joel Billings , Dan Bunten , and Chris Crawford...
gave a glowing review of the game, citing its graphics and historical accuracy. CGW also praised the game's innovative replay feature, giving the player a free-roaming camera with which to view the action. The magazine later awarded the game as "Action Game of the Year", reiterating those praises.
The game was reviewed in 1989 in Dragon
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#142 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the game 5 out of 5 stars.
Trivia
Achievements awarded to Lucasfilm for Battlehawks 1942: "Action Game of the Year" (Computer Gaming World) and "Program of the Year" (Computer Entertaine).According to creator Lawrence Holland, Chris Roberts boasted to him at an industry conference that he had reverse-engineered Battlehawks 1942 to create the game engine for [Wing Commander].
Quotations
- "Battlehawks is a World War II flight/combat simulator, if you had not already guessed. Now here is the catch. It does not support the use of a joystick. Crazy or what? You can only use mouse or keyboard. What a joke!" (Zzap! covering Amiga games, Iss. 50, June 1989, p.34)
- "If you're an aviation enthusiast at all, you'll want Battlehawks 1942 just for its extensive manual. It's 127 pages of history, tactics, theory and aviation lore and includes fold-out maps of the battles in which you can fly. It's truly a spectacular production and almost worth the price of the game by itself." (START magazine, VOL. 4, NO. 4, November 1989, page 44)
- "Many years ago, while working at Skywalker ranch on Battlehawks 1942, I overheard two people talking over my shoulder about the game I was working on. Imagine my surprise when I turned around and saw Steven Spielberg and George Lucas discussing it and learning further that Steven Spielberg was playing and enjoying it. He was an early video game convert." (Larry Holland, Battlehawks programmer)