Thud Ridge: American Aces In 'Nam
Encyclopedia
Thud Ridge: American Aces in 'Nam is a computer game developed by Three-Sixty Pacific
in 1988 for the Commodore 64 and PC/MS-DOS.
—a “Thud“—during the Vietnam War. The player must contend with enemy MiGs
, SAMs
, flak
, and a MiG ace known as the Grey Ghost. Thud Ridge presents 10 missions, with the degree of simulation difficulty decided by selecting either Lieutenant, Captain, or Colonel level. The player earns the Bronze Star
by completing Missions 1 through 3, the Silver Star
and a promotion to Colonel upon completion of Missions 4 through 6, and membership in the Wild Weasel Thud Drivers if the player accomplishes all ten missions.
#151 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the game 3 out of 5 stars.
Three-Sixty Pacific
Three-Sixty Pacific is a video game publisher and developer. Founded in the late 1980s by avid wargamers and military history enthusiasts.- Games :...
in 1988 for the Commodore 64 and PC/MS-DOS.
Plot
Thud Ridge is a combat flight simulator that allows the player to pilot a Republic F-105 ThunderchiefF-105 Thunderchief
The Republic F-105 Thunderchief, was a supersonic fighter-bomber used by the United States Air Force. The Mach 2 capable F-105 conducted the majority of strike bombing missions during the early years of the Vietnam War; it has the dubious distinction of being the only US aircraft to have been...
—a “Thud“—during the Vietnam War. The player must contend with enemy MiGs
Mikoyan
Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG , or RSK MiG, is a Russian joint stock company. Formerly Mikoyan-and-Gurevich Design Bureau , then simply Mikoyan, it is a military aircraft design bureau, primarily designing fighter aircraft...
, SAMs
Surface-to-air missile
A surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...
, flak
Anti-aircraft warfare
NATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
, and a MiG ace known as the Grey Ghost. Thud Ridge presents 10 missions, with the degree of simulation difficulty decided by selecting either Lieutenant, Captain, or Colonel level. The player earns 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...
by completing Missions 1 through 3, 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....
and a promotion to Colonel upon completion of Missions 4 through 6, and membership in the Wild Weasel Thud Drivers if the player accomplishes all ten missions.
Gameplay
This game has few commands to learn in order to operate the aircraft. There is no digitized sound, just tinny beeps that indicate actions such as weapons firing. The player handles control of the aircraft by joystick, keyboard, or keypad. The player uses the joystick or keypad to direct the jet’s flight; the keyboard allows the player to input other control commands. The game possesses four basic screens, each offering different aspects of the jet's flight. One screen allows the player to view the aircraft functions screen. The main display presents a real-time view of the player's Thud and the geography of the area over which the plane is flying, as well as weapons and firing information. The plane has an automatic weapons cursor, the shape of which determines the weapon in use. The Engine Function Panel can appear below the real-time graphics display, and presents factors such as the engine and nozzle temperatures and fuel levels on gauges. Other data includes the plane's throttle, an afterburner indicator, the elapsed time of the mission, a radar-lock warning, and a graphic display of the Thud and the weapons remaining aboard. Also available is a screen that shows where SAM installations are located and a map screen.Reception
The game was reviewed in 1989 in DragonDragon (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...
#151 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the game 3 out of 5 stars.
External links
- Thud Ridge at MobyGamesMobyGames-Platforms not yet included:- Further reading :* Rusel DeMaria, Johnny L. Wilson, High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games, McGraw-Hill/Osborne Media; 2 edition , ISBN 0-07-223172-6...
- Thud Ridge at GameFAQsGameFAQsGameFAQs is a website that hosts FAQs and walkthroughs for video games. It was created in November 1995 by Jeff "CJayC" Veasey and was bought by CNET Networks in May 2003. It is currently owned by CBS Interactive. The site has a database of video game information, cheat codes, reviews, game saves,...
- Thud Ridge at GameSpotGameSpotGameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...