A High Flyer!

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Take an arcade-type shoot-'em-up game, combine it with a strategic wargame. and just for good measure throw in a llight simulator, and you end up with Combat Lynx from Durell.

The idea is that you pilot a Lynx helicopter around a bat tlefield trying to defend bases while at the same time attemp ting to destroy the enemy aircraft and artillery.

Your helicopter is equipped with a variety of weapons, but to obtain these you first have to land at any base. Having landed, you may arm up with a selection of weapons.

Having equipped the Lynx, it's off into combat.

While flying around the skies, you find yourself under constant attack from enemy missiles. This part of the program I found most frustrating.

There seems to be too many missiles being fired, and it is virtually a full-time job just trying to avoid them - which leaves little time to concentrate on other matters like navigation and attacking the enemy.

The program has an excellent screen display, the lower half showing various instruments and gauges to aid flying and navigation, as well as informa tion on the current state of your weaponry.

In the top half of the screen, the helicopter can be seen flying over the landscape. It's almost a pilot's-eye view, but seen from behind the helicopter.

The view is very colourful and realistic, with houses and trees scattered over the landscape zooming into view as you fly over them - or into them!

The level of the terrain is constantly changing, and your altitude must be carefully adjus ted to avoid flying into trees. An altitude gauge is displayed to the left of the screen, and it is necessary to keep a careful eye on this to avoid hitting the deck.

A scrolling intelligence map can also be displayed, on which the position of your bases and enemy tanks can be seen, thus giving you some idea of which direction you should be travelling.

This is an excellent game, offering far more than the run-of-the-mill shoot-'em-up game. I would have liked to see a practice mode, to allow flying without being constantly attacked. Nevertheless, highly recommended.

Geoff Turner