Captain Skyhawk
System: NES
Release Date: June 1990
Developer: Rare
Publisher: Milton Bradley
Genre: Shoot ‘em Up
Aliens have invaded the Earth once again and only you can stop the horror in Captain Skyhawk! Hop in the F-14VTS and fly through 9 missions to kill the alien scum and liberate the planet. You’ll alternate between vertical scrolling levels and behind the back levels as you progress and you’ll need to have the reflexes and eye sight of an eagle to get through.
The vertical scrolling missions have one of three different objectives. You’ll need to blow up four enemy bases, drop off two loads of supplies, and rescue two scientists as you await the completion of the ultimate weapon, the Neutron Cannon. After completing your mission, you are taken to a behind the back shooting gallery where you have to ground as many enemy planes as you can. They occasionally shoot missiles at you, but they are easy to avoid. After awhile, you then have to dock at your own space station where you can upgrade your cannons and buy weapons.
On the vertical scrolling portions, you fire your cannon with the A Button. If you hold it down, you can enjoy rapid fire. Enemies are on the ground or flying and can shoot you with a little white ball. Avoid these at all costs, if you can notice them in time. You also need to avoid the terrain of the level, as running into hills and mountains will kill you instantly. Your altitude can be altered by pressing up and down to dive and climb. Your speed can also change if you hold the Select Button while pressing up or down. Barrel rolls are also possible if you hold the Select Button then pressing left or right. These are barely usable in practice.
The destroy the enemy base and pick up the scientist missions require you to defeat a base like structure. The different nodes that you must destroy shoot at you when you fly near it. Avoiding the little bullets is an easy task here, but can be quite a pain during the levels. The drop the supplies mission loops on you until you make your drop count. This is easier said than done, because the time it takes to fall depends on your altitude.
The behind the back sections exist for you to earn credits with which to outfit your plane. Every kill equates to one credit. I suggest spending as many as you can to upgrade your cannon at 10 credits a level. This upgrades the speed at which it fires. There are secondary weapons that activate with the B Button. The behind the back stage has missiles that you can lock on and fire. The vertical scrolling stages have some powerful missile blasts. At the end of the missions, you take on the enemy space station in behind the back mode. You have to destroy all 20 nodes before the center eye opens for you to poke out.
Graphics: 1.5
You’ve got Marble Madness terrain and mono color enemies.
Sound: 1.0
The sound effects weren’t bad, but there are only a couple of musical ditties between levels.
Gameplay: 1.0
They needed two more buttons on the controller to make real use of all the controls available.
Difficulty: 1.5
I don’t think the vertical scrolling levels are built with fairness in mind. The behind the back levels are simple.
Fun Factor: 1.0
I really didn’t like it at first, but then it grew on me a tiny bit.
Overall Grade: 1.2
Captain Skyhawk earns a D+. I can’t say this is a good game, but you may be able to find some enjoyment in small doses.