| AeroWings | |
| Developer: | CRI Middleware |
| Director: | Toru Kujirai |
| Genre: | Flight simulator |
| Modes: | Single-player, multiplayer |
| Platforms: | Dreamcast |
AeroWings, known in Japan as, is a flight simulator for Sega's Dreamcast video game console. The player can train with squads, learn the ropes of handling the aircraft, and doing tricks after mastering the different stunts.
The difference between the Japanese and other versions outside the country was, as the Japanese version was only licensed by Japan Air Self-Defense Force's Blue Impulse aerobatic display team, it featured liveries that of the team.
AeroWings is focused on the formation flight and aerobatic, and the player is a flight team leader. The game is considered as the first true attempt of combat flight simulation on console. On the contrary of the arcade-oriented Ace Combat, AeroWings series provides fairly accurate flight physics, 3D cockpits views, real weapons loads, possibilities to take off, land on airbase or carrier, refueling and a replay video system which is able to record the entire flight and offering the possibility to create own movie with more than 30 different cameras (including the popular "shaky cam").
The game received above-average reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings. In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of 30 out of 40.
See main article: AeroWings 2: Airstrike. The second game in the series is AeroWings 2: Airstrike, or AeroWings 2: Strike Force in UK. Unlike its predecessor, it features aerial combat simulation. It was released for the Dreamcast and Windows.
The third game, Aero Dancing i, was only released in Japan, for the Dreamcast and Windows. The "i" stands for Internet, as it was the first title of the series with an online mode. It was also the first in the series to offer air-to-ground missions. On release, Famitsu magazine scored the game a 31 out of 40.[1]
See main article: Aero Elite: Combat Academy. The fourth game in the series is Aero Elite: Combat Academy. It was only released for the PlayStation 2. The last sequel of the series was also considered the best: quality graphics, very detailed and animated 3D plane models, over 60 planes to fly (including Mig 29, SU27, Mirage2000, Harrier, A10, Tornado, etc.), challenging missions and new original features like the "scramble" mode - a random interception mission where a player must take off, intercept an unknown intruder plane, take pictures to identify it, then return to the base and land to finish the mission.