by D. Eric Marlow, "Snacko" January 11th, 2000

  I'm not a dogfight-shoot 'em up type player. I relish multiplayer combat, especially cooperative combat, as well as the ability to create my own missions. I feel single player is enhanced by a robust campaign and strong air-to-ground missions. I won't enter into the dynamic vs. semi-dynamic vs. scripted dialog here - that is a topic for a separate thesis. Instead I will offer that I enjoy playing a set of linked missions that have a defined purpose and offer a "wrapper" of environment around my quest.

These qualities in my mind define how long a simulation is to remain on my hard disk. Super Hornet's HDF™ is pretty low, and it probably won't stay on my hard disk past this review for all the reasons I've delineated above.

Summary

The development execution in Super Hornet is most certainly a success, but its success is offset by poor product objectives and design decisions. Excluding some quirks and inaccuracies, SH works well but in the end this product suffers because it missed the mark as to what today's simulation customers are looking for: robust campaign and multiplayer systems, high-quality graphics engine, mission building capability, and immersive environment.

Digital Integration has promised to release a GOLD version of Super Hornet sometime later this year. The specifications can be found as part of the COMBATSIM.COM™ interview HERE. Unfortunately, it appears that only the campaign system will be addressed.

While it may be easy to set any simulation up against the highest standards as I've done here, I would tend to do this ONLY when a product is attempting to capture the high end, hard-core market. From the literature on the box and on their website, little room is left to measure this product in any other way.

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Here are some of my parting thoughts:

High Points: Carrier ops, avionics, weapons modeling, and general stability

Low Points: Lack of important gameplay features, graphics and sound, and "environment"; limited multiplayer options

Rating

• Core Rating: 75%
• Gameplay: 72%
• Graphics: 70%
• Sound: 65%
• Intelligence/AI/Comms and Control: 85%
• FM, physics, weapons and systems: 80%
• User Interface/Mission Planner: 80%
• Multiplayer: 30%
• Learning Curve (in hours): 4-6 hours

• Overall Rating: 70%

Test System

• Pentium III 500
• Windows 98SE
• 256MB RAM
• Guillemot Xentor 32 TNT2
• Diamond Monster 2 SLI
• Turtle Beach Montego II PCI
• Mitsumi 32x CD-ROM
• Latest drivers on all ;-)

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