Now this is what the japanese N64 was made for – a 360 degree flying game against mountain-sized robots.  You and four buddies, all flying planes that represent their ethnic background, obviously, do battle with rockets and bullets against wings of planes, helicopters and a level boss, usually something big, metal, and Godzilla-like in size.   The game’s fantastic if not a bit busy.  You’re given a lot to do with a fairly basic plane – sideslip, afterburners, even chaff to get rid of enemy rockets.  You own weapons will lock onto enemies and you can tell your wingmen to go get a target if you can’t be bothered.

The screenshots don’t do the game any justice at all.  Graphically, it is a fine looking game for the era – a bit polygon-mad as was most 3D games back in the day – but does the trick.  The enemies get progressively harder as the game goes on, and you don’t dare go near the larger bosses until you’ve softened them up a bit from afar (or sacrificed a few wingmen first).

There’s not much wrong with this game to be honest – rather than have a ticker flying about the screen telling you what your team is up to, it announces their successes and failures vocally.  Pretty impressive for a game in the noughties.

Playtime = 20 minutes

Verdict = Afterburner given the U.N. Squadron make-over.  Cracking waste of a few minutes.