Tomahawk for Atari 8-bit computers | Review
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Tomahawk is a real-time three-dimensional flight and combat simulator that recreates the Apache AH-64A - considered the world's deadliest attack helicopter.
It offers four different missions: from simple flight practice modes to combat skirmishes with batteries, tanks and hostile aircraft. In addition, it is possible to adjust the weather conditions, the time (day or night) and the level of difficulty for each mission.The Apache has a lethal arsenal comprised of three weapons systems – machine gun, rockets and guided missiles. Each weapon has a different range, so identifying the right weapon for each situation is crucial.
TOMAHAWK
Posted by:Digital Integration, 1986.Gender: Helicopter simulator.
Extra: 1 player, joystick and keyboard.
GAME MENU
First of all, we need to make sure that the joystick is connected to port 2. We cycle through the options by pressing the trigger button.Mission number: 1 to 4.
Action: Day/night.
Weather conditions: Clear / cloudy.
Crosswinds and turbulence.
Difficulty: Trainee pilot, squadron leader, instructor, ace.
Sound: On/Off.
Start mission.
MISSIONS
Mission 1 - Training flight:Strictly for training purposes: allows you to familiarize yourself with helicopter handling and develop essential attack skills. Enemies on the ground will not respond to your fire. Reload weapons and fuel as often as necessary.
Mission 2 - Combat:
Short mission involving the invasion of four allied sectors by enemy ground forces. By selecting map mode, we will see the sectors in question, flashing to indicate the presence of hostile forces. Our mission is to clear the four sectors, destroying the ground targets. At the end, we must land on the nearest runway.
Mission 3 – Combat:
Completely surrounded by hostile territory, we must try to rid the entire map of enemy occupation. Each hostile sector becomes an allied one as ground targets are destroyed, allowing us to land and reload weapons, fuel, etc.
Mission 4 - Combat:
Our task will be to support the allied ground forces along the entire battlefront. As each sector is cleared of enemy ground forces, the vanguard will advance to the right until it has cleared a complete row. Conversely, if the enemy succeeds in destroying our ground forces, the sector will become hostile territory and the front line will advance to the left. Each time a row is completely cleared or occupied, it is out of play.
Important: We have a total of three helicopters for each mission.
GAME SCREEN
The horizon is represented by a line across the middle of the screen. The landscape consists of airstrips, buildings, trees, mountains, transmission antennas, enemy tanks, anti-aircraft batteries and helicopters, represented as three-dimensional line drawings.The instrument panel, with all the information you need to complete your missions, occupies the bottom half of the screen.
CONTROLS
Change time signature mode - C keyNext Target - N Key
Switch weapons - P key (machine gun, rockets, missiles)
Pause - H key
Continue - J key
Map Mode - M Key
Activate acceleration - W key
Disable acceleration - S key
Collective takeoff/ascend lever - Q key
Collective lever for landing/descending - Key A
Tilt Right - X Key
Tilt Left - Z Key
Control + Return - Abort the current mission and return to the main menu.
ARMAMENT
Our Apache helicopter is equipped with:A machine gun with 1200 rounds; with a maximum range of 2000 feet.
38 rockets with a range of 4000 feet.
Eight laser-guided Hellfire missiles with a range of 3.1 miles.
The machine gun and rockets have only manual tracking, meaning the target must be in sight when firing the weapon or appear in TADS.
Missiles will automatically home in on any hostile targets visible on screen. The target tracking system is represented by a dotted square that turns solid.
The helicopter must be in the air in order to fire its weapons.
THE MAP
We use the M key to select the map or to return to the normal view. Our helicopter appears with a flashing icon with a tail. Enemy helicopters do not have tails.Each sector contains eight targets to destroy, giving a total of 1024 possible targets across the map. Approach a neighboring sector after destroying all targets in the current sector, either by flying directly in or landing on an airstrip and then moving off the map.
In this mode, we can move to any allied sector using the cursor keys or the joystick. This way, we avoid long straight or level flights to visit each sector.
FLIGHT DYNAMICS
Takeoff:- Press W until THR and RPM are raised to 80%.
- Press Q to raise TORR and gain altitude - at least 150 feet.
- When you want to stabilize the helicopter (stop gaining altitude), press A.
Advance:
- Use the X or Z keys to turn the helicopter to the right or left, respectively.
- Tilt the nose of the helicopter about 20° to begin moving forward.
- Maintain that angle until the speed reaches about 100 knots.
- Note that when accelerating, altitude decreases. Press Q to avoid losing altitude.
Deceleration:
- Gently lift the nose of the helicopter by pulling back the joystick repeatedly. The craft will begin to slow down and also climb.
- Reduce the climb rate by reducing collective (A key).
- If the forward speed drops below 60 km/h, increase the collective (Q key) to counteract the rate of descent.
- Allow the nose of the helicopter to return to level flight as speed approaches zero.
Landing:- The helicopter can land from the hovering state (vertical descent) or in forward motion of less than 60 km.
- The maximum rate of descent upon landing must not exceed 12 feet per second.
SCORE
| Weapon used | Anti-aircraft battery | Tank | Helicopter |
| Machine gun | 20 | 100 | |
| Rockets | 10 | 20 | 50 |
| Missiles | 5 | 10 | 25 |
It is not possible to destroy a tank with the machine gun.
Destroying allied forces results in a total loss of points.
ASSESSMENT
Tomahawk has its 3-D graphics and captivating action in its favor, as well as its comparatively simpler controls than other programs of its genre. However, as notedGeorge Hulseman in Atari Explorer magazine (November/December 1989, pp.54-55), the game suffers from two tragic flaws: first, the impossibility of saving the progress of a game. And secondly, the monotony of clearing each sector of enemy objectives: missions three and four require significant amounts of time to complete all 128 sectors, each of which contains eight objectives, for a total of 1024 objectives.Posted by
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