F-22 Interceptor
Encyclopedia
F-22 Interceptor is a 1991 flight simulator
created by Ned Lerner and Gene Kusmiak. It was released by Electronic Arts
and Ingram Entertainment for the Mega Drive/Genesis
.
The player controls one aircraft, the F-22 Raptor
, throughout the game. At that time, the real aircraft was known as the YF-22 Lightning II, and had only first flown in 1990. Like LHX Attack Chopper
, another flight simulator by EA, the playable aircraft had not yet been developed.
The player has three skill levels to choose from: Cadet, Training, and Combat. The player must then pick one of four campaigns: the USA
, Korea
, Iraq
, and Russia
. In each level, the player's F-22 is targeted by surface-to-air missile
s, enemy aircraft, and artillery
. The mission is to destroy the targets and complete the objectives using a wide range of missiles, from heat seeking missiles
, precision-guided bombs, and chaff
s. The aircraft is also given two cannons for engaging enemy targets.
At the end of each mission, the player is required to either land on a runway
or an aircraft carrier
. Sometimes in-flight refueling is needed to prevent the F-22 from crashing.
As the game progresses, the player will be able to unlock an Aces
campaign, where he will face off with advanced pilots from North Korea, Iraq, Russia, and the US.
The game also had a rudimentary mission editor.
There was a "hacked" mission that could be obtained if the player inputted "KOMBAT" on the password screen. If you then press A (To "use the password anyway"), you entered a mission where you were pitted in a dogfight with all of the aircraft in the game, including the KC-135 stratotanker.
Flight simulator
A flight simulator is a device that artificially re-creates aircraft flight and various aspects of the flight environment. This includes the equations that govern how aircraft fly, how they react to applications of their controls and other aircraft systems, and how they react to the external...
created by Ned Lerner and Gene Kusmiak. It was released by Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
and Ingram Entertainment for the Mega Drive/Genesis
Sega Mega Drive
The Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that...
.
The player controls one aircraft, the F-22 Raptor
F-22 Raptor
The Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor is a single-seat, twin-engine fifth-generation supermaneuverable fighter aircraft that uses stealth technology. It was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter, but has additional capabilities that include ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals...
, throughout the game. At that time, the real aircraft was known as the YF-22 Lightning II, and had only first flown in 1990. Like LHX Attack Chopper
LHX Attack Chopper
LHX Attack Chopper is a 1990 war helicopter simulation game for the PC by Electronic Arts. The game was developed by Electronic Arts, Design and Programming led by Brent Iverson, also known for the PC-DOS version of Chuck Yeager's Air Combat, and US Navy Fighters.The game was originally for PC-DOS,...
, another flight simulator by EA, the playable aircraft had not yet been developed.
The player has three skill levels to choose from: Cadet, Training, and Combat. The player must then pick one of four campaigns: the USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. In each level, the player's F-22 is targeted by surface-to-air missile
Surface-to-air missile
A surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...
s, enemy aircraft, and artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
. The mission is to destroy the targets and complete the objectives using a wide range of missiles, from heat seeking missiles
Infrared homing
Infrared homing refers to a passive missile guidance system which uses the emission from a target of electromagnetic radiation in the infrared part of the spectrum to track and follow it. Missiles which use infrared seeking are often referred to as "heat-seekers", since infrared is just below the...
, precision-guided bombs, and chaff
Chaff (radar countermeasure)
Chaff, originally called Window by the British, and Düppel by the Second World War era German Luftwaffe , is a radar countermeasure in which aircraft or other targets spread a cloud of small, thin pieces of aluminium, metallized glass fibre or plastic, which either appears as a cluster of secondary...
s. The aircraft is also given two cannons for engaging enemy targets.
At the end of each mission, the player is required to either land on a runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
or an aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
. Sometimes in-flight refueling is needed to prevent the F-22 from crashing.
As the game progresses, the player will be able to unlock an Aces
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
campaign, where he will face off with advanced pilots from North Korea, Iraq, Russia, and the US.
The game also had a rudimentary mission editor.
There was a "hacked" mission that could be obtained if the player inputted "KOMBAT" on the password screen. If you then press A (To "use the password anyway"), you entered a mission where you were pitted in a dogfight with all of the aircraft in the game, including the KC-135 stratotanker.