2 Titles for the Tough and the Trigger Happy

Nothing erases a bad week quite like flying a heavily armored, heavily armed Apache helicopter over enemy territory, blowing up everything in sight. Since no one in their right mind would let me within 100 yards of one of these bad boys, I have to get my jollies at home with virtual flight--which is probably about as real as I’d ever want it to get anyway.

Lucky for me, there is a huge library of chopper sims to choose from. And while most early 32-bit chopper games never seemed to get off the ground, two new titles deliver play that’s relentlessly fast and unforgiving.

Electronic Arts’ Soviet Strike for Sony PlayStation updates the immensely popular 16-bit Strike series, in which players pilot Apaches through some heinous firefights. With its distinctive three-quarters view, great terrain and enough firepower to turn Las Vegas into dust, Soviet Strike makes for an enjoyable weekend of stress relief.

Fans of the old Strike games will appreciate how control has been duplicated, so the learning curve is pretty short. That’s a good thing, since enemies start locking on within a few seconds of takeoff. Even during down times, players must constantly monitor their fuel supply or hunt for more. This is not a game for the weak at heart.

And only the truly tough should even dare to take Black Dawn from Virgin Interactive out for a spin on PlayStation. The default view of Black Dawn is right inside the cockpit of a Mohawk attack helicopter--if it was any more real the game would come packed with air sickness bags.

Like Soviet Strike, the fire is fast and furious. But it seems a lot more personal because of the first-person perspective. It’s also tougher to maneuver because of the limited view, which is more realistic than Soviet Strike’s three-quarter perspective.

I had a kick playing Black Dawn, but was quickly killed every time I played. I enjoy a good flight sim as much as the next guy, but some of the control was too tough for my feeble brain to master. I spent a lot of time watching the ground jump up to meet me. Players who like a challenge, though, will love Black Dawn.

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Fighting Vipers: I’ve noted before how disturbing it is to see fighting games featuring kids or teenagers. While fighters are among my favorite genre, I just don’t think digital tykes ought to be duking it out on the screen. Call me a prude.

The latest game to raise my ire is Fighting Vipers for Sega Saturn. None of the combatants in this grunge grudge match are over 20. The youngest is a 14-year-old junior high school kid named Picky who whacks opponents on the head with his skateboard.

As a game, Fighting Vipers is as good as they come. The range of moves is incredible and the fighting action is as slick and fast as any other title. But the age of the fighters ruined the game for me. I know they’re made-up characters, but the message is just plain wrong.

Kids get enough crummy messages from television and other sources. They don’t need to see kids who look a lot like they do punching and kicking each other in caged rings. That hits a little too close to home for my tastes.

Staff writer Aaron Curtiss reviews video games every Thursday. To comment on a column or to suggest games for review, send letters to The Times, 20000 Prairie St., Chatsworth, CA 91311. Or send e-mail to Aaron.C[email protected]