Acrojet

Did You Know?

• The sound was done by Sid Meier, who also researched the science along with programmer William 'Mike' Denman.
• Stunts were by Bill Stealey, a retired United States Air Force Lt. Colonel and Command Pilot.
• The original Commodore 64 version was programmed by William 'Mike' Denman and Edward Hill Jr.

Gameplay

In Acrojet, you pilot a BD5J, a small and nimble jet, using a joystick for flight while keyboard keys manage the throttle, speed brakes, flaps, and landing gear. Beyond basic moves like climbing or banking, the plane can perform advanced stunts such as slips and rolls. At the bottom of the screen, cockpit instruments display altitude, artificial horizon, airspeed, vertical velocity, and a radar readout. Unlike many flight simulators from its era, the view is a 3D perspective from behind the plane instead of a first-person cockpit view.

You can choose from a single event, a pentathlon, a decathlon, or an unlimited event that lets you create your own aerobatic routine or course. The game offers ten acrobatic events, playable by up to four people across four difficulty levels. In the Pylon Race, you fly around pylons and then land safely. The Slalom Race requires a figure-eight path. The Ribbon Cut asks you to break two ribbons, while the Inverted Ribbon Cut does the same but upside down. For the Ribbon Roll, you fly under one ribbon, perform a full roll, then fly under a second. The Under Ribbon Race is a slalom under three ribbons. The Under Ribbon Loop involves flying under a ribbon, looping, and passing over it upside down. In Spot Landing, you climb to 2000 feet and land as close as possible to a marked spot on the runway. The Flame-Out Landing is the same task but with no engine power.

Points are given for simply taking off and flying, with larger rewards for linking multiple stunts together. You compete against other pilots, but they never appear on screen; you only see a summary of scores after each event. Some settings, like weather conditions and pylon lethality, can be adjusted.

Reception

Compute! described Acrojet as a realistic simulation that is also fun to play, noting its accurate details and controls like other MicroProse products. Zzap!64 praised the presentation and lastability due to the many events and stunts, but gave the sound only 29%, summarizing it as an exciting flight simulator with plenty to offer and an overall 83% rating. Commodore Format criticized the jumpy graphics and poor sound, but stated that it does what it sets out to do, awarding a 75% rating.