''PHM Pegasus'' is a ship simulation and action game released for the

Commodore 64 The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International (first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, January 7–10, 1982, in Las Vegas). It has been listed in ...

Apple II Apple II ("apple Roman numerals, two", stylized as Apple ][) is a series of microcomputers manufactured by Apple Computer, Inc. from 1977 to 1993. The Apple II (original), original Apple II model, which gave the series its name, was designed ...

, DOS, Amstrad CPC, and ZX Spectrum. The title refers to , one of the s which were used by the U.S. Navy in the 1970s. The game was developed by Lucasfilm Games and published by Electronic Arts. The game has eight different missions in which Player character, players must maneuver helicopters, convoy ships, and patrol hydrofoil missilecrafts to survey areas, clear areas of enemy ships, and escort friendly ships. Mission locations include the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...

, the

Eastern Mediterranean The Eastern Mediterranean is a loosely delimited region comprising the easternmost portion of the Mediterranean Sea, and well as the adjoining land—often defined as the countries around the Levantine Sea. It includes the southern half of Turkey ...

, the

Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...

, and the

Gulf of Sidra The Gulf of Sidra (), also known as the Gulf of Sirte (), is a body of water in the Mediterranean Sea on the northern coast of Libya, named after the oil port of Sidra or the city of Sirte. It was also historically known as the Great Sirte or G ...

. The developers of the game consulted with Boeing Marine Systems, a manufacturer of

hydrofoil A hydrofoil is a lifting surface, or foil, that operates in water. They are similar in appearance and purpose to aerofoils used by aeroplanes. Boats that use hydrofoil technology are also simply termed hydrofoils. As a hydrofoil craft gains sp ...

s, to increase the realism of the simulation.

Gameplay

''PHM Pegasus'' assigns players to the control of three different types of vehicles: Patrol Hydrofoil Missilecrafts (PHM), Seasprite and Seahawk helicopters, and

convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...

ships. The first two missions are time-limited where the player controls a PHM and must find nearby enemy crafts using the ship's 40-mile radius radar and sink them using the ship's array of weaponry. Players can fire from a manual maneuvering screen or use a pair of binoculars to identify and aim at ships. Two missions are seek-and-destroy where the player can use two helicopters to locate enemy ships in the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...

and sink them using the PHM. Another mission involves surveillance where players must navigate within 1500 feet of eight tankers suspected of carrying arms to photograph the vessels. The mission does not allow the tankers to be fired upon, so two SeaHawk helicopters must be used to scout the area before approach. The last two are escort missions: guarding a friendly vessel to its destination. The first involves protecting a convoy as it travels to port through the

. The second and final mission of the game has the player guarding a supply ship as it makes its way through the

out into the

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...

. Two helicopters are provided and prolonged enemy incursions must be minimized.

Reception

According to Noah Falstein, ''PHM Pegasus'' was Lucasfilm Games' biggest-ever hit at the time of its release, and the company's "first 100,000+ seller". ''

Compute! ''Compute!'' (), often stylized as ''COMPUTE!'', is an American home computer magazine that was published from 1979 to 1994. Its origins can be traced to 1978 in Len Lindsay's ''PET Gazette'', one of the first magazines for the Commodore PET. ...

'' called ''PHM Pegasus'' "a worthy addition to even the casual game player's collection. It's a must if you are an action fanatic looking for a new challenge". ''

Computer Gaming World ''Computer Gaming World'' (CGW) was an American Video game journalism, computer game magazine that was published between 1981 and 2006. One of the few magazines of the era to survive the video game crash of 1983, it was sold to Ziff Davis in 199 ...

'' consulted with a hydrofoil expert to review ''PHM Pegasus'' in 1987. The magazine stated that the game understated damage to the player's ship from missiles, but that the hydrofoil's velocity was realistic; the game also accurately modeled the possibility of shooting down a missile with gunfire. It concluded that "the game has a certain sameness and/or lack of elan which differentiates the truly outstanding product from the merely good one". 1992 and 1994 surveys in the magazine of wargames with modern settings gave the game two and a half stars out of five. ''

The Palm Beach Post ''The Palm Beach Post'' is an American daily newspaper serving Palm Beach County in South Florida, and parts of the Treasure Coast. On March 18, 2018, in a deal worth US$42.35 million, ''The Palm Beach Post'' and '' The Palm Beach Daily News' ...

'' stated that ''PHM: Pegasus'' was "much less successful" than the later '' Strike Fleet''.

Reviews

* ''

Casus Belli A (; ) is an act or an event that either provokes or is used to justify a war. A ''casus belli'' involves direct offenses or threats against the nation declaring the war, whereas a ' involves offenses or threats against its ally—usually one bou ...

'' #46 (August 1988) * '' Jeux & Stratégie'' #48
''Zzap'' review

References

External links

* {{MobyGames, id=/phm-pegasus

at C64Sets.com 1986 video games Amstrad CPC games Apple II games Commodore 64 games DOS games Electronic Arts games LucasArts games Ship simulation games Video games developed in the United States ZX Spectrum games