''A-10 Cuba!'' is a
flight simulator
A flight simulator is a device that artificially re-creates aircraft flight and the environment in which it flies, for pilot training, design, or other purposes. It includes replicating the equations that govern how aircraft fly, how they rea ...
computer game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This feedbac ...
developed by
Parsoft Interactive and published by
Activision
Activision Publishing, Inc. is an American video game publisher based in Santa Monica, California. It serves as the publishing business for its parent company, Activision Blizzard, and consists of several subsidiary studios. Activision is one ...
in 1996 for
Windows
Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for ...
and
Mac
Mac or MAC most commonly refers to:
* Mac (computer), a family of personal computers made by Apple Inc.
* Mackintosh, a raincoat made of rubberized cloth
* A variant of the word macaroni, mostly used in the name of the dish mac and cheese
* Mac, ...
. The game was a sequel to the Mac-exclusive ''
A-10 Attack!''. A third game in the series, titled ''A-10 Gulf!'', was slated for release in 1997
but later cancelled.
Gameplay
It features an
A-10 Thunderbolt II
The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is a single-seat, twinjet, twin-turbofan, straight wing, straight-wing, Subsonic aircraft, subsonic attack aircraft developed by Fairchild Aircraft, Fairchild Republic for the United States Air Force ...
on a mission to defeat
guerrilla forces at
Guantánamo Bay, Cuba
Guantánamo (, , ) is a municipality and city in southeast Cuba and capital of Guantánamo Province.
Guantánamo is served by the Caimanera port near the site of a U.S. naval base. The area produces sugarcane and cotton wool. These are tradit ...
. As in most war flight simulator games, the main objectives contain defending an airbase, destroying ships, bridges, tanks or buildings and escorting other aircraft.
''A-10 Cuba!'' was the long-awaited sequel to the original ''
A-10 Attack!'' flight simulator. ''A-10 Cuba!'' had the same impressive flight model as its predecessor, except the graphics had become significantly more detailed and thus required a computer with a bit more power. Graphical and other improvements included tire smoke when landing or skidding, runway taxi-way lighting, the
Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command (ACC) is one of nine Major Commands (MAJCOMs) in the United States Air Force, reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force (HAF) at the Pentagon. It is the primary provider of air combat forces for the Air Force, and i ...
insignia on most U.S. aircraft, increased number of
polygons
In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure that is described by a finite number of straight line segments connected to form a closed '' polygonal chain'' (or ''polygonal circuit''). The bounded plane region, the bounding circuit, or the two t ...
(making objects appear much more round than they appeared in ''A-10 Attack!''), and weapon damage was significantly upgraded (increased realism) and ground vehicle physics were more realistic. However, the
Windows
Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for ...
version lacked the comprehensive mission editor and map view available in both the
Macintosh
The Mac (known as Macintosh until 1999) is a family of personal computers designed and marketed by Apple Inc. Macs are known for their ease of use and minimalist designs, and are popular among students, creative professionals, and software en ...
version and in ''
A-10 Attack!''.
A-10 Cuba! has four practice levels, Take off, Landing, Air to Ground, and Air to Air. Each training level takes place in the desert area of the game.
Reception
The game received mixed reviews upon release. Its simple but high performing graphics were praised while its documentation and features were found lacking.
''
Macworld
''Macworld'' is a website dedicated to products and software of Apple Inc., published by Foundry, a subsidiary of IDG Inc. It started life as a print magazine in 1984 and had the largest audited circulation (both total and newsstand) of Macin ...
''s Michael Gowan wrote that the game features "the best flight modeling of any Mac flight sim". Although he found the game somewhat inferior to ''
F/A-18 Korea'', he summarized that ''A-10 Cuba!'' "offers great game play, varied missions, and rough-and-tumble network play."
See also
*
A-10 Tank Killer
''A-10 Tank Killer'' is a 1989 combat flight simulation video game for DOS developed and published by Dynamix. An Amiga version was released in 1990. The game features an A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft. Following the success of ''Red Baro ...
(1989/90)
*
A-10 Attack! (1995)
*
Silent Thunder: A-10 Tank Killer II (1996)
References
External links
*{{moby game, id=/a-10-Cuba
A-10 Cuba! Review
1996 video games
Combat flight simulators
Windows games
Classic Mac OS games
Video games set in Cuba
Cold War video games
Multiplayer and single-player video games
Video games developed in the United States
Parsoft Interactive games