''Fleet Defender'' is a

combat flight simulator Combat flight simulators are vehicle simulation games, amateur flight simulation computer programs used to simulate military aircraft and their operations. These are distinct from dedicated flight simulators used for professional pilot and mil ...

published by

MicroProse MicroProse is an American video game publisher and video game developer, developer founded by Bill Stealey, Sid Meier, and Andy Hollis in 1982. It developed and published numerous games, including starting the ''Civilization (series), Civilizat ...

in 1994. The game uses the F-14B version of the

F-14 Tomcat The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is an American carrier-capable supersonic, twin-engine, tandem two-seat, twin-tail, all-weather-capable variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. The Tomcat was developed for the United States Navy's Naval Fighter Experi ...

even where anachronistic because the developers found the original, underpowered F-14A unforgiving and "not much fun" in an entertainment flight simulator. An

expansion pack An expansion pack, expansion set, supplement, or simply expansion, is an addition to an existing role-playing game, tabletop game, video game, collectible card game or Miniature wargaming, miniature wargame. An expansion may introduce new rules ...

, ''Fleet Defender: Scenario'', and a

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manch ...

for the

PC-98 The , commonly shortened to PC-98 or simply , is a lineup of Japanese 16-bit and 32-bit Personal computer, personal computers manufactured by NEC from 1982 to 2003. While based on Intel processors, it uses an in-house architecture making it inc ...

were released in 1995.

Tommo Tommo Inc. is an American video game publisher based in City of Industry, California. Founded in 1990, Tommo started out as a small independent distributor of imported video games. Since 2006, Tommo also operates a publishing subsidiary, UFO In ...

purchased the rights to this game and digitally published it through its

Retroism Tommo Inc. is an American video game publisher based in City of Industry, California. Founded in 1990, Tommo started out as a small independent distributor of imported video games. Since 2006, Tommo also operates a publishing subsidiary, UFO In ...

brand in 2015.

Gameplay

''Fleet Defender'' models detailed carrier operations including air traffic and take-off/landing under various conditions. The player has control of both the pilot and radar intercept officer (RIO) who manages the

AWG-9 The AN/AWG-9 and AN/APG-71 radars are all-weather, multi-mode X band pulse-Doppler radar systems used in the F-14 Tomcat, and also tested on TA-3B. It is a long-range air-to-air system capable of guiding several AIM-54 Phoenix or AIM-120 AMRA ...

radar. Emphasis is placed on using the

AIM-54 Phoenix The AIM-54 Phoenix is an American active radar-guided, beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (AAM), carried in clusters of up to six missiles on the Grumman F-14 Tomcat, its only operational launch platform. The AIM-54 Phoenix was the United S ...

missile as a standoff weapon where possible, rather than engaging the more nimble Soviet fighters in close-quarters dogfighting. Wingmen formations and support aircraft can also be controlled; unlike previous MicroProse simulations, as ''Computer Gaming World'' reported in 1994, "No longer do you alone, armed with a single aircraft and eight missiles, engage the entire third world". Three campaign theaters are included in the original game: The Oceana training theater, the North Cape theater, and the Mediterranean theater (

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, the

Balkans The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...

, and part of

North Africa North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...

Reception

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 ...

'' in June 1994 said that "''Fleet Defender'' pushes the envelope of desktop computers" but "strikes a very good balance between game play and pure graphic orgasm". Describing the game as a "tactical flight simulator" unlike a "close-in dog fighter like '' Falcon 3''", it liked the accurate

flight envelope In aerodynamics, the flight envelope, service envelope, or performance envelope of an aircraft or spacecraft refers to the capabilities of a design in terms of airspeed and load factor or atmospheric density, often simplified to altitude. The ...

, "extensive wingman controls", and "very good" enemy AI. The magazine concluded that "''Fleet Defender'' is an outstanding simulator that will serve to reestablish MicroProse as a major player in the flight sim wars".

References

External links

*{{MobyGames, id=/fleet-defender, name=''Fleet Defender''
Player's Guide
1994 video games Combat flight simulators DOS games Linux games MicroProse games NEC PC-9801 games Single-player video games Tommo games Video games developed in the United States Windows games