Jane's AH-64D Longbow
1996 video game
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
AH-64D Longbow is a realistic combat flight simulation video game based on the AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopter. It was developed by Origin Systems for MS-DOS and released on June 3, 1996 by Electronic Arts. AH-64D Longbow is the second simulator released in the Jane's Combat Simulators line.
| Jane's AH-64D Longbow | |
|---|---|
| |
| Developer | Origin Systems |
| Publisher | Electronic Arts |
| Director | Will McBurnett |
| Producer | Andy Hollis |
| Artist | Paul Stankie |
| Composer | Barry Leitch |
| Series | Jane's Combat Simulations |
| Platforms | MS-DOS, Windows |
| Release | June 3, 1996[1] April 2, 1997 (Windows)[2] |
| Genre | Combat flight simulation |
| Mode | Single-player |
A mission disk Flash Point: Korea was released as an add-in in 1996, and a compilation pack, Longbow Gold was released in 1997. A sequel, Longbow 2 was released in late 1997 with Windows support. In 1998, Longbow Anthology was released, which includes the whole Longbow series.
Gameplay
The game had the most authentic flight model for a helicopter for its time[citation needed] and every aspect of the electronics systems was meticulously detailed. The weapons have realistic operational ranges and limits, and all friendly and enemy units arer based on their real-life counterparts. A wingman helps the player, and the player takes on Russian equipment in multiple single missions and campaigns, as well as a handful of historically accurate missions in which it is possible to 're-live' memorable battles.
Flash Point: Korea was released on November 30, 1996. It features a new campaign set in Korea, the addition of the co-pilot position, improved wingman commands and many bug fixes.
Release
Longbow Gold came out in April 1997.[2] It is a compilation pack featuring the AH-64D Longbow and Flash Point: Korea add-ons. It includes a Windows executable. Also included is the 3Dfx update, which adds a Glide renderer.
Longbow Anthology was released in 1998 and is a compilation of Jane's AH-64D Longbow, the mission disk Flash Point: Korea, and Longbow 2 in one box, with an abbreviated manual. A Limited Edition was also released, removing the campaign mode and marketed as a budget title.
Reception
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Next Generation | 5/5[3] |
| Computer Game Review | 92/100[4] |
| PC Games | A−[5] |
AH-64D Longbow debuted at No. 4 on PC Data's monthly computer game sales chart for June 1996.[6] The game fell to position 14 the following month, before rising back into the top 10 in August and exiting the top 20 in September.[7][8] In the United States, the game sold 106,423 copies and earned $4.78 million by October 1999.[9] Global shipments of AH-64D Longbow ultimately surpassed 600,000 copies. The Longbow franchise as a whole, including the compilations and Jane's Longbow 2, shipped above 1.2 million units.[10]
The reviewer for Next Generation praised the option to choose from nine different levels of realism, and the game's unique mission design.[3]
Longbow was named the best flight simulator of 1996 by PC Gamer,[11] GameSpot,[12] Computer Gaming World and Computer Games Strategy Plus.[13][14] CNET Gamecenter and the Computer Game Developers Conference nominated it in their "Best Simulation Game" categories, but these went to NASCAR Racing 2 and MechWarrior 2: Mercenaries, respectively.[15][16][17] In 1996, Computer Gaming World ranked it as the 100th best game of all time for being "the first helicopter sim to match its fixed wing counterparts for realistic play".[18] That same year, it was also ranked as the 73rd top game of all time by Next Generation, for being "an unbeatable marriage of graphics, gameplay, and armor-blasting fun".[19]
Flashpoint Korea
The editors of PC Gamer US named Flashpoint Korea 1996's "Best Expansion Pack", and wrote that it "practically makes [Longbow] a whole new game".[11] Flashpoint: Korea was also a finalist for Computer Gaming World's 1996 "Best Enhancement of an Existing Game" award,[20] which ultimately went to Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal.[13]
