Although
it can hardly be claimed to be a new product, Battle
For Midway was, in its day, one of the most ambitious
wargame titles ever released by a UK software house,
in terms of production and scope. Now seems as good
a time as any to have a look at this ageing game.
The
game, as its title suggests, is a strategic simulation
based on one of the most crucial battles from the Pacific;
the Japanese attack on the US base at Midway Island
six months after their devastating strike on Pearl Harbour.
You play the part of the American forces defending the
Island. Two fleets, two search aircraft groups and the
variety of forces based at Midway are all you have to
defend against a powerful and modern grouping of Japanese
fleets.
Once
the game is loaded, you are presented with several sequential
options, including use of joystick, game level and game
speed. The manual is presented in such a way as to guide
you through your first game, a kind of learn as you
play technique. Once the game type is selected, you
are presented with a strategic display. Depending on
the level of your game, the courses of the Japanese
forces may or may not be shown. Using a cursor you can
select information on any of your units, give movement
orders, launch attack aircraft or just stay on holding
status. Eventually, your search aircraft finds a Japanese
fleet and it stays visible while the search unit remains
in contact. You can select a search unit's report at
this stage and you are shown an overhead view of the
enemy fleet, giving you some idea of what to expect
when your forces come into contact with it.
Combat
is automatic when units are in a certain proximity,
rather like the Zone of Control effect in conventional
wargames. Combat is via the joystick. Depending on the
nature of the opposing units, it could be air-to-air,
air-to-ground or ground-to-air. The displays vary as
a result, but from this point on, it's a case of how
good your joystick handling ability is.
Airborne
units must be used wisely in defence or attack formations
and a watch must be kept on how much flight time there
is remaining for a given unit before it plunges into
the sea. Aircraft carrier decks must also be maintained
wisely, if confusion is to be avoided during take offs
and landings.
Strategy
revolves around the fact that if you hit the Japanese
Forces hard enough and before they manage to hit you,
you've won. Essentially, this involves keeping the enemy
off the island itself, keeping your aircraft carriers
afloat and sinking the enemy carriers. Time is an important
factor, as you set the rate at which time passes during
the game. On a high level, the amount of time you have
to respond to sightings is minimal.
Battle
for Midway has impressive points. Presentation is
to a very high standard as far as British products go.
The game itself is fast and responsive, with rules almost
anybody could pick up. Nevertheless, from a wargaming
point of view it is most seriously flawed. The main
problem is the necessity of being successful in the
arcade sections of the game. They don't really do that
much harm to the game as such (although the graphics
could have been better), but they are out of place in
a wargame.
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