Comanche (series)

Comanche series
Genres	Simulation game
Developers	Novalogic
Publishers	Novalogic

Comanche is a series of simulation games published by NovaLogic.^[1] The goal of each of these games is to fly military missions in a RAH-66 Comanche attack helicopter, which was in development and prototyping at the time of release.^[2]

Comanche was the first commercial flight simulation based on voxel technology via the company's proprietary Voxel Space engine (written entirely in Assembly language). This rendering technique allowed for much more detailed and realistic terrain compared to simulations based on vector graphics at that time.^[3]

Comanche Maximum Overkill. You can see the two MPDs (Multipurpose Displays) on the sides and the two MFDs (Multifunction Displays) in the middle. The cockpit contains no analog flight instruments at all (1992)

Games

Throughout the years, several games and add-ons have been published:^[4]

• Comanche: Maximum Overkill (1992)
• Comanche: Global Challenge (1993) - three new campaigns
• Comanche: Over the Edge (1993) - four new campaigns
• Comanche CD (1994) - a compilation of Maximum Overkill and mission disks, plus 10 bonus missions. Rereleased in 1997 from SoftKey As Comanche CD Special Edition. Includes a demo of America Online, and features Windows 95 compatibility.
• Comanche 2 (1995)
• Werewolf vs Comanche 2.0 (1995) - a pack of two games with a compatible multiplayer mode
• Comanche 3 (1997)
• Comanche Gold (1998) - Comanche 3 with additional campaigns and various enhancements
• Comanche 4^[5] (2001)

A port of the original Comanche game was in development for the Super NES using the Super FX powered GSU-2,^[6] but was eventually cancelled.^[7]

Reception

Computer Gaming World's reviewer—a United States Army Aviation AH-64 pilot—liked Comanche Maximum Overkill in 1993, calling it an "eye-popping glimpse into 21st-century helicopter warfare". He stated that it created a "more believable terrain model than the Army's Combat Mission Simulator" and was the first game to replicate "the thrill of low-altitude flying". The reviewer enjoyed the flight model's stability and ease of use, and reported that the cockpit corresponded to MANPRINT ("Manpower and Personnel Integration") principles. He compared the helicopter's handling as akin to "a slug ... joystick jocks may end up gritting their teeth", and also criticized the "meager" choice of missions and enemy targets, and the unrealistically high durability and weapon loads. The reviewer nonetheless concluded that "cutting-edge graphics firepower gives [it] the edge to sweep more than a couple of competitors off the battlefield".^[8] It was nominated for an award at the 1993 Game Developers Conference.^[9]

In 1993 the pilot reviewed Mission Disk One for Computer Gaming World, stating that he "honesty expected more from an add-on disk that retails for $40". He criticized the lack of improvement in the flight model ("CMO's Comanche still flies like Barney Fife is at the controls"), and concluded that it "is like refueling a gunship without rearming it".^[10]

A reviewer for Next Generation opined that "For pure multiplayer action, Werewolf vs. Comanche is hard to beat." He noted that because the two crafts are on separate discs, gamers only needed to buy half as many copies of the game as the number of players in a networked session. He scored it four out of five stars.^[11]

References

External links

• The Comanche series at MobyGames
• Official site of Comanche 4