Starfighter 3000 came out first on the
Risc OS platform but soon spread out to just about every system going. It was essentialy a
flight simulator but struck just the right balance between realistic response, and lots of big
explosions and
dogfights. Unlike the more
arcade based flight games such as
Starfox you were allowed to free range around the level, but unlike more realistic flight simulators the controls were dead simple and you didn't need a
pilots
licence just to get off the runway. The premise is just brilliant:
Quoted from ISV products who sell Starfighter (www.isvproducts.co.uk/games/sf3000.htm)
"The year is 3037, and peak-time TV has acquired its most successful audience participation show ever. A result of the intensified battle for advertising revenue and military hardware between the two rival broadcasting companies, Fednet and TrashTV, lucky viewers were selected from thousands of applicants to take part in the Star Fighter UEP (Ultimate Expansion Programme).
The idea was simple ... Assemble an enormous military attack force around progressively difficult strategic locations (mostly belonging to TrashTV), invite viewers to take part in the ensuing battle, and broadcast the results ...unfortunately, the battle soon escalated into a universal conflict. TrashTV quickly made a number of allies, (mainly on the promise of cheap advertising), each being a powerful military force in the galaxy.
It's your job to eliminate the opposition, and everybody else that stands in the way of Fednet's rightful position as the only purveyor of quality entertainment through the known universe. Destroy their buildings, Exterminate their armies, Grind them into the dust, all for points and prizes. "