Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe
Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe was one of the first and best-known Flight Simulators developed by Lawrence Holland and his Totally Games! studio at the behest of LucasArts. As the name implies, the player took on the role of a fighter pilot during later stages of World War II flying against (and in) the feared "secret weapons of the Luftwaffe." Players can fly a wide range of aircraft, from the Luftwaffe mainstays, the BF-109 and FW-190, to the exotic Me-262 and Go-229 jet fighters and Me-163 Komet rocket-propelled fighter; the Allied campaign supplied P-47s, P-51s, and - a rarity amongst fighter-centric flight sims - the B-17 heavy bomber.
The game combines the Flight Simulation with a surprisingly good strategic campaign where the player designates bombing missions and targets or manages the German war machine, overseeing production and research of aerial warfare related industries.
The success of this game, and the later development of a true polygon-based 3D engine, convinced Holland and LucasArts to commission Star Wars-themed flight sims, namely Star Wars: X-Wing and TIE Fighter.
Also memorable for its intro and instrumental theme tune.
- All There in the Manual: In order to truly grasp and appreciate the significance and history of the aircraft and the missions they flew, the player had to go in with at least some background knowledge in WWII already.
- Alternate History: A lot of the missions are truly historical, but a few (namely those involving the G-229, which never saw combat service) are purely theoretical.
- Awesome but Impractical: As in Real Life, many Secret Weapons are a liability, a great drain on resources with very little usability. E.g; the ME-163 has a so limited range that it can only be on the air for a few minutes.
- Awesome but Practical: The ME-262 jetplane is an amazing fighter that outclasses most of its rivals and has a decent range.
- Doomed by Canon: No matter how well the German air superiority campaing is managed, the Anglo-Americans would still advance from Normandy and the Soviets from the east.
- Escort Mission: Many, the main goal of American fighters is to protect B-17 bombers against German interceptors.
- Hello, Insert Name Here: The player remain anonymous throughout both campaigns, but the pilots used can be named.
- It's Up to You: The IA is quite decent and bombers tend to accurately hit their targets but the damage inflicted is very limited, the player is encouraged to strafe-bomb the target for greater success.
- Monster Compendium: The pilot's roster keeps a detailed account of aerial victories and other statistics.
- No Campaign for the Wicked: Averted, as the player can play out the events of WWII (and some fictional What If missions) on either side.
- Old School Dogfighting: Including Chasing Your Tail and Lead the Target.
- Stupid Jetpack Hitler: Right there in the title.
- Turn-Based Strategy: The game has a strategic component below the flight simulation: Three air superiority campaings for each side. A bit limited for the American Marshall who just transfers planes and assigns targets to achieve the established goals, but a very thorough one for the German Marshall, who not only defends the Reich but also gets to manage logistics, production and research. The titular Secret Weapons can be deployed soon enough to make an impact.