What is Falcon MC?

Falcon MC (Macintosh Color) is the most realistic combat flight simulator for the Macintosh. It effectively and accurately reflects the performance and capabilities of the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon within the limitations of a personal computer. This game is the result of years of development and research which started wtih the place itself.

-- FALCON MC Flight Manual, 1st Edition

S/N: 022070

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Whether you're an armchair jet-jockey or an experienced fighter pilot, you’ll be impressed by this incarnation of the original Macintosh combat flight simulator, Falcon. The new release adds 4-bit color, enhanced graphics, and even more sophistication than its predecessor.

Falcon MC simulates the F-16 Fighting Falcon jet fighter, the aircraft that achieved fame during the Gulf War for its television- and laser-guided bombs. The comprehensive manual includes a handy quick-start section, as well as thorough briefings on F-16 systems, flying techniques, and fighter tactics. You can fly the simulator using the keyboard, the mouse, or an attached Gravis MouseStick or MouseStickII. The F16’s complex controls make a MouseStick recommended equipment for serious play. You can optionally connect a second MouseStick for use as a throttle — a welcome help during dicey dogfights.

Falcon MC flies in an imaginary world, where an aggressive country threatens its helpless neighbor. A dozen missions take you to various enemy targets; you’re scored on your ability to complete the mission and on the number of bandits you take out in the process. Before takeoff you must load your stores, including missiles, bombs, fuel tanLs, and electronic countermeasures. Your choices are limited by weight and mounting requirements, and each additional package increases drag, reducing your maneuverability. Once you’re mission-ready, you proceed through an authentic jet-engine start sequence, complete with realistic sounds and the takeoff roll.

In the air, your primary flight instrument is the heads-up display (HUD). Found in all modern fighters, the HUD projects crucial information about altitude, airspeed, heading, and attitude directly onto your windscreen. Falcon MC’s HUD is uncannily authentic in its depiction of flight data. You also have forward, left, and right views inside the cockpit to scan less-frequently-used controls and indicators. A radar display works as a moving-map readout and TV-guided weapon monitor. You can aim weapons using your eye, the radar display, or a missile-mounted TV camera. You can even call up the missile-camera display after launch, replicating those stunning bomb’s-eye views seen during the Gulf War.

As you fly around Falcon’s world, you’re treated to a colorful 3-D view showing sky, plains, mountains, lakes, airports, and buildings. A voice message system alerts you to dangerous conditions, and you can listen to radio traffic for warning of nearby enemies. If you don’t want to fly one of the preprogrammed missions, you can jump right into the middle of an ongoing dogfight. And if you’ve got another Mac handy, two can play together head-to-head.

There is very little to dislike about Falcon MC. The disk is copy-protected, but it’s a one-time-only copy protection — you’re asked to look up something from the manual upon initial installation. The program uses a fixed-size window small enough to fit a Mac Classic screen, even though the only small-screen Mac Falcon MC runs on is the Color Classic. Because it’s so complex, the HUD would be well served by the ability to use more screen area. That same complexity also slows the screen redraw rate, which is unacceptable on a 16MHz Mac unless you turn off all scenery rendering. Even on an accelerated Mac IIci, the redraw rate is unexceptional, although acceptable. But those are minor inconveniences easily forgotten once you’ve got that MiG in your sights.

Beckman, Mel. (December 1993). Falcon MC 1.0. Macworld. (pg. 88).

Download Falcon MC for Mac

Architecture

Motorola 68K

System Requirements

From Mac OS 6.0 up to Mac OS 9.2

Compatibility notes

• 68020 CPU or newer
• At least 4MB of RAM
• Mac OS 6.0.5 - Mac OS 9.2.2
• A monitor supporting 16 colors or mode (4-bits mode)
• 32-bit QuickDraw

Emulating this? It could probably run under: Basilisk II