Game requirements: Windows 98, ME, 2000, XP, Pentium II 450 MHz, with 100 MHz Bus, Ram 128MB Required, Hard Drive Space required min installs 250 MB, CDROM 4X or higher Windows compatible sound card, Video Card 3D min 16 MB Ram, Directx 8+, Joystick or mouse, Single or multiply (up to 16 players Nova world) or LAN. Rated: Teen 13-Violence Test System: Intel PIII CPU, 1.2 MHz, 133 Bus, 256MB Ram, Windows XP. ATI Radeon 7500 video card 64MB Ram, Creative Labs SoundBlaster live sound card, Logitech Wingman Extreme 3D Joystick USB.

The NovaLogic box listed Comanche 4 A a blood pumping, eye popping action shooter in the sky.@ A long time fan of the Comanche helicopter simulators, I could not resist and purchased a copy of the new game. The new Comanche version exceeded any of my expectations, and the buildings, ground targets, and terrain modelling is stunning. The best-selling Comanche series returns with a fast-paced action game that places the armchair pilot at the controls of a Comanche RAH-66 helicopter. In six single player campaigns and multilayer, the game combines serious firepower with effortless controls and stunning, interactive terrain. As the pilot of Griffon 2-6, you are sent on many hair-raising action packed missions.

The desk chair pilot will have sweaty palms from this intense helicopter simulator, as you go on mission after mission. Most of my crashes and loss were not from enemy fire, but from hitting trees, wires, buildings, and flying to low to the ground. As you skim along the ground, you can see the rotor wash blowing up dust around the Comanche, then with a thud you realize you have just slammed into the ground.

Caution is needed when flying near the trees or forests, as the trees are closer then they appear. Armchair pilots need to be extremely careful when flying between trees, so not to damage the rotor blades. I crashed many times during the heat of battle, when attempting to fly between trees to attack or escape a pursing enemy copter. Not all is lost if the Comanche becomes damaged. In most cases if you fly to a FARP (Forward arming and refuelling point) the battle damage is repaired, and the copter rearmed and refuelled. There is danger when the helicopter is damaged as you head for a A FARP,@ as the enemy may find you and attack. As with any game, the higher more advanced a campaign the more difficult the level becomes to complete. One interesting and surprising feature of the game happens if you stray from the mission and go exploring the terrain.

Be on guard as the copter flies around a bend or in a valley, the enemy will suddenly appear in force and attack from various directions. To survive in Comanche you need to fly low and fast and avoid wasting ammunition and fuel on targets of opportunity. In addition to a fast computer and 3D graphic card, user needs a responsive joystick. The creative programmers at NovaLogic succeeded in creating the best helicopter simulator I have seen on the current game market, which I hope, is not the last in the series. If you enjoy flight simulators, pick up a copy of Comanche 4 for many hours of flying fun.