Pilotwings

Pilotwings
Developer(s)	Nintendo EAD
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Designer(s)	Shigeru Miyamoto (producer) Tadashi Sugiyama (director)
Composer(s)	Koji Kondo Soyo Oka
Platform(s)	Super NES, Virtual Console
Release date(s)	SNES JP December 21, 1990[1] NA August 13, 1991[1] EU January 21, 1993[1] Virtual Console PAL August 21, 2009[2] NA December 28, 2009[3]
Genre(s)	Flight simulator
Mode(s)	Single-player
Rating(s)	ESRB: E PEGI: 7
Media	4-megabit cartridge
Input methods	Super NES controller

Pilotwings (パイロットウイングス^?) is a Nintendo video game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). The game was developed by Nintendo's Entertainment Analysis and Development (EAD) division led by producer Shigeru Miyamoto. Pilotwings was originally released in Japan in 1990 as a launch title for the system. It was later released as an early SNES title in both North America and Europe. A flight simulator game, Pilotwings has the player attempt to earn pilot licenses through lessons in light plane flight, use of a rocketbelt, hang gliding, and skydiving. Added to these are levels involving an attack helicopter and bonus stages. To increase the realism of its flight simulation, the game extensively utilizes the SNES's Mode 7 capability, which mimics 3D graphics by rotation and scaling of flat objects.

Pilotwings was well-received upon its release due its overall graphical presentation. The game has since been featured on the Wii's Virtual Console in Europe. A release on the North American Virtual Console is scheduled by the end of 2009. A sequel named Pilotwings 64 was released for the Nintendo 64 in 1996. Despite numerous announcements and rumors over the years, Nintendo has yet to release another title in the Pilotwings series.

Gameplay

The game takes place in a series of training areas called the Flight Club. The objective of the game is for the player to pass each training area and earn licenses based on the difficulty of the courses. In each area there is a number of events that can be tackled in any order. In these events, the player controls one of four different aerial vehicles and must complete a task (usually flying through various floating markers) within a time limit. Upon completion or failure of the task, the player is scored points and receives comments from the instructors.^[4] Points are awarded on criteria such as time to complete the event, accuracy of the landing, and completion of certain tasks such as flying through colored rings or light orbs. To complete the training area, the combined scores from each event must exceed a certain threshold. Each training area can be attempted as often as necessary, and passwords allow the player to return to a stage.^[4]

The first event, the light plane, is featured on all training areas. Speed can be increased and decreased with the throttle. The player must fly through a guide path of orbs, or rings of orbs, and then attempt to land on the runway.^[5] In some cases the player starts on the runway and must take off as well as land. Landing too hard or with too much bank can wreck the aircraft. The second event, skydiving, is performed from a rope ladder hanging from a helicopter at altitude. Maneuvering is controlled by leaning forward and back, and rotating on the horizontal axis. Once the player reaches a certain altitude, the parachute is deployed manually. It can be rotated left and right as well as flared. The player must attempt to fly through a series of rings of orbs in the sky, before deploying the parachute, and attempting to land in a target area made up of concentric circles, with marks indicating the points awarded.^[6]

In the hang glider event, the player must fly through rings and can gain altitude using air thermals.

The third event has the player take hold of a rocket belt, which can be controlled with left and right yaw rotation, leaning forward and back to control speed. High and low levels of thrust allow high speed and finer control. Player view can be switched to an overhead perspective to allow for easier accuracy when landing. The player has limited fuel. The player must take off and fly through a series of rings, bars or other figures, before attempting to land in a target area.^[7] The target is made up of a series of concentric circles, with scores marked on them, so that the closer to the center players land, the higher their score. The fourth event, hang glider flight, begins with detachment of the cable connecting the tow aircraft while in the air. Altitude is gained by flying through thermals, represented by columns of rising white dots. Landings can be controlled with the flare button, which slows the glider and brings the pilot's legs into position.^[8] The objective is to catch the thermal current, ascend to the specified altitude, then land as close as possible to the center of the gray square target over the land area of the course.

Some events have bonus stages that add to a player's score, even if it is already 100 points.^[4] In the skydiving, rocket belt, and hang glider modes, landing on moving platforms rewards players with a perfect score and a bonus stage for extra points, earned by falling into the water of a target area. These stages include maneuvering a diving penguin into a pool, bouncing a winged man across a series of trampolines, and flying another winged man as far as possible.

After completing the certification courses from all four instructors, the player is informed that an agent has infiltrated an enemy base (EVIL Syndicate) on Izanu Island and has freed the player's captive instructors who are waiting to be rescued.^[9] The player's new mission is to fly an attack helicopter from an offshore aircraft carrier over the island, land at the helipad of the enemy base to retrieve the captives. This rescue mission stands out from the normal courses in that the player does more than maneuver a craft; as the player flies over the island, they must successfully dodge anti-aircraft fire from ground-based turrets; though the helicopter is able to fire missiles to destroy the artillery, a single hit to the craft will bring it crashing to earth, resulting in an immediate Game Over. The helicopter has forward, backward, left, and right pitch controls, rotor throttle controls that control the helicopter's altitude, and left and right missile firing controls.^[10] Completing the mission earns the player the "Pilot's Wings" and leads to harder training areas (consisting of several weather conditions and higher score requirements) and another helicopter mission. This mode is known as Pilotwings Expert.

Development

Pilotwings origins lies in a tech demo shown by Nintendo in 1988 (the same year that the Super Famicom was announced) known as Dragonfly, along with early screenshots of Super Mario World. Dragonfly was markedly different from the game it would later become; the concept involved a dragonfly that could use weapons.^[11] Pilotwings was developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development (EAD), an "all-star" team composed of members of the company's Research & Development divisions, lead by producer Shigeru Miyamoto.^[12] Pilotwings was directed by Tadashi Sugiyama. The soundtrack was co-composed by Koji Kondo and Soyo Oka. Six tracks from the game, including a rearranged version of the skydiving theme, appeared on the Nintendo Super Famicom Game Music CD released in Japan on March 4, 1992.^[13]

Pilotwings was released as a launch title for the SNES in Japan.^[14] The game, along with F-Zero, is well-known for extensive use of Mode 7 graphics, which allows rotation, scaling, and various other effects to be used on a flat image to create a 3D effect.^[15] Because the game does not use true SNES 3D technology, the buildings, runway, trees, and so on are all "painted" flat on the ground plane; they appear to stick out of the ground when the player's viewpoint is far above.

Reception and legacy

Pilotwings has received positive reception during both its initial release and in retrospecive reviews.^[17] The game drew praise for its presentation, with publications describing the game's use of pseudo-3D graphics as "stunning" and "jaw-dropping".^[17][19] The challenge level of Pilotwings was also positively noted. Mean Machines and Power Play both finding that practicing the game's various flight tests and playing the game through to the end is very rewarding.^[19][20] Official Nintendo Magazine gave the Virtual Console release a 90%, remarking, "this early SNES title is still enjoyable enough to be considered a true classic."^[15] In February 2006, Pilotwings was listed as the 153rd best game on a Nintendo console by Nintendo Power.^[21] In 2007, the game was number 91 on IGN's list of the "Top 100 Games of All Time".^[22] Pilotwings was named the 16th best game on the SNES by GameDaily in 2008.^[23] Game Informer listed it at number 131 in its "Top 200 Games of All Time" in 2009.^[24] Official Nintendo Magazine ranked the game number 61 on its "100 Best Nintendo Games" list in February 2009.^[25]

A sequel, Pilotwings 64, was released for the Nintendo 64 in 1996. Like Pilotwings, it was also a launch title for its respective system.^[14] A second sequel for the Nintendo 64 was cancelled.^[26] In 2003, it was announced that Factor 5 was working on a GameCube incarnation of the Pilotwings series.^[27] Development was moved to Nintendo's Wii console shortly thereafter.^[28][29] In late 2009, an anonymous blogger claimed that Factor 5 had indeed finished working on a Pilotwings game, but that Nintendo was "not confident" in publishing it.^[30] Next Level Games, the developer of Punch-Out!! for the Wii, recently expressed interest in reviving the Pilotwings series.^[31]

Pilotwings has been featured in the Game On historical exhibition organized by the Barbican Centre. Notably, the game was displayed at the Science Museum in London in 2007.^[32]

References

External links

• Pilotwings at Nintendo.com
• Pilotwings at GameFAQs