Airfix Dogfighter

Airfix Dogfighter lets players pilot detailed, miniature versions of World War II aircraft through a large, 3D-rendered house

Released: 14 January 2000
Platforms: Windows
Genres: Action Flight simulation Simulation World War II
Developers: Unique Development Studios
Publishers: Eon Digital Entertainment
Modes: Multiplayer Single-player
Perspective: Third person
Themes: Action Warfare
Country: Sweden
Age ratings: ESRB E

About

Airfix Dogfighter is a flight-combat video game for Microsoft Windows; developed by Unique Development Studios and Paradox Entertainment, published by EON Digital Entertainment, it was released in late 2000 in North America and Europe. 15 planes are at the players' disposal to re-enact World War II in a 1950s home.

The game is based on the Airfix brand of plastic models. Airfix Dogfighter lets players pilot detailed, miniature versions of World War II aircraft through a large, 3D-rendered house. The players can fly for the Allies or the Axis powers, each with a home base in a different room of the house. Dogfights take place in the yard or throughout a house full of curios, knick-knacks, canisters, and decorations, many of which can be destroyed and which contain special power-ups.

Keywords

flight simulator
flight
airplane
giant environment

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

The Airfix Dogfighter engine supports 9 different weapons, 4 of which will become stronger as the player unlocks tech bonuses. The machine gun, cannon, rocket, and bomb weapons are available to both sides and can be upgraded through 5 different tech levels. Each side has two unique weapons in the single player campaign; the Axis can use homing rockets and a "particle beam" laser, but the Allied forces can use floating "paramines" and a Tesla coil capable of shocking multiple units. Lastly, both forces unlock an atomic bomb in the final campaign mission for their side. All of the special weapons start at the highest tech level and are unaffected by bonuses.

Players have 5 tech levels. They start with the first one, which is the simplest, but can acquire stars or crosses (stars for allies, crosses for axis), which are found in destroyed enemies or breakables (items in the surrounding environment that players can destroy). 10 stars upgrade players to the second level, 10 more for third level, 11 stars to the next, and 10 more to get to the final level, which makes destruction of most enemies easy.