Reviews

Not to be confused with pop sensations Blazin' Squad (What's that? Vanished off the face of the earth, you say?), Blazing Angels lets you pilot many classic fighter planes as you shoot down German aces during World War II. The Wii's motion controls give the player that extra feeling of control as you bank, bomb and blast your machine guns at anyone in your cross-hairs.

Flight combat games were, once upon a crime, for overweight Commodore 64 kids who took pleasure in simply keeping their plane level for four hours at a time and maybe, just maybe, glimpsing an enemy on the horizon once in a blue moon. Even experienced pilots probably wanted to shoot themselves after playing those games. Thankfully, we've come a long way from those action-free flying simulations and Blazing Angels let's you shoot and bomb until you're dizzy with glee.

Careful of London Bridge, old chap. What would the King say if that came down?

A satisfying range of controller options allows you to fly by simply titling the Wii remote or by using the nunchuk with it to act as your steering...stick thing-a-me-jig (it's a technical term. Look it up). The Wii's motion sensors are put to good use as you tilt your nunchuk to turn your plane in a very precise manner. Even the smallest movement will have an effect on where the nose of your plane is pointed. The downside is that when you get really engrossed in a dogfight your gestures will be a bit too harsh and the plane won't respond as accurately. But that's your fault, not the game's.

Players begin as an unnamed pilot in Eagle Squadron who is shown the ropes by Joe 'the mechanical wizard' on an airfield. Joe'll teach you to lock your camera on targets such as a church or tank, and how to time your bomb drops. Bombs and guns are your primary and secondary weapons, with the latter used mainly for aerial combat or fly-by shootings on tanks and ships. Only when you're within a certain range of an enemy will your cross-hairs appear so you can do some actual damage. Firing from miles away is a waste of ammo, but since your bullets are infinite, it's no great loss.