LHX ATTACK CHOPPER

 The United States Army depends on helicopters to perform a variety of missions,
from rescuing wounded, to providing air cover, to delivering supplies. The
latest helicopter on the Army's shopping list is the LHX, or Light Helicopter
eXperimental. It's designed to scout and attack enemy positions quickly, with
minimal chance of early detection. Electronic Arts has turned out a challenging
simulation involving this helicopter. (This review is based on the IBM-PC
version.)

 Four helicopters are included in LHX Attack Chopper: the AH-64A Apache, the
UH-60 Blackhawk, the V-22 Osprey, and the LHX. Each of these aircraft has
strengths and weaknesses to consider when choosing one for a mission. The Apache
carries the most ordnance. The Osprey is actually a VTOL airplane, and flies the
fastest. The LHX is the most technically sophisticated and presents the smallest
radar signature.

 I tested LHX Attack Chopper on a GenTech 386/20 computer, with a Paradise VGA
Pro graphics card, Mitsubishi Diamondscan monitor, and CH Mach IV joystick. My
other games all recognize my CH Flightstick as joystick 1 and the Mach IV as
joystick 2. LHX reversed the stick numbers.

 LHX includes a program called JTUNER.EXE that tests and helps calibrate
joysticks. It is more sophisticated than any joystick centering routines I've
ever seen. JTUNER makes multiple passes to fine-tune the sticks until they're
almost perfectly centered.

 The three theatres of conflict in LHX are Libya, Vietnam, and East Germany.
These electronic battlefields are much smaller than those of typical jet fighter
simulators. The battle maps are about 30x30 miles. Most missions can be
accomplished in about 20 minutes.

 The missions include strikes at ground targets, rescues, evacuations, escorts
for other choppers, and supply drops. Free flight with no targets allows the
novice helicopter pilot to get the feel of the aircraft.

 Helicopter cockpits share many of the features found in jet fighter cockpits.
HUDs (heads-up displays), MFDs (multi-function displays), artifical horizons,
and electronic countermeasures are present in all four helicopters. Weapons
include air-to-air missiles, anti-tank missiles, machine guns, and unguided
rockets. The Apache and Blackhawk carry more weapons, while the lighter Osprey
and LHX sacrifice capacity for speed.

 Flight simulator purists will find that the helicopter flight equations are not
realistic. The choppers "center up" too quickly after completing a turn, and
stop forward motion almost immediately after releasing the stick to neutral
position. Ground effect turbulence is exaggerated to add some difficulty to low
altitude flying. The game is probably easier to play with these shortcomings
than if the aircraft handled with full realism.

 There are five levels of difficulty, but LHX is not forgiving. The enemies at
level 1 are formidable. These "amateurs" will exploit a single mistake, and one
mistake is usually fatal. This is the game's greatest weakness. You need some
soft enemies to practice against before going up against the tough ones. When I
tried level 3, I could complete the mission objective, but not make it back to
base. At level 5, I could never get close to the mission objective. My chopper
was always detected and eliminated in a hail of coordinated air and ground
missiles.

 The value of a game/simulation is measured in the amount of play time it gives
before becoming tiresome: LHX is addictive. The simplified flight equations make
targeting easier. The variety of aircraft, missions, and theatres hold your
interest. The documentation is very detailed, with sections on each of the
aircraft. Game scenery is not rich, but it would take a powerful computer to
crunch the graphics routines for more complex scenery, placing the game out of
the reach of many players. LHX ATTACK CHOPPER is challenging and fun. It needs
an easier novice level, but practice and patience will eventually pay off. I
recommend LHX to jet jocks looking for a change of pace.

 LHX ATTACK CHOPPER is published and distributed by Electronic Arts.

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