F29 Retaliator

Digital Image Design

Industry	Video game development
Headquarters	United Kingdom
Products	F29 Retaliator, EPIC, TFX, F-22: Air Dominance Fighter, F-22 Total Air War

F29 Retaliator is a combat flight simulator created by Digital Image Design and released by Ocean Software in 1989 for the Amiga and Atari ST. Subsequent versions appeared on PC (1991), FM Towns, and NEC PC-9801 (1992-1993). Originally named Retaliator, the game emerged during the late Cold War period, drawing inspiration from conceptual future fighter jets such as the Lockheed Martin F-22 and Grumman X-29A.

Gameplay

At its release, the title showcased advanced visuals, depicting urban areas, bridges, highways, islands, mountain ranges, and animated vehicles. Players assume control of either the F-22 or X-29A cockpit, each outfitted with three customizable multi-function display units. The arsenal includes futuristic weapons like Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from fighters, rearward-firing AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, and extensive cluster bombs.

The game offers four distinct combat campaigns: desert trials in Arizona, Pacific theater conflict, Middle Eastern hostilities, and a World War III scenario set in Europe. These campaigns collectively feature 99 missions, culminating in a final assignment that varies among three alternatives, each resulting in unique conclusions. The PC edition allows for competitive dogfights via a null modem cable connection.

Reception

F29 Retaliator earned a 4 out of 5-star score in Dragon. Computer Gaming World highlighted it as an affordable flight simulation experience delivering engaging gameplay despite constraints such as limited map size. A 1992 evaluation assigned it three stars out of five within modern wargame rankings, while a 1994 critique labeled it "rather generic," granting two stars. In 1991, Amiga Power placed it at number 36 among the greatest games ever.

Reviews

• Zzap! (January 1990)
• Computer and Video Games (January 1990)
• The Games Machine (January 1990)
• The One (December 1989)
• Zero (January 1990)
• Amiga Format (June 1990)
• ACE (Advanced Computer Entertainment) (June 1990)
• Amiga Joker (May 1990)
• ST Format (January 1994)
• ST Format (August 1990)
• Computer Gaming World (June 1991)
• Computer and Video Games (August 1990)
• Jeux & Stratégie nouvelle formule #8

Legacy

In 1990, a "Special Mission" expansion was distributed with ZERO, featuring combat against alien ships from the forthcoming space combat title EPIC. Although Retaliator 2 was announced in 1990 with a planned early 1991 launch, it was never released due to the development team's focus shifting to completing EPIC, which debuted in 1992 utilizing an enhanced engine derived from F29. Subsequently, Digital Image Design produced three further sophisticated F-22 simulation games: TFX (1993), F-22: Air Dominance Fighter (1997), and F-22 Total Air War (1998).