Editor’s note: Today, we’re featuring a guest blogger – your intrepid editor’s son Rick, who is 14 and almost as big a flight simulator buff as his dad. When I mentioned that I intended to do an”Interesting Apps” post on X-Plane, he quickly volunteered to do it for me!
We’re both big fans—I was probably one of the very first purchasers of X-Plane for webOS—and we’ve both had a blast playing the many versions of X-Plane that are available. Take it away, Rick!
I’ve played flight simulators for a long time, and when I first played X-Plane for webOS, I was amazed how well it compared to the desktop versions of X-Plane and other simulators. While most of the game apps I’ve played focus on making either the environment, characters, or gameplay beautiful, X-Plane was able to combine all of those characteristics into one amazing package.
The planes look fantastic, and the folks at X-Plane made sure the flight controls did the graphics justice, since each plane has should have its own unique flight characteristics. I compared some of the planes to the feel of their counterparts on other flight simulators on the PC, and they seem amazingly accurate.
The plane's detail is great!
The control scheme is easy to use, with a combination of buttons (landing gear, brakes), sliders (flaps, throttle), and the phone’s accelerometer (roll, pitch). The planes reacted smoothly to my directions. Anyone could pick this up and get the hang of it really fast. There are no real tutorials to speak of, and you don’t need them. At the start of each flight, an on-screen prompt reminds you how to get going, and that’s really all you need to take off quickly. Getting back down is a bit harder, of course!
The scenery is stunning!
The environments are big enough for the amount of time you’re likely to spend flying on such a small device, and there’s plenty of visual detail to enjoy. A pointer on the display shows you the way back to the airport so you don’t get lost.
X-Plane provides different viewpoints for use during flight and replays. You can change camera views to provide some very cinematic experiences, but I found myself favoring the standard heads-up display view while flying. Trying to fly while using exterior views can cause you to spin wildly out of control, unless your view is right behind the plane! There’s also an instruments-only view if you want to try your hand at flying without looking out the window.
The first-person HUD is informative and easy to read
There are several versions of X-Plane that are specific to different types of planes (and spacecraft!), which means that if you want to go from a little Cessna to a 747, you need to quit one version of X-Plane and start up another. Fortunately, game start-up is reasonably fast.
X-Plane Racer, screaming through the course
One of the versions that’s available is X-Plane Carrier, which consists of a variety of combat missions. The smooth controls combined with a simple shooting controls make it a fun, arcade-style game to play, although finding your enemies can be tricky.
The Phantom from X-Plane Carrier
As I flew in my virtual private jet over the Rocky Mountains, I realized that this is possibly one of the most fun flight simulators I’ve played, and that’s saying something. So if you sometimes feel the need for a quick flight simulator session, and you’re away from your desktop, X-Plane for webOS is the way to go!