Falcon 3.0 (PC/DOS) SEAD Strike Mission "Hi-Fidelity" Gameplay 1991-94, Spectrum Holobyte

Falcon 3.0 was claimed to have used flight dynamics from a real military simulator, and required a math coprocessor to enable the high fidelity flight mode. Even in less demanding modes, it was still virtually unplayable in computers running on less than a 386 computer (recommended 33 MHz 486, a top end machine at this time). It was announced well in advance of its actual release date (1991).
Falcon 3.0 offered "padlock" view - in which the player's POV is slewed in the direction of a selected target, scanning around the cockpit if necessary. It also offered players more natural looking topography than was available in existing commercial PC flight simulations - with mountains, hills, valleys and other features having their own unique shape. In older games, the user typically had to settle to ranges of uniformly shaped or sized mountains on flat ground, with areas or lines of blue for lakes and rivers.
The game was re-released in 1994 as Falcon Gold a compilation which included Art of the Kill video digitized on the CD collection, along with Operation Fighting Tiger and the announcement for Falcon 4.0. It noted for their early multiplayer support, as even the first version supported two players via a null modem serial port connection.
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[@yveaux500]

It's 1994 and I'm 12 again. I flew the wings of this sim. Created my own little cockpit with a tilted seat and the joystick on the right hand side. Good memories. DCS can never top this for the simple reason that no matter how good DCS is, I'll never be 12 again.

[@singleproppilot]

13 year old me was in way over my head in this game, but I still loved it. That carried over to Falcon 4.0 and finally Allied Force, which convinced me to try flying for real. Though I never made a career out of flying, I do work as an aircraft mechanic for an airline. It’s amazing how things you’re exposed to when you’re young sometimes stick with you for your whole life.

[@djfritz2001]

This game me goosebumps watching again. To think of the level of dedication the devs of the day put in to making this. The PC gaming market was nowhere near what it is today. While they did make this game for profit, I feel like it was also definitely a labor of love :)

[@MyFavoriteDisease]

Absolutely. If you look at the credits in these old sims, you can see that it was usually just a handful of dudes who created these masterpieces. A couple of names turn up repeatedly over the years. These guys are legends.

[@StritarD]

They treated this game seriously. I still sometimes catch myself humming the soundtrack.

[@GreyZone7]

In the golden age of DOS games nobody had problems with complex study sims and they sold rather decently. What destroyed complex simulations was the dumbing down of gaming by consoles with no keyboards and just a 8 button controller. This spawned arcade crap like Ace Combat instead of Falcon.

[@torahemetkiruv8807]

​@GreyZone7 to be fair you still have dcs acecombat was for a different audience.

[@stevendenton8994]

The manual was epic

[@shadowwalker23901]

If memory serves it had aerodynamics, dog fight patterns, how to ACTUALLY take off and land like. It was a massive BEAST of a manual, I almost felt like i could actually start up a real plane and fly after reading it.

[@jetlag1546]

@@shadowwalker23901 I still read the manual, it was huge and I felt like a real pro reading it all.

[@ksheely]

i used to read it in segments while sitting on the toilet

[@stormykeep9213]

I remember oggling over the Super Nintendo at the time, when a friend shown me the box for Falcon 3.0 along with the manual and maps. Even though he couldn't get it to run on his pc at the time, just looking at the manual and the pics just blew me away. It would be a few years yet before my dad would get a PC that was capable of running such games, and as for Falcon 3.0, I just picked up a Gold boxed version not long ago....Took over 30 years, but I finally got it!

[@Topesio66]

I red all the manual. It was HUGE, full of tricks and tacticts. Still have the game perfectly in his box. Love to this game.

[@AchtungBaby77]

Gosh, I remember that manual, it was the size of a phonebook!!

[@Tonpilot]

This video brings lots of memories! It was awesome and I had many hours of fun pretending to be a fighter pilot! 3.0 lead to 4.0 which was just even more awesome! Too bad, age and kids keep me busy these days and I have no time flying! BTW there was a convention held in 1993 based on the Falcon 3.0 software. 2 days of head to head match ups and lectures. It was an armchair fighter pilot's dream! I was the one that took home the 1 vs. 1 dogfighting trophy!

[@JCAUDITS]

Well done

[@mikesfx]

I was able to find the midi files for this game as a kid and just listened to the 1st song over and over, its such a good song!

[@IcarusX72]

I remember they used to go to different malls around the nation and do a networking combat competition. There were a good showing for my mall with 8 computers linked up. I came in 3rd place and got a free Fighting Falcon 3.0 grey shirt. I played the very first version also. I remember just flying around for hours just to see what I could do. I loved practicing the scissors vs the Mig 21 and Mig 19. I enjoyed working with a wingman on a Pincer or Hook right/left maneuver. There was an article I read that the main developer took a ride in a F16B. He was surprised how violent the flight was. He threw up

[@scrimmo]

God this brings back some memories. Wow. Learned to play just by doing things over and over

[@christopher79]

One year for Christmas my brother got this and I got Wing Commander 2. Falcon 3.0 took 15MB and WC2 took 12MB on my dad's 30MB hard drive. We had just enough left to boot DOS. I still remember my dad complaining about the amount of space these 2 games took up. 😂

[@stellartutoring2544]

One amazing sim that I tried out on my first PC, a 486 DX/4, wish I could get it running again, the realism is just beyond remarkable

[@AchtungBaby77]

If I recall correctly, this was one of the few (only?) games which boasted compatibility with the Maths Co-Processor. Good times!

[@andymorin9163]

SimCity as well

[@IcarusX72]

Lol!!! I forgot about that.

[@tobytoxd]

That game killed most home PCs out there, when it came out. It was Falcon Crisis back then :D

[@johnmaurer3097]

My dad and I spent DAYS trying to develop a boot disk with enough virtual memory to run this. When he finally got one to work it was as good as Christmas.

[@roberth8647]

The hours I had on this flight simulator... loved it

[@scrimmo]

Its been 25 years since I heard this music LOL. Mind blown

[@RicCrouch]

"Clean, clear, and naked!"

[@billywilliam7747]

Thanks for the clip. It's refreshing. Love the music in particular.

[@GZA036]

insane that the next iteration of this is now Falcon BMS

[@JimLeonard]

Your text boxes made this really enjoyable :-) Thanks!

[@raffitchakmakjian]

agreed, the text boxes were a nice touch. Enjoyed watching this. I think I was 12 when I got this in the Gold edition with F/A-18 Hornet and MiG-29. I forgot the Falcon 3.0 manual on an actual flight, on an airplane while I was travelling with my family.

[@matthuntsboston]

I remember the instruction manual for this was epic... possibly better than the game itself

[@Mecha_Gear]

The FLCS, the TQS. I was glued to them.

[@jjay718]

I loved this game as a kid! This brings back the memories for sure. Especially all the sounds in the cockpit. Radar Contact

[@Ace1000ks19751982]

This was the most advanced simulator game in 1991.

[@Tamburello_1994]

Push came to a shove I would still play and enjoy this game.

[@Ace1000ks19751982]

@@Tamburello_1994 I didn't have a good enough computer to play this back in 1991. You needed at least a 386 DX 33 to play this game if not a 486 DX 33.

[@kasel1979krettnach]

@@Ace1000ks19751982 or a math coprocessor that you could actually toggle in the game. I must say gameplay was really fine, and the manual was like going to school :)

[@Ace1000ks19751982]

@@kasel1979krettnach That game had a very thick manual, it was the most realistic simulator of the early 1990s. It required a 486 DX to run back then.

[@kingsuperbus4617]

The music just raises the hairs on my skin

[@MaestroOdessit]

Holy crap! Hello from ex-USSR! :) I was insane playing this game! Billion of thanks for reminding me these awesome times!

[@JCAUDITS]

Privet!

[@gpgp01]

Really enjoyed. I wish somebody make slight hires version of it.

[@alexandrossotiropoulos5621]

Back then you must have a really good computer to play this sim.

[@nanungw951]

“I’m hit, ejecting” is the most heartbreaking chatter during flight.

[@Youda00008]

yaaay, i have to return to this epic game again and record some videos too :)

[@thriftweeds]

i was lucky that i didnt run into any Mig29's in this mission cause in my next mission i run into bunch of "Elite" SU-27 and Mig29's shot all my 6 AIM's with only 1 hit and lost my wingman and i was lucky to get back to homeplate in one piece. ;)

[@hinz1]

Like how they modelled the F16A cockpit in Falcon 3.0. Later in Falcon 4.0, it's F16C/block 30/40 something...

[@rainerrosshirt]

FALCON 4 modeled Block 50 /52

[@rainerrosshirt]

Falcon 3.0 modelled the Viper A, Block 15 according to the manual appendix of Falcon 4

[@basicforge]

Spent countless hours playing this, and Microprose's F-19 Stealth Fighter and Domark's Mig-29.

[@Topesio66]

F***! this gives idea of what's a real dog fight better than a movie with tons of cgi. Congratulations you got style!

[@dwaynevenzon643]

Dam i remember this

[@sindobrandnew]

2:07 That music!! 😃

[@raymondyee2008]

Got this game yesterday. Very tough to play even on easy settings.

[@stevendenton8994]

I named all my piolets after MASH characters

[@KawaKasper]

btw... anyone here, tried to play the Falcon 3.0 in multiplayer with DosBox?

[@IcarusX72]

I remember trying to get this damn game to work in networking, Holy hell the serial cables and all the freaking commands for ports. When it finally worked I nearly fainted.

[@MrWickstar]

Lol, I remember having an entire squadron of full bird Colonels with the Medal of Honor

[@ludaheracles7201]

Give back what used to be, drink up, shoot in, let the beatings begin

[@GrandAdmiralGamez]

When I played this game, the Medal of Honor was the only medal that I never earned.

[@AshtonCoolman]

I grew up playing Flight Simulator 2.0 and the TERRIBLE Top Gun game on an 8Mhz Turbo XT. This game would have blown my mind if I had a fast 386 w/387 growing up. I actually have a fast 286 that has a 287XL math-coprocessor that I want to crush with this game. I'll try it out today, LOL.

[@fidelitycreate]

Hi :-D

[@MultiDivebomber]

Triple A game of 1991.

[@Melvorgazh]

Hi! Is there a good Tomcat F-14 simulator on DOS? Cheers

[@rainerrosshirt]

"F-14 Fleet Defender", the most realistic Tomcat sim in DOS to this date... playing in the same ballpark as Falcon 3.0. Also available als Gold-pack at GOG

[@Melvorgazh]

@@rainerrosshirt Ballpark? That I have to look in the dictionary. I like Falcon 3. I used to play it at a friend's home in the late 90's. On my 086 Schneider I had fun on Falcon the first game. Thanks for the info :)

[@GoldStandardGames]

Did this game have z-axis lock-on targeting system?

[@Mishadedogist]

I get bad frames on this game. Whats the best way to run it?

[@KawaKasper]

are you using dosbox to run it? Then just try to increase the cycles!

[@Mishadedogist]

I figured it out thanks though!

[@badkerproductions]

and i got one mo' silver dolla

[@stephanefoutel9432]

finish high level

[@simonnomis5302]

landing was a disaster....

[@Toshiban]

i have this game im korean

[@fatherangry8236]

Me too 스팀에서 구매해 여전히 즐깁니다ㆍ 그외 올드심도 ᆢ

[@pelimies1818]

@1:00 Major Vitullo.. hymähdin.

[@ELGRANDIRECTORTECNICO]

You never found enemies

[@ELGRANDIRECTORTECNICO]

Is this the game you have to wait for enemy to come to you!