What is "flightmare"

Flightmare is a 1984 computer game by Peter Adams. It tells the story of the Omegans, who are at war with the Vandals. In the game, the player controls an Omegan pilot who is being ambushed by Vandal pilots, motorcyclists, and truck drivers.

The format of the game has two different modes. The first is a very large scale view in which the player navigates a plane to target the next battle. Tiny icons represent the enemy planes, motorcycles, and trucks, as well as the Omegan plane, airfield (representing the remaining planes), some factories, and a blimp used for reloading ammunition. The second mode is a split-screen view including a side view and a top down view, with different controls to maneuver the plane on each view. It is in this mode that the actual battle takes place, where the player must shoot down enemy planes without being shot down, or shoot motorcycles or truck tires without hitting the ground.

A wise player would protect his factories and airfield from the motorbikes and trucks, which destroy those structures upon contact. Once these ground vehicles are gone, a heat-seeking rocket is launched, targeting the player mercilessly. Destroying the rocket ends the wave.

At the end of each wave, the player is given extra planes based on any remaining factories. The waves are designated by letters of the Greek alphabet. Once all the player's planes are destroyed, the game is over, and a rank is assigned corresponding to the highest wave reached: Alpha Turkey, Beta Beginer [ sic], Gamma Greenhorne , etc.