Black Hawk

Black Hawk

Game No.	311
Voting	6.57 points, 21 votes
Developer	Dean M. Lock
Company	Thorn EMI
Musician	unknown
HVSC-File	/GAMES/A-F/ Black_Hawk.sid
Release	1984
Platform	C64, ZX Spectrum
Genre	Shoot'em up
Gamemode	Single player
Operation
Media
Language

Description[edit | edit source]

Black Hawk is a graphically simple Shoot'em Up. One unique feature is that the game is split into two modes: a bomb throwing mode, in which the player has to try to hit as many targets as possible and at the same time not let any enemies pass, and a close combat mode, into which is switched as soon as an enemy has passed through. The player can only lose a life in the close combat mode. The aiming in the bomb throwing mode is rather unusual concerning the controls, but solved very practically.

Altogether 32 missions have the be absolved. Each level consists of approaching, flyover and leaving of an island; at the start and end of each level the game switches to the close combat mode.

There are four extras, which can be added to or removed from the plane depending on success or failure.

Design[edit | edit source]

... start of the game/aiming ...

... in the game ...

The graphics in the game are kept simple. Music (Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries") is only available in the title screen and towards the end of each level.

Hints[edit | edit source]

Basic controls
- Joystick left/right to move the plane left/right
- Fire button to shoot

Aiming in the bomb throwing mode
- Press fire button: (white) crossline can be moved
- If you move with the crossline over an enemy which would cause a switch to the close combat mode when leaving the screen, it will be shot directly.
- Mere "targets for points" can only be shot at by letting go the fire button; the crossline gets red, you can slowly move it around for a short time, then the chosen target is shot.

Extras
- ECM Pod: shows the position of hostile radar, radio towers, etc.
- XCannon: better shots
- Blitvig: smart bomb (trigger with key "E")
- Wild Weasel: invulnerability (trigger with key "N")

Points for targets on the ground
- Anti-aircraft cannon - 100 points
- Missile silo - 400 points
- Sam Launcher - 500 points
- Radio tower 700 points
- Radar - 800 points
- Jet radar - 1000 points
- Command centre with flag - 2000 points
- Command centre - 1200 points
- Airplane at the ground - 2000 points (only level 8)
- Landing strip - 2400 points (only level 8)

Points for troops
- Tank - 15 points
- Missile - 30 points
- Airplane - 45 points
- Helicopter - 55 points
- Gunship - 70 points
- Sam - 80 points
- Jet - 90 points
- all others - 1 points

Solution[edit | edit source]

Tips:

Close combat mode and bomb throwing mode are easy to distinguish due to the colour of the screen border. Close combat mode (attack screen) = black, bomb throwing mode (defence screen) = brown.

Ground targets should preferredly be bombed as you get more points for them, they raise the OTPF faktor (on target % figure) (which gets you special weapons) and less enemies appear (these are controlled by the ground stations).

Command bases should always be destroyed, as else the number of hostile units will double.

Cheats[edit | edit source]

Voting[edit | edit source]

Voting of the C64-Wiki users (10=the best vote):
6.57 points at 21 votes (rank 611). You need to be logged in to cast a vote.
C64Games	6	18th April 2007 - "good" 2537 downs
C64.com	8	18th April 2007 - 1226 downs
Lemon64	8.1	18th April 2007 - 20 votes

Reviews[edit | edit source]

1570: "You should have seen the game at least because of the two modes."

Robotron2084: "A great shooter. By the constant switching between the two different views some pleasant type of stress arises. 7 out of 10 points."

Shakermaker303: "Everyone should take a look at this. It needs a bit getting used to, but it is also an unusual idea with the close target mode. It was always fun for me. Also the music by Wagner was well interpreted into the game and catered for even more excitement in the game. On the long run it is a bit monotonuous. Very close 7,4 of 10 points."