DESCRIPTION

With its isometric viewpoint, pseudo-3D graphics, shoot-'em-up gameplay and Egyptian setting, Desert Falcon is basically Zaxxon in the desert. However, the game is nowhere near as good as the Sega coin-op classic it so obviously mimics. The flying characters, including the bird you control, all have shadows, but they don't change as you move up and down, rendering them useless in determining where you are vertically in relation to the enemies. This makes for some cheap, frustrating deaths. The power-up system, which consists of different combinations of three hieroglyphs providing different super powers (such as invincibility), is unique and adds some strategy to the game, but it is ultimately disappointing. Grabbing power-ups requires walking along the ground, which bogs down gameplay considerably. In terms of audio/visual effects, the game has a generic and somewhat primitive sound, but the scrolling and animation are smooth, and the Sphinx looks great. ~ Brett Alan Weiss, All Game Guide