''Bravo Air Race'' (known as ''Reciproheat 5000'' in Japan and ''Air Race'' in Europe) is an

aircraft An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air. It counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines ...

racing video game for

PlayStation is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...

developed by Xing Entertainment and published by

THQ THQ Inc. was an American video game company based in Agoura Hills, California. It was founded in April 1990 by Jack Friedman, originally in Calabasas, and became a public company the following year through a reverse merger takeover. Initial ...

in 1997.

Aircraft

''Bravo Air Race'' features prominent aircraft from different time periods. Using exploits it's possible to unlock jet planes and alternate racing colors. Players can select the following aircraft: * Gee Bee Racer * Pitts Special *

P-51 Mustang The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in April 1940 by a team headed by James ...

P-47 Thunderbolt The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. It was a successful high-altitude fighter and it also served as the foremost American fighter-bombe ...

* F4U Corsair *

P-38 Lightning The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinctive tw ...

Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, from the Mk 1 to the Rolls-Royce Griff ...

* Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" * JW7 Shinden *

Messerschmitt Bf 109 The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is a German World War II fighter aircraft that was, along with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, the backbone of the Luftwaffe's fighter force. The Bf 109 first saw operational service in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War an ...

* F16 Falcon * F117 Night Hawk The intro of the game features aircraft that are seen in the footage from the 1997 Reno Air Races (such as the T-6 Texan and the T-28 Trojan) which don't appear in the game.

Gameplay

''Bravo Air Race'' is strictly a racing game, with no available weapons for players or AI opponents to destroy each other with. Aircraft, despite obvious differences in real life, are equally balanced. There are four courses, one of which is selected by the player after selecting their aircraft. Most of the maps feature racing through narrow ravines and canyons, diving under bridges and rock structures accompanied by sharp turns and climbing maneuvers. Airplanes can't roll, and will stop climbing at a certain altitude, forcing players to mainly stick to the course direction. The game features a time run mode and a split screen multi-player mode.http://www.cheatcc.com/psx/manuals/bravo.txt To ease the game for newcomers, there are options to switch on autopilot or activate guide markers that highlight the easiest route through each course.

Reception

''Bravo Air Race'' received mediocre reviews. The most common complaint was the prevalent pop up. ''

IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...

'' considered it so bad that it " akesit impossible to judge any upcoming turn." Glenn Rubenstein of ''

GameSpot ''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...

'' found the graphics unimpressive in general, commenting that "''Bravo Air Race'' looks and sounds like a ... late-generation

TurboGrafx CD The TurboGrafx-16, known as the outside North America, is a home video game console designed by Hudson Soft and sold by NEC Home Electronics. It was the first console marketed in the fourth generation, commonly known as the 16-bit era, though ...

title." Other criticisms were the invisible barriers around the tracks and the fact that each course can only be played individually. ''

Next Generation Next Generation or Next-Generation may refer to: Publications and literature * ''Next Generation'' (magazine), video game magazine that was made by the now defunct Imagine Media publishing company * Next Generation poets (2004), list of young ...

'' stated that "As an airplane racing game, ''Bravo'' fails miserably. It competes much better on an arcade level. Keep in mind that the sky is an illusion, and ''Bravo Air Race'' is well worth a second look." ''GamePro'' similarly concluded it to be "fast-moving racing fun worth at least a full-fare rental." However, ''GameSpot'' and ''IGN'' both concluded that even considered as an arcade-style title, the game is too flawed to deliver substantial fun.

Sequel

A sequel to this game, ''Air Race Championship'', was only released in Japan.

References

{{Reflist 1997 video games Air racing video games Multiplayer and single-player video games PlayStation (console) games PlayStation (console)-only games THQ games Xing Entertainment games