''Pilotwings'' is a series of

flight simulation A flight simulator is a device that artificially re-creates aircraft flight and the environment in which it flies, for pilot training, design, or other purposes. It includes replicating the equations that govern how aircraft fly, how they rea ...

video games Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This feedbac ...

beginning with the 1990 video game '' Pilotwings'' and most recently ''

Pilotwings Resort is an amateur flight simulation video game for the Nintendo 3DS handheld game console, developed by Monster Games and published by Nintendo. It is a sequel to the 1990 Super NES video game '' Pilotwings'' and the 1996 Nintendo 64 game ''Pilot ...

'' in 2011. One of Nintendo's franchises, the series was released on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (Super NES),

Nintendo 64 The (N64) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo. The successor to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, it was released on June 23, 1996, in Japan, on September 29, 1996, in North America, and on March 1, 1997, in Europe and ...

, and Nintendo 3DS. Notable for its revolutionary 3D gameplay, ''Pilotwings'' was created by Shigeru Miyamoto, with the games being developed by Nintendo EAD (''Pilotwings''), Paradigm Simulation (''Pilotwings 64'', in collaboration with Nintendo EAD), and

Monster Games Monster Games, Inc. is an American independent video game developer in Northfield, Minnesota, United States that specializes in racing games and ports in action, platforms and action role-playing game An action role-playing game (often ab ...

(''Pilotwings Resort''). All three games were published by Nintendo.

Gameplay

All three games in the series have gameplay elements in common, such as

hang gliders Hang gliding is an air sport or recreational activity in which a pilot flies a light, non-motorised foot-launched heavier-than-air aircraft called a hang glider. Most modern hang gliders are made of an aluminium alloy or composite frame covered ...

and

jet pack A jet pack, rocket belt, or rocket pack is a device worn on the back which uses jets of gas or liquid to propel the wearer through the air. The concept has been present in science fiction for almost a century and became widespread in the 1960s. ...

s. They also have mission modes. ''Pilotwings Resort'', unlike the previous two games in the series, is set on Wuhu Island and is in Autostereoscopy 3D.

Games

''Pilotwings''

is a

video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...

for the

Super NES The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in ...

. It was developed by Nintendo's Entertainment Analysis and Development (EAD) division, led by producer Shigeru Miyamoto. The game was originally released in Japan on December 21, 1990, shortly after the launch of the Super Famicom. It was released as a

launch title This list includes terms used in video games and the video game industry, as well as slang used by players. 0–9 A ...

for the Super NES console on August 23, 1991 in North America, with a European release following in 1992. ''Pilotwings'' is an

amateur flight simulator A flight simulation video game refers to the simulation of various aspects of flight or the flight environment for purposes other than flight training or aircraft development. A significant community of simulation enthusiasts is supported by ...

game in which the player attempts to earn pilot licenses through lessons in

light plane Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that can be perceived by the human eye. Visible light is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400–700 nanometres (nm), corresponding to frequencies of 750–420 terahe ...

flight,

hang gliding Hang gliding is an air sport or recreational activity in which a pilot flies a light, non-motorised foot-launched heavier-than-air aircraft called a hang glider. Most modern hang gliders are made of an aluminium alloy or composite frame covered ...

skydiving Parachuting, including also skydiving, is a method of transiting from a high point in the Atmosphere of Earth, atmosphere to the surface of Earth with the aid of gravity, involving the control of speed during the descent using a parachut ...

, and the use of a

rocket belt A jet pack, rocket belt, or rocket pack is a device worn on the back which uses jets of gas or liquid to propel the wearer through the air. The concept has been present in science fiction for almost a century and became widespread in the 1960s. ...

Bonus stage A bonus stage (also known as a bonus level, bonus round, or special stage) is a special level within a video game designed to reward the player or players, and typically allows the player to collect extra points or power-ups. Bonus stage eithe ...

s and levels involving an attack helicopter are also available. Each event offers unique controls and gameplay mechanics. To increase the realism of the game's flight simulation, the developers extensively utilized the Super NES's

Mode 7 Mode 7 is a graphics mode on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game console that allows a background layer to be rotated and scaled on a scanline-by-scanline basis to create many different effects. The most famous of these effects ...

capability, which mimics

3D graphics 3D computer graphics, or “3D graphics,” sometimes called CGI, 3D-CGI or three-dimensional computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data (often Cartesian) that is stored in the computer for th ...

by rotating and scaling flat objects. The game was well received upon its release, largely thanks to its graphical presentation. The game has since been re-released on the

Virtual Console A virtual console (VC) – also known as a virtual terminal (VT) – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some Unix-like operating systems such as Linux, BSD, illumos, Uni ...

service for both the Wii,

Wii U The Wii U ( ) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4. Th ...

and the

New Nintendo 3DS The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo. It is the fourth system in the Nintendo 3DS family of handheld consoles, following the original Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo 3DS XL, and Nintendo 2DS. The system was released in Japan on October 1 ...

consoles in

PAL region The PAL region is a television publication territory that covers most of Europe and Africa, alongside parts of Asia, South America and Oceania. It is named PAL because of the PAL (Phase Alternating Line) television standard traditionally used i ...

s, North America, and Japan. A sequel, ''

Pilotwings 64 is an amateur flight simulator game developed by Nintendo and Paradigm Simulation and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was one of three launch titles for the Nintendo 64 in Japan as well as Europe and one of two launch titles in Nor ...

'', was released for the

in 1996. After many years of announcements and cancellations, Nintendo unveiled a second sequel, ''

'', for the Nintendo 3DS handheld at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2010 which released in 2011.

''Pilotwings 64''

is a

for the

, originally released in 1996 along with the debut of the console. The game was co-developed by Nintendo EAD (who developed the original game) and the American visual technology group Paradigm Simulation. It was one of three launch titles for the Nintendo 64 in Japan as well as Europe and one of two launch titles in North America. ''Pilotwings 64'' is a follow-up to '' Pilotwings'' for the

, which was a North American launch game for its respective console in 1991. Also like that game, ''Pilotwings 64'' received production input from Nintendo producer and EAD General Manager Shigeru Miyamoto. ''Pilotwings 64'' is a 3D

that puts the player in control of one of six pilots as they try to earn pilot licenses through various forms of aviation. The events are flying an

autogyro An autogyro (from Greek and , "self-turning"), also known as a ''gyroplane'', is a type of rotorcraft that uses an unpowered rotor in free autorotation to develop lift. Forward thrust is provided independently, by an engine-driven propeller. Whi ...

, using a

, and

. Several bonus tasks are offered, such as

and a

human cannonball The human cannonball act is a performance in which a person who acts as the "cannonball" is ejected from a specially designed cannon. The human cannonball lands on a horizontal net or inflated bag placed at the landing point, as predicted by phys ...

test. The game also puts focus on allowing the player to freely explore its detailed 3D environments, most notably a miniature representation of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. The game received positive review scores and praise from gaming publications and news sources alike for its visual presentation and flying controls. Similar to its Super NES predecessor, ''Pilotwings 64'' serves to demonstrate the graphical capabilities of its gaming hardware. Although the flight simulator did not enjoy the same commercial success as its fellow launch game '' Super Mario 64'', ''Pilotwings 64'' nonetheless went on to sell over one million copies worldwide.

''Pilotwings Resort''

is an amateur flight simulation

for the Nintendo 3DS

handheld game console A handheld game console, or simply handheld console, is a small, portable self-contained video game console with a built-in screen, game controls and speakers. Handheld game consoles are smaller than home video game consoles and contain the cons ...

, developed by

and published by Nintendo. It is a sequel to the 1990

game '' Pilotwings'' and the 1996

game ''

'', and takes inspiration from the 2009 Wii game Wii Sports Resort. Similarly to its predecessors, it was confirmed as a launch title in North America and Europe. In Japan, Australia, and New Zealand it was released on April 14, 2011. Nintendo re-released the game, along with some of their earlier, published games for the Nintendo 3DS, as a downloadable title via Nintendo eShop. The downloadable version became available on November 1, 2012 in Japan, November 22, 2012 in the PAL region, and December 20, 2012 in North America.

Notes

References

External links

Official Pilotwings Resort Page
{{Main franchises by Nintendo Flight simulation video games Nintendo franchises Video game franchises introduced in 1990