F-15 Strike Eagle
Released: 1985
Published by: MicroProse Software, Inc.
Developed by: MicroProse Software, Inc.
Author(s): Sid Meier, Randall Don Masteller
EGA graphics (320 x 200 in 16 colours)
CGA graphics (320 x 200 in 4 colours)
Introduction
After being very well received on the Atari 8-bit computers and the Commodore 64, F-15 Strike Eagle was ported to the Apple II, IBM PCjr, and IBM PC, the latter of which was converted by Randall Don Masteller.
I am not sure if Masteller used the Atari 8-bit version as the basis for his PC conversion or the C64 version. He developed the Atari version of Silent Service the same year, so it is likely it was the Atari version.
The game features an 'arcade' mode that can be helpful for new pilots learning the basics of the controls - this mode does not allow banking of your aircraft, only rudders.
The F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft entered active service in 1974 as a replacement for the aging F4 Phantom. Like the aircraft it succeeded, it was a land-based air-to-air fighter, and went up against the Russian MiG-25. In 1984 various improvements were made to allow the F-15 to be a Dual-Role Fighter (DRF), which meant air-to-air as well as air-to-ground roles, enabling the aircraft to also take over bombing duties from the also aging F-111. This DRF version was the F-15E and given the designation F-15 Strike Eagle.
Your F-15 has electronic countermeasures for both radar-guided and infra-red missiles. For defence against radar-guided use ECM, and for infra-red missiles, let off a flare.
There are seven missions in F-15 Strike Eagle:
- Mission1: Libya (1981)
- Mission2: Yom Kippur War, Egypt (1973)
- Mission 3: Haiphong, North Vietnam (1972)
- Mission 4: Syria (1984)
- Mission 5: Hanoi, North Vietnam (1972)
- Mission 6: Iraq (1981)
- Mission 7: The Persian Gulf (1984)
The points you earn on a mission increase with each of the 3 difficulty levels aside from 'Arcade' mode. At the 'Rookie' level, only two gun hit are required to bring down an enemy plane. At the 'Pilot' level, the enemy pilots are much better but will occasionally turn and run. Three gun hits are necessary to destroy a plane. At the 'Ace' level, SAMs are very accurate, enemy pilots won't disengage, and four gun hits are necessary to bring down a plane.
The game does not simulate landing your plane - you simply fly at a low altitude over the blue triangle when the low-altitude warning sound comes on.
System Requirements
| System Requirements | Intel 8088/8086 CPU, 128 KB RAM Graphics support for Tandy/PCjr, Amstrad PC1512, CGA and EGA (160 x 200 in 16 colours) Audio support for Tandy/PCjr and PC speaker. Keyboard and joystick supported. |
|---|---|
| Original Media | One 5.25" 320 KB (DS/SD) floppy diskette, or one 3.5" 720 KB (DS/DD) floppy diskette. Both are PC Booters. |
| Installed Size | N/A - Runs from floppy disk |
From where can it be run?
All releases of F-15 Strike Eagle came out as a PC Booter, where you inserted the single floppy disk in your drive and rebooted the PC - the game would then automatically load.
Copy Protection
The game features manual copy protection. At the start of the game you will be asked to enter an authentication code. The game's manual contains these codes on each page (look for the "TOP SECRET" text with the box beside it). If you get the code wrong, even once, you will not be able to launch missiles or drop bombs.
The the IBM PC version of the game, these are:
| Authenticate | Response | Authenticate | Response |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | C | 8 | E |
| 1 | H | 9 | D |
| 2 | I | 10 | N |
| 3 | P | 11 | G |
| 4 | L | 12 | Y |
| 5 | A | 13 | O |
| 6 | M | 14 | T |
| 7 | R | 15 | W |
How to Setup
There is no setup or configuration utility for this game. Version 402.01 added support for Tandy/PCjr, EGA and Amstrad PC1512 graphics modes, which was automatically detected on boot-up, as was the analog joystick.
Problems
Symptom: ?
Cause: ?
Resolution: ?
To Quit the Game
Since this is a PC Booter game, there is way to return to DOS. Simply remove the floppy disk from the drive and reboot your PC.
Supporting Documents
- User Manual ("F-15 Flight Operations Manual")
- Official F-15 Strike Eagle Handbook, written by Richard Sheffield and hosted at Kevin Savetz's site, flightsimbooks.com
Save Games
F-15 Strike Eagle does not have any ability to save your progress.
Versions of the game known to exist
| Version | Date | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 402.00 | 1985 | Initial version that supported RGB and TV/NTSC output, with CGA graphics only. |
| 402.01 | 1985 | Added support for Tandy/PCjr, CGA and EGA graphics. |
| 402.02 | 1985 | Unknown what the difference is over 402.01. |
Original Floppy Disk Contents
PC Booter floppy disks are not readable from DOS, so no files can be listed here.
Installed Directory Contents
The game has no installation capability, so nothing is listed here.