Wingnuts 2: Raina's Revenge

K. Fields
2013-11-03T14:10:21-05:00
Video Games

I recently brought out my Logitech RumblePad 2 for some arcade action in Wingnuts 2: Raina’s Revenge. I’ve had it for quite a few years but haven’t played it in a while. I really liked the original game from Freeverse Software, Wingnuts: Temporal Navigator. It was very much in the spirit of one of my all time favorite coin-op arcade games, Time Pilot. Wingnuts 2 raised the bar graphically and also added some depth and flexibility to the gameplay.

One nice addition in the sequel is the inclusion of multiple aircraft on your carrier. You choose your plane at the start of each mission. During the mission, you can land on the carrier and swap into another plane. That is useful if you need to change tactics or if your plane is damaged or running low on fuel. Each aircraft is rated for its speed, turning ability, fuel capacity, and shields. Also, each plane has a rating for its guns, bombs, and missiles (on more modern aircraft). You add to your selection of planes as the game progresses. Some of the early planes you are provided are the P-51 Mustang, Bell P-39 Airacobra, Macchi Mc.202, and A-10 Thunderbolt II. Enemies are similarly based on real aircraft. Once you lose a particular plane, it is gone forever. You want to protect them like “lives” in a typical arcade game.

When I first played Wingnuts 2 years ago, I wasn’t sure I liked the game mechanics as well as the original Wingnuts. This time around, however, it appealed to me much more. I definitely like the swappable aircraft. The much improved graphics don’t hurt either.