I didn’t think that reviewing Flight Control from Australian developers Firemint was going to take very long. The truth is that from watching the gameplay video I didn’t see what all the hoopla was about and why it was number one at the App Store. It looked simplistic with basic graphics.

And that is exactly what it is, which is what makes this game so bloody addictive. I didn’t think I’d fall into the trap. I figured this game was not going to be for me but I got hooked and hooked bad. You’d have had this review a lot faster if I could only take my face away from my iPod Touch long enough to  write it. I love old school games which this one appears to be. The flight attendant’s uniform on the startup and exit screens, as well as the simple graphics all beckon me back to another time. But all that doesn’t make the game interesting. No, it’s when you start playing, trying to land one of your four color-coded planes and one helicopter on two different runways and one helipad. The more planes that come around for you as Air Traffic Controller to guide to the right runway, the harder it is to avoid a collision and then it’s game over.

The only driving force behind the app right now is competing against yourself and trying to best your own high score. Mine is only 51 yet but I’m going to better that. With no global leaderboard, it’s hard to compare yourself with other people. What’s your high score? Don’t make me feel too bad now. I’d love to post some screenshots of some really high scores here. (Feel free to email yours to reviews@aboutapps.com and I’ll post them with your name.)

Besides missing the global leaderboard, I would like it if there were a bit more variety, maybe the ability to pick different planes and add runways depending on how many planes you have. But the fact that we’re all at the same place with the same runways, planes, and helicopters is the reason a global leaderboard is really needed. I don’t mind competing against myself but I’d love to know where I am in the stats. It’s also missing a save on exit feature which is frustrating when you are nearing a high score. Still, Flight Control is available at an introductory price for a mere 99 cents. And that’s a lot of fun for every cent you spent on it.

The good: Great gameplay, clear graphics, easy instructions, great price (at least now with the introductory price) and the replay factor is huge.
The bad: No global leaderboard, no flexibility in type or number of aircraft or runways, and no save on exit feature.
The bottom line: For 99 cents, this game is well worth the money but I still hope for future updates that include the things on my wishlist.

Download Flight Control from the App Store