Sky Mad

An arcade flight game that lets you choose your approach mid-stage. There is a race against rival jets and there is a combat mode against the same jets, and you can switch between them — so a stage can be won by flying better or by removing the competition, and the interesting decision is which one the current position calls for. That choice has real texture. Racing is faster but leaves you exposed to rivals who have switched to combat; fighting costs you distance and buys you a clear track. Leading on the last lap is usually worth defending with weapons, and trailing badly is usually worth recovering with speed — which means the mode you should be in changes during a stage rather than being a preference. The flight model is loose arcade rather than anything simulated, the desert setting keeps the horizon readable at speed, and the stages are short. There is a progression of jets and environments behind it. It plays with a keyboard or on-screen controls, needs a moderately capable machine for a smooth frame rate, and is more interesting than either half of it would be alone.