Microprose was one of the leading simulation software developers back in the 1980's. I found myself playing almost every single one of their titles. Airborne Ranger was one of the titles I spent many a Saturday afternoon with.
This game starts with you picking a name for your soldier. Then you are tasked with the selection of gear and ammunition. Once you have selected a mission, which could be as simple as "Steal the Enemy Codebook" or "Capture an Enemy Officer", you are taken to the drop screen, where you have control of your drop plane.
You then proceed to drop three supply stashes in strategic parts of the map that you think you will be able to get to easily.
The fun of this game is in the stealth which you used to complete most missions. I have had the most fun crawling through the trenches and avoiding enemies, then popping up and picking them off with my rifle or tossing a well placed grenade in their general direction!
After completing the mission, the ranger had to navigate to a pick-up point without being killed. The ranger had to reach the pick-up point within a time limit. If your ranger was captured, but not killed, the player could start an optional rescue mission using another soldier from the roster.
I
had a complete blast with this game. My friends and I would compete to see who could get the highest rank! Each successful mission increased the rank of the individual ranger, up to Colonel.
One of the frustrating things about this game is the rare occasion when you weren't able to reach one of your cargo drops to replenish your precious ammo! Some of the best times I had with this game was trying to find a way to eliminate or evade the enemy forces to reach my cargo. Once you had made the pick up it was a very satisfying thing. Almost like a mission in itself. Choosing the position of the drops became more important in harder missions where resupplying was more necessary.
I would recommend this game to any person who loves military simulations, loves to try and outwit computer opponents with stealth, and anybody with a love for the military in general. I wish there were more games on the market today that gave the player the same kind of experience that Airborne Ranger has.
Just remember to hold your head high because an Airborne Ranger never cries!
