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Illustration of Blue Max

Blue Max

Overview

The storyline is based on a fictional pilot, Max Chatsworth, being (in-game) one of Britain's Flying Aces. Chatsworth's fame began in battle, when he was out on a reconnaissance mission, and his squadron was decimated by enemy planes. The pilot survived, and in the process shot down seven enemy fighters. He shot down thirteen more the next month. For these actions, Germany offered their Blue Max medal to anyone who could shoot Chatsworth down—and Chatsworth got a new nickname—Blue Max.

As Blue Max, you go out on sorties—flying missions—attacking assigned targets. Targets include bridges, buildings, enemy planes, tanks, bridges, anti-aircraft batteries, vehicles and ships. You progress to new missions as you take out your targets. Various settings can be adjusted before beginning play including control type (normal or pilot), skill level and whether gravity will affect the plane.

You must drop bombs to take out the ground targets, and this action also represents a key danger for you. Unlike the modern bombers that drop bombs on targets far below, early aircraft engaged in semi-suicidal bombing runs. The pilots started at high altitude, then tipped the planes nose downward towards their ground-based target, and pulled up before they hit the ground. In the middle of the dive and pull up process, they released the bomb. There were problems of coordination, found in the game as well—if you time it wrong, or start too low, you will crash. You only have one life in this game.

If your plane is destroyed or you complete a mission a ranking is given which ranges from Kamikaze Trainee to Squadron Leader.

This game has aroused some controversy too, which supposedly caused it to be banned in Germany. In the course of your missions, you end up bombing houses.

(The actual Blue Max/Blauer Max, is a nickname for the Prussian medal 'Pour le Mérite', first given to the pilots Max Immelmann and Oswald Boelcke. It required downing 8-20 enemy planes, with requirements increasing as the war progressed.)

Platform
Commodore 64
Genre
Shooter
Alternate Names
No information available

Media

Box - 3D

Blue Max - Box - 3D (Europe) - 449x714
Europe -  449 x 714
Blue Max - Box - 3D (North America) - 821x1254
North America -  821 x 1254
Blue Max - Box - 3D (Europe) - 804x1238
Europe -  804 x 1238

Box - Back

Blue Max - Box - Back (North America) - 800x1108
North America -  800 x 1108
Blue Max - Box - Back (Europe) - 1735x2490
Europe -  1735 x 2490
Blue Max - Box - Back (Europe) - 1004x1447
Europe -  1004 x 1447

Box - Front

Blue Max - Box - Front (Europe) - 1024x1477
Europe -  1024 x 1477
Blue Max - Box - Front (North America) - 799x1161
North America -  799 x 1161
Blue Max - Box - Front (Europe) - 1024x1477
Europe -  1024 x 1477

Box - Spine

Blue Max - Box - Spine (Europe) - 170x1445
Europe -  170 x 1445

Cart - Front

Blue Max - Cart - Front (Europe) - 1182x726
Europe -  1182 x 726

Clear Logo

Blue Max - Clear Logo (null) - 1500x870
1500 x 870

Disc

Blue Max - Disc (Europe) - 1568x1552
Europe -  1568 x 1552
Blue Max - Disc (North America) - 700x700
North America -  700 x 700

Fanart - Disc

Blue Max - Fanart - Disc (null) - 301x300
301 x 300

Screenshot - Game Title

Blue Max - Screenshot - Game Title (null) - 320x200
320 x 200

Screenshot - Gameplay

Blue Max - Screenshot - Gameplay (null) - 320x200
320 x 200
Blue Max - Screenshot - Gameplay (null) - 320x200
320 x 200