Flight of the Intruder

This game was based on the novel by the same name written by Stephen Coonts. The story is set during the Vietnam War. It is a flight simulation that allowed you to fly A-6 and F-4 off a carrier for missions over the Gulf of Tonkin and into Vietnam. It was my very first flight simulation game, and I had many hours of fun flying the various missions and trying out different weapon loads. It got me interested in flight simulations, not the hardcore type of flight simulations based on very detailed flight models, but rather the average flight simulation that balances reality with gameplay.

It also introduced to me the author Stephen Coonts and his series of books, with the main character Jake Grafton. I went on to read every Jake Grafton novel, and have in my collection every novel written by Stephen Coonts. Talk about the positive effect that games can have. Playing games got me more interested in reading books.

So for those parents who worry that your children are not reading enough, it is time to introduce them to computer games! But off course, find those games that have some links with books.