How to play Final Approach online
- Move the cursor (radar screen) or steer the landing (landing screen): arrow keys
- Take or release control of a plane, switch screens: Space bar
- Start a new game: F12 (the console’s Reset switch)
- Choose a game variation: F11 (the console’s Select switch)
- Aircraft speed: F4 (difficulty switch) – B is slower and easier, A is faster
- Save and load your progress: Ctrl + 0–9 saves to a slot, Alt + 0–9 loads it
Gameplay
The game uses two screens. The radar screen shows the airspace around the airport. Planes appear at random and hold their last heading, so you must keep adjusting them. Put the cursor on a plane and press the button to control it; press again to let go. Planes that touch count as a near miss; planes that leave the radar cost points and reappear elsewhere.
To land, line a plane up with the runway strobes and have it arrive at their end, heading towards the runway. Then move the cursor to the centre knob at the bottom of the screen and press the button to open the landing screen. Pull back to descend, push forward to climb, and steer left and right to stay lined up. The landing works if the plane’s nose is centred on both the glide slope and the localizer when it reaches the runway. Press the button to return to the radar; a failed landing leaves the plane there for another try.
Sometimes a plane starts flashing and beeping. That is an emergency: clear the other traffic out of its way and land it first.
| Event | Points |
|---|---|
| Normal landing | +25 |
| Emergency plane landed before any other | +50 |
| Plane leaves the radar | −5 |
You can make four control errors, such as a near miss or failing to land an emergency straight away. The lights at the top of the screen show how many you have left, and every 500 points gives you one more. Planes fly faster as your score rises.
Game variations
There are eight variations for one or two players. They set the most planes allowed on screen at once (four, three or two), and games 3 and 4 add crosswinds during landing. Games 7 and 8 are meant to be very easy, for young children. In two-player games, turns change after each near miss or failed landing.
Tips
- Start with fewer planes. Learn the landing screen in a two- or three-plane variation.
- Park planes in safe loops. Before you leave the radar to land one plane, point the others away from each other and away from the edges, because they keep flying while you are busy.
- Always handle emergencies first. Not landing a flashing plane at once costs a control error, and landing it first is worth double points.
About Games by Apollo
Apollo was founded in Richardson, Texas, in late 1981 and was among the first companies after Activision to make games for the 2600. None of its games became a big hit, and Apollo filed for bankruptcy in November 1982, one of the first victims of the collapsing games market.
