We've seen flight sims here and there. We've gone into combat with them even. However, Marvelous Interactive, who always had the knack in creating mundane games, is back with Pilot Academy Flying All Stars!

This is not simply a fighting flight sim - it also features commercial flights and old planes. You begin the game with the Academy mode wherein you learn the basics of flying. You will have a chance to study two types of planes, the commercial plane and the war planes. For the commercial plane, you get to learn how to land and maneuver your plane safely. For the war planes, you learn the fundamentals of gunning your enemies down.

We have certainly seen this concept before, but the challenge mode makes it even more fun! Challenge mode basically puts your flying skills to test as you plot out an acrobatic flight to win against your enemy. If you manage to get combos during the game, expect to have a 'free flight' wherein you are free to maneuver your plane any way you want (perhaps even to the point of stalling the plane). With its multiplayer mode, you can you can show off your skills or participate in a campaign together with three of your friends. If you successfully finish the level, you would also get a free flight.

News out of Japan, is that Marvelous Interactive Inc. new PSP flight sim - Pilot Academy Flying All Stars, will be available September this year, after being announced back in August 2005. The game is a sequel of sorts to Pilot Academy 2 that was released on the PlayStation2. In this game, the player will take to the air on various missions such as spraying farm crops in an AT492B Air Tractor, battling the Red Baron in a WWI bi-plane, taking out military installments at night with an F-117 Stealth Fighter, and landing a 747 in a snowstorm. While the aircraft in the game are real-world, and the missions are realistic, the game does let you do all the fun parts of flying (rather than the boring bits, which flight sims are renowned for like Microsoft's Flight Simulator), so no more long-haul flights or a screen with crowded over-complicated instruments. Perfect for play on the go.

Features include:

• Twenty different highly detailed aircraft to fly (civilian and military)
• Aerial combat from WWI to modern day including bi-planes, spitfires, MIG's and the F16
• Large environments including the Pacific Islands, Cities, African Wildlife Reserves and Alpine Forests
• A range of flying experiences including barn-storming, crop-spraying, aerobatic displays and dogfighting
• Multiplayer modes allowing for aerial battles and co-op against AI enemies
  

Pilot Academy Flying All Stars is set for release September 7, an it looks to be for the Japanese only at this stage.