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Game Endings Out Of Left Field: Pilotwings

Posted by Nadia Oxford

Today on the Gamespite forum, there was a lull in between the ritual sacrifice and the summoning of the Dark One, so the members got to talking about game endings. Specifically, the game endings that “Made you go 'bwuh?'”

Endings that make you go “bwuh?” are not really the same as endings that make you go “Hey..HEY!” or goad you into a homicidal rampage. These are the endings that gently mystify you, perhaps in a manner that stays with you for a long, long time.

I shifted through my inner catalogue, flipping through the game-related memories I've stored in lieu of remembering how to do long division. I quickly found a game ending that made me scratch my head the first time I saw it: the finale for the pioneer SNES flight simulator, Pilotwings.

Earning the right to view the Pilotwings ending is rough. It's not an easy game, and you have to finish it on regular and “Expert” before you learn of your true destiny.

That's right. You thought you signed up for some froo-froo flight school, but guess what? Your co-pilot is destiny.

It turns out this Nintendo flight academy is actually a front/recruitment centre for a military organisation. When you prove that you can fly a plane, open a parachute, and maneuver a jetpack without fricasseeing your own buttocks, your instructors ask you if you'll do them a favour and fly an Apache helicopter to rescue some agents from from bad people.

So you do. And you're recruited as thanks.



Pilotwings' ending isn't bad by any means. Heck, video games need more crazy story twists. I never loved Pilotwings 64 nearly as much as the original, and to this day I think it's because nobody in the game asked me to go kick some terrorist ass.

Related Links:

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Comments

Jay Corbett said:

Big Al crying! :D  Actually, you're not going to save agents, you're saving your FLIGHT INSTRUCTORS. Who have been kidnapped by terrorists. It's silly.

I never actually got to see the ending, I would always get shot down.  The helicopter missions are hard!

March 12, 2009 5:10 AM

Nadia Oxford said:

That's right, I forgot it was the instructors you have to rescue!

"I'm ready for my lesson! Where's Tony?"

"Probably being tortured by some ninjas. Are you a bad enough pilot to rescue Tony from ninjas?"

March 12, 2009 11:36 AM

3000 said:

So the end of Pilotwings is Choplifter! Who knew?

March 12, 2009 12:48 PM

Nadia Oxford said:

Thinking about it some more, I seem to recall that someone who got kidnapped in this game was Big Al's brother. We had a real episode of the Young and the Restless going on here.

March 12, 2009 7:24 PM

Cole Stryker said:

Those last few missions were impossible. I had a strict "must finish every game I play" back in those days, so I actually did get to see the ending. I remember shaking uncontrollably when I finally did beat it, since it took me at least several dozen tries.

March 12, 2009 8:32 PM

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