Probably because it represents one of the darkest times in human history, World War II has been recreated in nearly every genre and platform known to man, but the DS has been limited in games recounting the heroism of "The Big One." But from the horizon comes comes Spitfire Heroes: Tales of the Royal Air Force.

In the game, you fly, via 3rd person view, one of the celebrated Spitfires, specifically a British Hawker Hurricane. The game offers 2 camera perspectives, but only the primary view is of much value. A 3rd view with the camera further back would be helpful.

Controls are simple, effective, and easy to pick up, no tutorial necessary. This is definitely an arcade-style game, not a simulator. The potential to stall the plane adds to the flavor, and there's a certain thrill to restarting by diving. Even on the first time out, skimming the ground and other maneuvers go off easily, but beware of the terrain--it's easy to crash when attacking ground targets.

War is hard, and so is this game. It sports three difficulty levels: "Painfully Difficult," "Will Require Therapy," and "You'd last longer on a mechanical bull," cleverly disguised for the unwitting as "Recruit," "Veteran," and "Ace." This difficulty has mostly to do with the AI. Normally, a good AI with realistic enemies would be a good thing, but since you fly a single plane often against an entire squadron, you often end up feeling like Snoopy against the Red Baron and the rest of the German Air Force. Even when completing a level, if you've taken too long or failed in other ways, you still have to redo the level. While this gives a real sense of accomplishment after finally completing a level, it can cause immense frustration to the impatient, including most kids.

The game is a graphical mix. Each level starts with a sepia-colored cutscene of the plane squadron taking off that slowly fades to color--a great effect. (Although every time, I find myself asking where the rest of the squadron is going--I could really use their help!) Items look as decent as can be expected at close range, but from a distance, clarity fades to the point that the plane's radar becomes essential in locating targets, as they vanish from the landscape and horizon. A gallery mode gives players a closer look at the planes used in the game with some historical background--a decent addition to add to the historical flair.

This is a fun game, or it would be, were it not so difficult. Those who excel at flying combat games will enjoy this, but for most, the difficulty will make it an exercise in frustration.

The game also features a multiplayer mode, allowing up to 4 players to go head-to-head against each other. We didn't have an additional cartridge to test the multiplayer, but a cooperative mode to get some help on the missions would be better.

The game is rated E10+ for violence (you shoot down planes), but I wouldn't recommend this for anyone younger anyway because of the difficulty.