When we spotted Snakehead Software’s Flying Aces in the app store, we locked on to its signal in the hope that this was, in fact, the best dogfighting game available for the iPod. After several attempts to blow the enemy out of the sky, we find ourselves at Mission:Impossible.

This game should include a downloadable barf bag. The controls are so overly sensitive that we could scarcely tell which way was up. The slightest tilt of the iDevice sent our F-15 Eagle careening out of control. It took several seconds to get the jet righted again. As soon as we got the enemy in front of us (according to the radar), he would suddenly be behind us. We had no idea if he was above or below us. Frankly, we’re not even sure that he was there half the time, as we only got a quick glimpse as his red target box twice in a half hour, and only for brief moments. It appears that Air Force training is a prerequisite to operating this game effectively. Even with the control sensitivity cranked down to the absolute minimum, we still had difficulty controlling the F-15.

Graphically, the game is simple. As few details as necessary are provided, and we spent most of the time looking at the cloudy sky. The cockpit view feels squished, and the text and numbers are very tiny and difficult to read. The game offers no sense of the speed at which you are flying, and the boost simply shakes the cockpit for three seconds. You have guns and heat-seeking missiles with which to shoot down the enemy, provided you can ever find him. Both were useless in our trials. Sound is nothing special, either.

The $3.99 price that Snakehead Software is asking for this dud is not justified in the least. Steer clear of this one! Flying Aces crashes and burns for a 1-Dimple rating.

Flying Aces gets our AppSmile 1-Dimple rating: