There was a highly un-PC game arcade game I played in the early 1970s that involved a physical moving map with a joystick controlling the the "bombsight." The goal as I recall was to nuke cities in a night mission with a resulting noise and flash. Not a flight sim, but that submarine coin op game (with the metal periscope handles) sticks out -- where you torpedo the ships scrolling by. Can't remember it's name though. I believe it was another one that offered Physical, mechanical "graphics."
In flight sims -- The first one I played was Airfight, about 1977 on the PLATO computer network. The First online, H2H somewhat massivley in potential combat flight sim. 1960s aircraft (no missiles though), simple wireframe graphics, about 1 FPS in updates and keyboard controls made for a less than immersive experience. I flew it a few times, and occasionally found an opponent but it was too "jerky" in performance to be enjoyable. I did get my first online kill on the PLATO system though, playing the Star Trek based Empire, where I hit some dude in a Romulan ship with 3 photon torpedoes.
Intellivision -- B-17 bomber obviously stands out.
In the "modern" era EGA Falcon 1 was good, Strike Eagle was good but Red Baron 1 was a quantum leap in good.
Charon
