There are likely few simpler premises for a game than the on screen character flying over a undulating varied landscape shooting baddies, right?

Zaxxon? River Raid? And all the other shoot'em ups were classics of gaming. But, when Magic carpet updated the shooter concept 1994, it was dazzling for the time. It was an early 3D game with a 3D world, and it ran in DOS without a 3D card. Well for most people ist ran a bit slowly...on our weaker machines. However, the innovative world deformation was wondrous and showed what was possible with modern games in 3D worlds. I suppose it was over shadowed by games like Descent that looked flashier, but that was a corridor shoot and not and open world - Magic Carpet was impressive in it own way to this day.

In an interview with Giant Bomb, Peter Molyneux said that the core idea of the game, which is flying around on a magical carpet, is "the stupidest thing ever", and that he wishes that Bullfrog had made a corridor-shooter, which he asserts would've been much more successful.

I hate to say it but Molyneux was a doofus even back then! It might not have sold well, or made him rich, but Magic Carpet was a pretty sweet game. It was far more interesting than just another corridor shooter that was flooding the market in 1994 1995.

♯♪♫♫
Well, you don't know what we can find
Why don't you come with me, little girl
On a magic carpet ride

You don't know what we can see
Why don't you tell your dreams to me
Fantasy will set you free
♯♪♫♫

I would love to see a modern recompletion of the Magic Carpet game where the character would fly around fighting on a carpet while flying around and exquisitely rendered world. Maybe, throughout the game, the player can get off the carpet to explore on foot. Heck, just do a "near-east" Assassin's Creed or Elder Scrolls where instead of riding around on a horse you get around on a magic carpet - fun!