"Tornado" was named the best flight simulation of 1993 by "Computer Games Strategy Plus". It was also a runner-up for "Computer Gaming World"s Simulation Game of the Year award in June 1994, losing to "IndyCar Racing". The editors wrote that "Tornado" features "the most versatile and realistic mission planning approach that flight sim fans have ever been able to use". In 1994 "PC Gamer UK" named "Tornado" the 14th best computer game of all time. The editors wrote that its "level of long-term appeal and faultless attention to detail easily make "Tornado" the best flight sim going at the moment."