Top Gun - iPhone Review

“Top Gun” from Paramount Digital Entertainment is a fast paced flying action game that takes you back to the 80’s and throws you straight in the middle of the Cold War !
The game is based on the classic movie “Top Gun” the action taking place after the events in the movie. You play as a young Top Gun Academy Cadet following in the footsteps of Maverick and Iceman.
Top Gun offers its players a large array of challenges: from shooting down opponents to dodging incoming air-to-air and surface-to-air missiles and navigating intricate environments, all done with smooth intuitive controls while listening to “Danger Zone” and other hard-hitting tracks.



Storyline:
Top Gun for the iPhone / iPod Touch takes place several years after the events of the movie. Iceman and Maverick have since become highly qualified instructors at the Top Gun fighter pilot academy. You take the role of a hotshot freshman who, over the course of ten missions, evolves into an accomplished top notch fighter pilot. The producers concentrated mainly on the game play experience so the cut scenes are simple and rendered in a cartoon style reminiscent of the old Nintendo version. Seeing familiar faces throughout the story, hearing the adrenaline-pumping theme song, and once again engaging in dogfights should reawaken fond memories for anyone who saw the original release.



Impressions:
The first thing that we liked when we tested the game was the smoothness of the game play , the plane is extremely responsive to the controls and unlike the flight simulators that are out there, your fighter plane is very agile and can perform instant maneuvers. The game caught our eye visually as well, Top Gun has some stunning graphics with detailed environments and accurate plane designs. The zones in which you fly are unique and include: flying out to sea, thundering across deserts, and swerving through canyons. Top Gun also features animations and cut scenes throughout the missions that add to the feel of the game.



Gameplay & Controls:
Top Gun has 10 missions, the first one is for training and the rest are unlocked as you complete each previous one. Even though there are only 10 they prove to be quite challenging and it takes a while to complete the game. Mission objective vary from simple taking down bogies to escort missions and bombing certain battle ships or locations.
Each level, while different in theory, is essentially the same. Fly around , lock onto the bad guy and let your guided missiles do their thing
Your F-22 fighter has two types of weapons , a Vulcan cannon for dog fights and side-winder missiles for long range assaults and bombings. Killing an enemy with the cannon requires you to hit it multiple times , while with missiles it only takes one shot. Firing with the side-winder missiles require you to lock on the target with your reticle. You can lock on multiple targets ( up to 4) and then fire all missiles at once.

The controls are intuitive and add a lot to the gaming experience. You control both the plane and the targeting reticule with the accelerometer while two onscreen buttons control the Vulcan cannon and the missile launcher. The game auto calibrates the accelerometer controls at the beginning of each mission and also you have the option of re calibrating them during a mission by pausing the game . Your flight path is on rails,which means that you can’t crash if you fly too low and you don’t have complete freedom to go anywhere but you still must use the iPhone’s motion sensor to tilt your iPhone and maneuver your plane around the screen to avoid obstacles and incoming missiles.
Some of the players didn’t really like the whole “flight path on rails ” system because it feels like the game limits you , but i have to say that this feature allows you to concentrate more on the combat part which is a great plus. Unlike Galaxy on Fire which proved to be dissapointment mainly because you had to rotate in every direction to find your targets and the controls were to sluggish to allow that

There is a “Danger Zone” sign that appears in different locations on the screen showing you what areas to avoid.This is very helpful because you can out maneuver incoming missiles, you can dodge canyon ridges , ships, buildings etc. On the other hand most of the time your screen will be filled with these warnings, making it feel incredibly cluttered.
On the bottom of the screen you also have a health bar , you can take up to 8 hits before you lose control of your aircraft and have to eject.

Features:
•Strap Yourself In – And scream through the skies in either an F-22 Raptor or a B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber.
•Torch Your Enemy With Heavy Firepower – Fire target-locking missiles or strafe enemy positions and aircraft with Vulcan cannons.
•Avoid The Danger Zone – Incoming air-to-air and surface-to-air missiles as well as aerial and ground-based obstacles create multiple “Danger Zones” that must be avoided.
•Progress Through 10 In-Depth Missions – In a variety of environments, including oceans, deserts, canyons and city centers.
•Earn Medals and Achievements – While progressing through each mission.
•Blast To The Beat – Fly and battle to “Danger Zone” and other hard-hitting tracks.
•Customizable Handles – Create any moniker: Maverick, Iceman, Goose, Merlin, etc.
•Classified Files Inside – featuring unlockable content and Easter eggs.

PRO’s:
- Beautiful 3D graphics , smooth visual effects and no drops in frame rate
- Extremely well calibrated and intuitive controls that make the game fun but also challenging
- The music chosen goes very well with the game and adds to the overall gripping atmosphere of the game



CON’s:
- Even if the “Danger Zone” signs are useful , by mission 3 your entire screen will always be full of them, making it annoyingly cluttered

Price:

It is available at the App Store for 1.99$ - Great value for money !
App Store Link

Game Play Video: