Nes Longplay #16: Top Gun

Channel:

HIDEFACES

Subscribers:

24,400

Published on December 12, 2014 10:39:21 PM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcEXfDdOruM

Game:

Top Gun (1987)

Duration: 30:15

1,585 views

9

The Konami version of Top Gun video game was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) on November 1987 in North America, December 11, 1987 in Japan and on November 30, 1988 in Europe and Australia. An arcade port was also distributed for the Nintendo Vs. System under the title of Vs. Top Gun. According to Game Over by David Sheff, the NES version sold over 2 million copies.

Piloting an F-14 Tomcat fighter, the player, as the film's protagonist Maverick, has to complete four missions. Given a choice of missiles, and starting with a training mission, the player is sent after an enemy aircraft carrier, an enemy base and finally must destroy an enemy space shuttle. The game had two endings. If the player lost but achieved a minimum score of 50,000 points, a still shot would be shown of the player being presented the Top Gun plaque that was awarded to Iceman in the film. If the player completed all four missions and successfully landed on the aircraft carrier, a scene would be shown of the F-14 taxiing on the carrier and the player waving to the LSO crew.

Gameplay takes place from the cockpit's point of view and consists of two main themes: dogfighting and landing the aircraft itself. For the dogfights, the player is allowed to pick between three missile types each varying in the target locking area they could be fired at. Landing of the aircraft can be particularly difficult as it required the player to control both speed and angle of aircraft. The point of view for the final part of the landing sequences is from the side of the aircraft carrier with the F-14 coming in from the right side of the screen.