Top Gun (1987 video game)

Top Gun is a shoot 'em up combat flight simulation game based on the 1986 hit film Top Gun. It was developed and published by Konami for the Nintendo Entertainment System.^[1] It was released in the United States and Canada in November 1987,^[2] and then in Europe.^[3][4][5] It is an adaptation of VS. Top Gun, a 1987 Nintendo VS. System arcade game also by Konami.^[6][7] As the second game to establish the Top Gun game series, it was followed by Top Gun: The Second Mission. It is known for its extremely high difficulty.

Gameplay

Top Gun is a

The player has unlimited machine gun ammunition and three different types of missile, each one with their own advantages. MiGs also have their own missiles, which the player must avoid or destroy. The player is presented with onscreen information such as altitude, air speed, a radar, and a fuel gauge. Once during each level, the player can call in a tanker plane to refuel the F-14 if necessary. Refueling is done in mid-air, and the player must align the F-14 with the fuel pump. After each level, the player must successfully land the F-14 on a U.S. aircraft carrier.^[1][7][3][9]

Reception

Top Gun was a commercial hit. It was the top-selling game in the United States for two weeks in January 1988.^[10] By 1989, its sales had surpassed 1.8 million units in the United States,^[11] eventually reaching two million copies.^[12] Eugene Lacey of Computer and Video Games praised the graphics and sound, and was surprised by "the level of sophistication that the designers have achieved" with the gameplay considering the limited number of buttons on the NES controller. Lacey called it an "excellent" flight game addition to the NES library.^[3] The Games Machine stated that like most NES games, Top Gun had an emphasis on playability rather than graphical presentation. The magazine described the graphics as "little more than a detailed cockpit and fast moving enemies", but stated that the game succeeded in playability with its levels. The Games Machine added that the landing and refueling segments, and the necessary missile strategy, help to "spruce up the action".^[9]

Steve Jarratt of ACE praised the sound effects and wrote that Top Gun "is visually sparse but the sprites are extremely effective – especially in the air-to-air combat". Jarratt praised the large amount of "varied and entertaining" action, and stated that the game would appeal to fans of shoot 'em up games.^[7] German magazine Power Play criticized the gameplay's lack of playful variety.^[5] Ulrich Mühl of Aktueller Software Markt praised the graphics and sound.^[13] French magazine Player One said the graphics were good for an NES game.^[4]