Top Gun (1987). Play online

Summary

Konami’s NES Top Gun launched in November 1987 and quickly became a runaway hit, moving over two million units worldwide. The game sticks to a cockpit perspective, splitting the action between tense dogfights and a notoriously tricky carrier landing. Players can choose from three missile types, each with its own lock‑on spread, demanding quick decisions when enemy jets cross the sky. The landing sequence starts head‑on from the cockpit, then shifts to a side view as the F‑14 arcs toward the carrier, forcing precise speed and angle control. While the concept sounds thrilling, many reviewers of the era bemoaned its steep difficulty and the sparing amount of high‑octane action, a complaint that still circulates among retro fans. A sequel, Top Gun: The Second Mission, followed the same formula a year later.

Storyline

The NES Top Gun drops you onto a carrier deck, roaring into the sky as you chase down bogeys at Mach 2. As Maverick in an F‑14 Tomcat you must defend the task force, blasting enemies with cannons and missiles while the radar floods with targets.

After a training run you face three real missions – an enemy aircraft carrier, a hostile base and, surprisingly, an enemy Space Shuttle. You can select different missiles for each sortie, balancing speed and firepower.

The game offers two endings. Lose but score 50,000 points and you see a still of the Top Gun plaque that Iceman earned. Complete all four missions and land on the carrier, and the F‑14 taxis ashore while you wave to the LSO crew.