Play Ultimate Air Combat Online

Summary

Ultimate Air Combat delivers a surprisingly deep mission flow for an NES title. Each of the 36‑plus missions is split into two distinct phases: a cockpit‑view scramble where you must down three enemy planes before fuel runs out or you’re shot down, followed by an isometric segment that tasks you with destroying ground targets and installations.

You can choose from three iconic jets – the F‑14 Tomcat, the F‑18 Super Hornet, and the Harrier – each with its own cockpit layout and subtle handling quirks; the Harrier even feels a bit more forgiving during the first, cockpit‑only portion. The co‑pilot constantly feeds you status updates, warning you of stalls, damage, and incoming threats.

Weaponry is a core progression element. Professor Newron supplies new hard‑points and weapon types as you advance, eventually giving you access to 13 distinct armaments (aside from the ever‑useful fuel tank and machine gun). Some weapons are universal, while others are locked to a specific aircraft, encouraging you to experiment with load‑outs.

Fuel management adds tension: you can attach an extra tank at the load‑out screen, but running out means the plane is lost forever, leaving you with only three lives total. The Japanese release, Aces: Iron Eagle III, mirrors this blend of semi‑realistic flight and arcade‑style action.

Storyline

The plot of Ultimate Air Combat kicks off with an emergency White House meeting. Military advisers reveal that the ruthless dictator Don Gwano is using massive oil‑export revenues to bankroll a powerful army and navy, and he has already begun invading neighboring nations. Rather than launching a full‑scale war, the president’s team proposes a series of quick, lightning‑strike missions aimed at crippling the key systems that keep Gwano’s regime afloat. As the military’s top pilot, the player is hand‑picked to carry out these precise attacks, flying into hostile territory to dismantle the dictator’s war machine one target at a time.