Recently released on the iTunes App Store, Top Gun is what you would expect this type of game to be.  The premise is simple, shoot the bad guys and stay out of the “Danger Zones”.  I have to say, Paramount did a really good job with it.  Click on for my review!

The accelerometer based control is very fluid and intuitive.  Those of you that are familiar with flight-sims will feel at home with the movements.  If your not, it’s still very easy to get used to.  The option to recalibrate while in-play is great for when you have to shift positions or were not in the right position at the start.   The fire buttons are easily accessible on the lower left and right corners.  Besides the little pause button, there are no other controls.  You just lock onto target with the reticule and fire when you get a lock.  I’ve read some other reviews that do not like that your “on rails” and can’t roam around freely.  I don’t think it’s a problem because your focusing on the fighting anyways.

The dialog has tie-ins with the original plot lines of the movie.  Yes…it’s a little cheesy, but so was the movie!  It’s more like a continuation of the story.  It’s still set in the “cold war” era and there are plenty of goofy one-liners to make you laugh.  It all kind of adds to the feel of the game.  I guess you have to really be a fan of the movie to get some of the inside jokes, but it’s not critical to the gameplay.

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the graphics in the game.  The planes and surroundings look realistic.  I didn’t notice any slow-downs or glitches while playing, even when the fighting was getting intense.  The sound effects and music are also good quality.  Although, the cover version of “Danger Zone” is a little odd.  Thankfully, they don’t use the song throughout the whole game.  The rest of the songs are decent and go along with the theme.  It would be interesting if you could use your own playlist during the fight scenes…but I guess that would be too much like “Iron Eagle“!

Overall, I really like this game.  It has good controls, the graphics are excellent and the gameplay is engaging.  As of this writing, it’s only $1.99 in the App Store.  That’s a bargain for the level of quality this game is.  It’s a ton of fun to play and even conjures up a little nostalgia for the movie!  Highly recommended!