Play Air Strike Patrol Online

You weave through flak bursts in a cramped cockpit view, swapping between machine guns and rockets to pick off tanks and fighters before they swarm you. The controls feel tight—every missed shot leaves you one missile closer to limping home empty-handed.

Developer: SETA Corporation

Genre: Action

Released: 1995

File size: 1 KB

Game Overview

Air Strike Patrol is one of those SNES games that slipped under the radar but absolutely shouldn’t have. You’re thrown into a fighter jet with a top-down view, dodging flak and lining up shots like some kind of pixelated Maverick. The first mission eases you in—take out ground targets, avoid enemy fighters—but by mission three, you’re sweating bullets trying to balance missile conservation with not getting blown to bits.

What I love is how it mixes arcade chaos with just enough strategy. You pick between different loadouts before each sortie (rockets for tanks, machine guns for planes, that kind of thing), and the controls are weirdly precise for a 16-bit dogfighter. The graphics aren’t flashy, but the explosions have this satisfying chunky feel, and the music nails that "80s action movie" vibe.

If you’ve ever wasted quarters on UN Squadron or Aero Fighters, this is right up your alley. Just don’t blame me when you restart the third mission eight times.