Play Top Gun (J) Online

I picked up Top Gun for the Nintendo DS back in 2010, a game published by 505 Games. It was one of those licensed titles that tried to make use of the DS hardware in interesting ways, coming out during a period when developers were still experimenting with the dual screens and touch controls. It wasn't a big budget release, but it had a clear goal: to put you in the cockpit of an F-14 Tomcat.

You control a rookie naval aviator, taking on missions that involve dogfighting enemy jets, engaging ground targets, and protecting allies. The main objective is to complete your sorties and progress through the campaign. The signature mechanics are the touch screen controls for managing weapons and systems, and the use of the DS's gyro sensor for banking your aircraft by physically tilting the handheld. The pacing is fast, and the difficulty can spike during hectic combat or the notoriously tricky carrier landing sequences. It feels like a hands-on, slightly chaotic simulation where success depends on managing multiple inputs at once.