Top Gun: Combat Zones

Do You Feel the Need???

NA release: 28th October 2002
EU release: 8th November 2002
JP release: 26th December 2002
Developer: Digital Integration Ltd.
Publisher: Titus
NGC Magazine Score: 71%
Mods Used: Widescreen Code

Sometimes it it’s very clear when a game is built out of love for a franchise, or if the license was thrown in because the developers or publishers (usually publishers) because they think it will makes more money. If you took out the logo from the title screen, I don’t think a single person would identify Combat Zones as a Top Gun game. A huge part of that is due to the presentation, or lack thereof.

When you start a mission, most of the screen is a fairly useless map. At the bottom is a small amount of text describing the mission, and it scrolls in an annoying way that makes it frustrating to read. This small bit of text is all you get in terms of any kind of story: there’s no dialogue, or cuts-scenes or anything to explain the overall narrative. There’s no substance to the game at all. To make matters worse, the graphics are just muddy and the music just exists. These wouldn’t be quite as major complains if it were just a random fighter jet game, but basing it off a film sets some expectations.

The missions themselves are also very, very dry. You blow up a certain number of enemies. Sometimes you have to blow up a few more enemies. And then the mission ends. Even protection missions involve killing a set amount of enemies. No matter the background or tiny bit of “story”, every mission feels exactly the same, and it gets tiring extremely fast. There are no major issues with the controls, which has a simpler option and one that uses both sticks to enable more advance maneuverers, although slightly touching the ground or another object is instant death and means you have to start the level from the very beginning. This is as fun as listening to Danger Zone on mute.

Poor

All in all, Combat Zones isn’t a bad game – and being the only title of its kind on GameCube it’s well worth buying if you’re into this kind of thing. Even if you’re not, it’s sufficiently entertaining, challenging and engrossing to warrant giving it a rental before making the final decision.
Geraint Evans, NGC Magazine #72

Remake or remaster?

Only if there was a Top Gun collection.

Official Ways to get the game

There’s no official way to get Top Gun: Combat Zones.