iPhone flight sim dogfight

I’ve always enjoyed flying games. I’ve also always hated them. Total ambivalence. I love the action and feel of flying a plane, whether I’m sitting in a virtual cockpit or viewing my plane from above or the side, provided I don’t have to actually learn anything in order to fly it. I don’t want realism or rudders or wind speed gauges, I just want to turn, dive and blow stuff up.

Thankfully, a few iPhone developers agree with me, and this iPhone flight sim dogfight will determine which will rule the skies over Cupertino.

Top Gun

• Developer: Freeverse
• Requirements: iPhone or iPod touch, iPhone OS 2.2.1 or later
• File Size: 46.2MB
• Price: $2.99
• Appletell Rating: 5/5
• App Store Link: Top Gun

I suppose if we’re going to run a flight sim dogfight, we have to start with Top Gun, right? The iconic movie of the 80s that combined Naval air combat with homo-erotic volleyball to become one of the greatest military recruitment ads of all time is now available on the iPhone, courtesy of Freeverse and Paramount Digital Entertainment. That Maverick fellow is now an instructor, and you’re the hot shot pilot. That’s pretty much all you need to know about the story, so let’s get into the game.

After the slick cut scenes, you’re thrown into the air for some quick combat action. This consists mainly of tilting your iPhone to avoid “Danger Zones.” (So that’s what the song was about! I thought it was a metaphor for love!) These are rectangular areas in which the enemy fire will connect with your plane if you’re in them at the wrong time. Using a combo of unlimited guns and a few missiles, you have to quickly shoot down the enemy planes without getting hit yourself in order to advance to the next level.

Visually, this is an outstanding app. The graphics are gorgeous not only in the level of performance, but in design, as well. It’s a very, very pretty game considering the intensity of the action. Top Gun really does need the ability to invert the control scheme, as flying seemed unnatural to me when using the accelerometer, but the controls were very smooth and responsive. I’d also appreciate the ability to skip the exposition with one tap, as opposed to repeatedly tapping through each bit of dialogue.

The game’s a bit short, but still stands out as a great technical achievement on the iPhone that also manages to offer some intense and greatly enjoyable arcade flying action.

Oh, and be sure to shut off the music. The only thing worse than the Top Gun soundtrack is listening to those songs performed by other people.

iBomber

• Developer: Cobra Mobile
• Requirements: iPhone or iPod touch, iPhone OS 2.0 or later
• Price: $2.99
• Appletell Rating: 4/5
• App Store Link: iBomber, iBomber Lite

iBomber takes a much different approach to flying action, giving you the controls of a WWII era bomber. You play as pilot and bombardier, turning your bomber at impossible angles to line up your targets for some death from above. You see landscape from the bombardier’s POV, and turn the plane by turning your phone the direction you want to go. To drop the bomb, simply tap the big red “Bombs Away” button.

This is a game you need to stick with for a while, as the controls are very annoying at first. You’ll likely overcompensate on your turns, making it quite easy to widely miss your target, especially considering you also need to account for air speed when dropping your bombs. Once I got the hang of the controls, however, I found myself amused at how the enemy would park their ships in convenient circles so I could easily turn above them and blow them up one by one in a single pass. To advance to the next level, you have to destroy a set number of targets before you take on too much ground fire (health packs and “power” bombs help you on your way). Flack can’t really be avoided, so the game becomes, more or a less, a race against the clock.

Visually, iBomber is quite a treat. It’s not as high tech as Top Gun, but the graphics are detailed and fun and carry the WWII theme throughout. The action carries across 12 levels, but the developer is promising more (along with new features) in future updates. Whether you have to pay for these shouldn’t affect your decision to buy this app. Whether you have the patience to master the finicky controls should.

Allied Aces: Stunt Pilot

• Developer: Squiddle Games
• Requirements: iPhone or iPod touch, iPhone OS 2.1 or later
• Price: $0.99
• Appletell Rating: 3/5
• App Store Link: Allied Aces: Stunt Pilot

Allied Aces: Stunt Pilot has two names, only one of which is accurate. The word “aces” implies kills, and there’s none of that going on here. Rather, you’re tasked with flying your WWI era Sopwith Camel through loops to collect stars. It’s enjoyable enough, I suppose, but not what I was expecting.

As with the other two games in this roundup, the graphics are quite nice. The backdrops are especially attractive, and although the plane and targets are jagged, the animations are still nice and smooth…especially the smoke and explosion effects. Yes, if you hit a ring, you will crash. Stunt piloting is a dangerous hobby, kids, best left to the likes of obscure late 70s techno-pop stars.

Thankfully, the developers chose to use multitouch to control the plane, not the accelerometer, as that would have you twisting your iPhone or iPod touch in all manner of uncomfortable angles. Rather you slide your left thumb up/down to control speed, and your right thumb up/down to control lift. It’s quite basic, and although it still takes some time to master, it’s less frustrating as you progress. Allied Aces: Stunt Pilot is well made and certainly worth the price tag, but whether you stick with it long will depend upon how much you enjoy flying an old airplane through giant hoops in the sky, as there’s really nothing else going on here. I suppose, as with real flying, not crashing is reward enough.

Appletell’s First Flight Sim Dogfight Ace

All of these games are capable opponents, but we can only have one victor. This is war, after all, and today, the plane that makes it home is Top Gun. I almost feel guilty selecting it, considering the movie tie-in, but ignore that and just focus on the fantastic gameplay and unbelievable graphics, and you end up with one of the best iPhone games available to date in any genre. iBomber and Allied Aces: Stunt Pilot are fine games as well, but if your defense budget allows for the purchase of only one plane, you go with Top Gun.

Now, if someone could just make my Iron Eagle app. That movie may have been more preposterous than a fur sink, but it at least had Queen in the soundtrack, and thus scores higher than Top Gun. “Gimme gimme gimme fried chicken!”