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You know you�re in for a treat when the tutorial balloons are harder to shoot than
the moving fighter jets. Oh, boy. Who needs more than eight directions, right?
Certainly not the Iceman.
It�s Top Gun: Combat Zones.
So this is the Game Boy Advance version of a game that was...obviously different, on
home consoles. Now, I�ve never played it, I have heard bad things...but having played
this one, I have no interest in ever playing any version ever again.
Now, Top Gun: Combat Zones does go old-school on the GBA, so it at least has that going
for it. It�s an aerial shooter that mixes top-down free flight levels with classic 2D
scrolling levels and these fancy pants pseudo-3D levels. In fact, a lot of GBA games went for
this effect, since it was a cool little trick the hardware could pull off.
But mixed all together, it just seems messy, and even unfocused.
None of these individual styles are as good as they should be.
The game�s biggest shortcoming is apparent as soon as you start playing. You�re controlling
the plane in top-down levels...using these tank controls. The plane moves forward automatically,
so you just steer it. But direction is relative. So...left is left from the plane�s perspective.
Which could be right. I absolutely hate these controls.
Of course, I guess that�s a matter of preference. What�s more objectively poor is the game�s
aiming. Eight directions, that�s all you get. Factor that in with the tank controls,
and it can be tough to hit...even stationary objects. Doesn�t help that the hit detection
sucks, too. So it�s slow, imprecise...easily the worst part of Combat Zones.
Fortunately, business picks up in the side-scrolling parts, but...not by much. There�s nothing
interesting going on. You just avoid enemies, kill a certain amount...move on. Couldn�t
be simpler, and I mean that in a bad way. There�s no real hook or evolution. Just
gameplay variety for the sake of gameplay variety.
Still, I would�ve liked this game a lot more if it had more side scrolling. Those
levels might be generic, but...at least they�re not slow and tedious. The top-down stages
are the worst. And, like, it says I�m supposed to destroy the buildings marked on my map,
but...there�s no buildings marked on my map.
Am I missing something? What the hell am I supposed to do?
I guess if you split this game up into different parts, the top-down stuff is the only one
that just sucks. The other two may be generic, but they�re at least marginally more fun
than this. Seriously, I got so bored with this, I could barely stand it. Like, on a
physical and mental level. Unless you�re the most die-hard of Top Gun fans, you�ll
want to stay clear of the GBA�s Combat Zones.