Top Gun: Combat Zones was released for
PlayStation 2 in 2001. It was developed by Digital Integration and published by
Titus Interactive. In 2002, it was ported to
GameCube and in 2003 to PC. In 2004, Mastiff published a version for Game Boy Advance. Mastiff also re-released the PS2 and GameCube versions in the same year. The game is composed of 36 missions spread over three eras of the history and near future of the
Top Gun combat school. In each era, missions are located both at the Top Gun academy at
Miramar and in a live combat zone. Missions must be performed before moving to the combat zone. Missions introduce new game concepts, aircraft, and weapons against tough opponents and live fire. The game features various Navy fighter aircraft and bonus fighter aircraft. Only the first era is accessible from the beginning, and is set in
South East Asia, toward the end of the
Vietnam War (erroneously showing the F-14 engaging in combat with North Vietnamese forces, despite never having fired a shot in action during that conflict). During the second era, the action is set in the
Persian Gulf States circa 1990; although the story does not make direct reference, parallels can be drawn to the real-world Gulf conflicts of that time (such as hunting for
Scud missiles and protecting oil refineries). The final era is set within the
Arctic Circle and depicts a future conflict based around disputed borders and a global fuel crisis. ==
Air Combat==