Top Gun II Hands-On Impressions

Mforma's first mobile Top Gun game was an unmitigated success, both critically and commercially. A year later, the mobile publishing giant is calling Maverick and Iceman back into action for their second wireless adventure. We were able to get some hands-on time with Top Gun II at this week's CTIA wireless data and entertainment convention. With the aid of modern handset technology, Mforma's Korean development studio has been able to deliver a game that looks better and runs much faster than its predecessor.

Upon starting the game, players will be able to choose to play as either star of the eponymous film--Maverick (who was originally played in the movie by actor Tom Cruise) or Iceman (who was originally played in the movie by actor Val Kilmer). These characters fly different birds, with differing statistics, but still face the same missions. In the game, you must dodge and weave through a dizzying amount of gunfire, in an experience similar to that of myriad shooters of the 16-bit era. But unlike in most of those shooters, a single hit isn't enough to kill you. Your fuel tank is instead gradually depleted by gunfire. There are plenty of projectiles to threaten you with extinction, however.

At the end of each level, a warning message will appear onscreen, announcing the approach of a boss character. These monolithic creatures will rapidly fire at you in patterned ways, and can necessitate a few replays. Fortunately, Top Gun II allows you to save your progress between levels, so losing to a boss isn't as devastating as it was in last year's game.

Also, both Maverick and Iceman will have the opportunity to purchase weapon upgrades and fuel recharges between levels, using military medals (accrued during gameplay) as currency. Upgrading your main weapon provides the most dramatic improvements in destructive power, whether or not you're using Top Gun II's optional autofire (which we highly recommend).

In short, Top Gun II seems to be an improvement on the original game in every conceivable way. We look forward to playing the final version, which will hopefully recapture the success of its forebear.