Top Gun board game by FASA

[Dumarest]

So with the news about a Top Gun sequel, I was wondering if anyone has this game or remembers this game? I vaguely recall seeing it but never owned it. I've always like fighter jets and my favorite Japanese comics are Area 88. Can anybody tell me about the Top Gun board game? What was it like? Why was it awesome? Or why did it suck? Could you customize a pilot or did you choose from Maverick, Iceman, Jester, and the rest? Were there various scenarios that came with the game or did you just have dogfights with each other?

[Omega]

From BGG

I owned it for awhile back in the '80's (don't know where it went). Basically, you have a sheet with various maneuvers and you choose one each turn by setting two dice secretly (you don't roll the dice to move). For an example, move 1 hex forward and 1 left would be 'red die = 1, white die = 2', while move straight 3 would be 'red die = 2, white die =3' or something like that. Simultaenously, both players reveal the dice and 'jump' the planes. Then, you take shots at each other.

There are missions from the movie and such, but I don't remember any carriers or anything like that. I think there were advanced rules for tailing and SH pilots.

The components were little plastic (unpainted) airplanes that fit in 3/8" or so hexes.

I think the excitement ran out fast...

Chad

the game was first sold with the plastic planes. i was a regular to the local game store and purchased one of the first copies (which i still have). and if you can get your hands on a copy of an old magazine, Stardate, vol 3, num 3, it has a listing of additional planes (80+) and rules, including rules for landing on carriers, at night, weather effecs. also in the article it has a table to create random encounters and 2 scenarios.

It bears a strong resemblance to Blue Max, the WWI game. Players simultaneously and secretly select maneuvers and then execute them. My game had the plastic airplanes which were the same little plastic jets that were in a Revell model of an aircraft carrier, including ones with folded wings! Cheesy, cheesy, cheesy.

Now having canibalized Mission Command: Sea, those planes on the stands visually jazz up Top Gun. You just need a Chessex hex grid or something with 1" hexes.

[Gronan of Simmerya]

It was a simple, but playable, aircraft game.  Altitude was divided into six bands instead of actual numbers.

[Dumarest]

Thanks for the information! Sounds like I can take a pass on Top Gun; it's too expensive anyway. I saw pictures of the plastic pieces and was unimpressed. I had better tiny planes from some old aircraft carrier models I had when I was a kid.