Re-released as both Arcade Archives and Arcade Archives 2, Air Combat 22 is a storming 3D polygon game with Top Gun vibes.
While SEGA’s Afterburner was a popular title, it lacked a bit in the realism stakes. Air Combat 22 did a better job of mixing realistic combat and arcade thrills, and it is out today on the Nintendo Switch 2!
This is the original Air Combat 22, which featured “hypersonic air battles on the System Super 22 hardware!!” back in 1995. The System Super 22 was a 32-bit unit which hosted various Namco 3D arcade games between 1992 and 1996.
Filled 3D polygon graphics in the arcades that they were replicated on some 16-bit systems (like the Amiga) and anything that delivered a Top Gun-style experience was considered worth playing.
Here’s the trailer:
Air Combat 22 in action
Dropping you into white-knuckle missions with various air and ground targets, Air Combat 22 is an Arcade Archives and Arcade Archives 2 release. This means that along with faithful reproduction of the game, you get to adjust the difficulty level, tweak the display (perhaps recreating the CRT look), and compete on a global online high score table.
Subscribe to our newsletter!
You’ve also got additional game modes: Original Mode, High Score Mode, and Caravan Mode, while the Arcade Archives 2 adds Time Attack Mode and Network Mode. There are also save states, while the Arcade Archives 2 release adds rewind function.
Air Combat 22 is now available on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5, and with the Arcade Archives 2, on the Xbox Series X|S. Learn more on the Arcade Archives listing for Air Combat 22.
Affiliate Disclosure: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through those links. This comes at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!
Christian Cawley is a writer and editor who covers consumer electronics, IT, and entertainment media. He has written for publications such as Computer Weekly, Linux Format, MakeUseOf.com, and Tech Radar.
He also produces podcasts, has a cigar box guitar, and of course, loves retro gaming.