LADYDRAGON.COM - Top Gun: Combat Zones Walkthrough

Monday January 14, 2002

Top Gun: Combat Zones Walkthrough

Era 1

Academy 1,

This mission is a race against the clock. You should fly as fast as you can (by continuously pressing and depressing the R2 shoulder button, you can maintain a high speed without using all you afterburner) to each target and shoot with a short burst from your cannon to maintain high accuracy.

Academy 2,

In this mission you are required to take out the tanks that patrol a city. Destroying the first tank without being hit is crucial in getting "first blood" points that can be valuable to getting your gold star. You should aim your rockets/gunfire a little in front of the target in the direction the tank is travelling to ensure a hit. Use your brake (L2) to control your approach to your target for greater accuracy and time on target. Air-to-ground missiles are available and it is easier to complete the mission with these, but achieving high enough scores to gain a gold star becomes very difficult if rockets are not used.

Academy 3,

This is an air-to-air mission in which you are racing against the clock. The red triangles on the heading bar (lower screen) signify the direction of the enemy and whether they are above or below your current altitude. A red triangle above the white heading bar line signifies the enemy aircraft is above your altitude and a red triangle below the white line signifies the enemy is below your altitude. Make good use of your speed in this mission (as referred to in mission 1) to gain speed on your enemy targets. You should ensure that the target is in the targeting reticle before deploying a missile. This ensures a better hit percentage than if taking a pot shot. Use your left and right rudder (L1+R1) to maneuver into a better position when lining up your shot. Should you run out of missiles, you will only be left with cannons. You should get as close to your enemy aircraft as you can before firing your cannon to ensure a higher percentage hit rate. Don’t forget to "jink" (double press L3 when you get incoming missile warning) out the way of incoming missiles.

Academy 4,

The aim of this mission is to destroy the chemical research buildings. You can do this by flying at high altitude and dropping your bombs on the central building, destroying the 4 chemical tanks surrounding it. You will not have enough bombs to destroy all the tanks required, so you will need to use your rockets and cannons to destroy the remaining tanks. Once you have destroyed a high number using the bombs, climb to a higher altitude over the targets, loop over, brake, use your left and right rudders to target the 4 outer tanks. Firing your rockets and cannons at the central building will cause very little damage, so you need to target just the outer tanks. Use your brake (L2) to give yourself time and accuracy when using the cannon. Once all 4 of the outer tanks have been destroyed, the inner tank will also get destroyed. You may feel that you want to destroy the AAA guns too, but that is up to you.

Academy 5,

In this mission you are against the clock. As in mission 2, you will need to get as close to your instructors as possible before you start firing your cannon, as you have no missiles in this mission. You will need to destroy your enemy as fast as possible. Get as close as you can to your target before you start firing, this will give you better accuracy.

South East Asia 1,

In this mission you will first come up against fierce helicopters. You will need to take them out before they get you. Use your brakes (L2) to slow your aircraft to get a quicker lock on your targets. Once you have a lock, fire your missile and accelerate to the next target before the helicopter gets a shot at you. You then come up against enemy bombers, equipped with a powerful, rear facing gun turret. Attack the bombers head on, but turn away from them before passing, and circle around for your next approach ensuring you stay head on at all time. Again, use your heading bar to determine whether the bombers are above or below you. Firing a couple of cannon rounds as well as a missile should be enough to down any bomber. You will need to take out the bombers before they level your evacuating allies (in blue – the helicopters and the buildings they are taking people from). Once you have destroyed all the bombers, your allied choppers will take off, allowing you to level the bases that you were initially protecting. You should switch to your bombing camera and aim your bombs at an area that will sustain the most collateral damage. You may need to make several passes to destroy both camps.

South East Asia 2,

In this mission you will come up against some very deadly gunboats. You will need to get just in front of your support helicopters and use your brakes to slow right down. Using you rudders (L1+R1), position yourself in line (using the heading bar) with the gunboats, use your cannon to destroy the gunboats ensuring that you do not approach them too fast. If you do approach too fast, you are likely to sustain a lot of damage or even be destroyed. Once you have destroyed the gunboats, enemy helicopters will arrive, you will need to take them out using your air-to-air weapons. After you have destroyed all enemy helicopters, you will be instructed to destroy a couple of camps. Do not destroy the camp that your allies have just taken off from too soon, as your own bombs can destroy your allied helicopters.

South East Asia 3,

Like the South East Asia 2, you will come up against fierce gunboats and AAA sites. Adopt the same strategy as SEA 2 but you may need to circle around for a fresh approach a couple of times. Once you have destroyed all the AAA sites and the gunboats, you will need to stop armored vehicles crossing the bridges and destroy them. You will need to destroy the 4 bridges, there are a number of different weapons you can use to do this, but I recommend you use the bombs, but you will need to be accurate. Fly over the top of the bridges and drop your bombs when your targeting crosshair is over the top of the bridge (use your brakes for greater accuracy). Once you have destroyed all 4 bridges, you will need to destroy all the remaining enemy vehicles using your rockets. Just like in academy 2, you will need to air your rocket a little in front of your intended target.

South East Asia 4,

This is an all out air-to-air combat mission, you have 20 missiles and 20 enemy fighters. You will need to get as close to your enemy as possible and have them as close to the center of your targeting reticle as possible before you fire a missile. If you miss with a missile, you will have to destroy the enemy plane with your cannon. Don’t forget to "jink" (double press L3 when you get incoming missile warning) out the way of incoming missiles.

South East Asia 5,

In this mission you are initially required to destroy all the parameter defenses around 3 camps. First attack the most northern camp so that the other 2 camps do not attack you. You will need to make several passes over the camps before you can destroy all enemy defenses, but circle away from the other enemy camps to avoid damage. It is advisable to use your cannons to destroy AAA etc, but be careful not to destroy the prison buildings containing your allied prisoners of war. You only need to take out the AAA defenses around these camps for the allied rescue choppers to land, but you may wish to take out all enemy units if you feel mean and want the points. Once you have rescued the hostages, you are required to destroy all 3 camps. Using your bombs, you will need to make several passes over the camps to completely destroy them all. Use your air-to-ground missiles to destroy the buildings missed by your bombs. Be careful when attacking a camp that has an allied helicopter in its vicinity.

South East Asia 6,

This is a really difficult mission. Select your air-to-ground missile and circle low and left. Take out all the gunboats with guided weapons and you have no time to be accurate with any other weapon. Take out the AAA with your cannons, as they are not as big a threat as the gunboats. Once you have destroyed all the harbor area targets, you need to attack some camps marked on your heading bar. First take out the helicopters so that your allied helicopters can land safely, moving on to one of the other two camps on the map. Once all enemy choppers are destroyed, your first allied helicopter will take off, allowing you to then destroy all enemy buildings in the camp with missiles and cannons. You will need to do this for all camps. Whilst flying to these camps you will come across AAA in the mountains, you can take them out if you wish, but you can decide to avoid them.

Era 2

Academy 6,

This is an all out air-to-air combat mission in your new aircraft. You have 20 missiles and 10 enemy fighters. This is a simple mission and easily accomplishable. Don’t forget to "jink" (double press L3 when you get incoming missile warning) out the way of incoming missiles.

Academy 7,

In this mission you are to shoot down enemy helicopters on this flight path, look carefully at the map screen for shaded red targets, as you are required to shoot down mounted AAA en-route. You will have to toggle from air-to-air to rockets for this mission to save time. If you fly too high in this mission you will fail the mission, as there is an altitude limit. If you manage to take down an enemy helicopter with a rocket for instance, you will receive bonus points for doing so.

Academy 8,

The aim of this mission is to destroy 20 enemy fighters and then stay alive until the time runs out. The enemy planes will keep re-spawning back into the game once you have destroyed them. Destroy the 20 planes as fast as you can and then head for the terrain and take cover until your time runs out. Once you have destroyed the 20^th plane the game will make a note of the time when you destroyed and your score will be calculated accordingly. You must stay alive after the 20^th plane in order to complete that mission. Don’t forget to "jink" (double press L3 when you get incoming missile warning) out the way of incoming missiles.

Academy 9,

In this mission you are to protect a power plant from destruction by enemy tanks. Circle around the plant and pick off the tanks closest to the towers using your air-to-ground weapons. Try not to get drawn away from the towers, as the enemy will be approaching from all sides and will bombard it with shells. Try to avoid shooting the enemy tanks from head-on, as the tanks are both accurate and deadly.

Academy 10,

This is an air-to-air mission. This time your enemies have the upper hand in that they have air-to-air missiles and you do not. You will need to destroy your enemy as fast and accurately as you can to score well. Don’t forget to "jink" (double press L3 when you get incoming missile warning) out the way of incoming missiles.

Gulf State 1,

You will come up against many types of enemy weaponry in this mission. Take out 2 of the 3 bases aiming for the barracks-HQ’s with your bombs. This should take out most of the building around it. Once you have destroyed 2 of the bases, concentrate on destroying the numerous enemy helicopters that are patrolling the city with your air-to-air weapons. Make sure that you eyeball your targets before firing your missiles as you can run out easily. Once all of the helicopters are destroyed you will need to destroy the last base. You will need to take out the AAA defending the base first with your air-to-ground missiles. Once all the AAA are destroyed, you will need to bombard the remaining buildings with your air-to-ground missiles. Fly over the top of the base and head for the stars. Once you get to approximately 5000 feet, loop over and head directly for the base. Once you are heading for the deck, use your brakes to slow your aircraft so that you can take out as many targets as you can.

Gulf State 2,

In this mission you will have to start by destroying the enemy aircraft that are patrolling the skies, although this is not essential to complete the mission. Then you will need to destroy the AAA and the Scud launchers with your air-to-ground and rockets, before being able to destroy the production sites with your bombs.

Gulf State 3,

This is one of the most difficult missions of the game. To start with, you will need to take out all the AAA sites. You are able to take out some targets by firing your missiles around corners as you approach corners in the canyons. You will need to take out the enemy tanks (T72’s) that are escorting the "Zil" trucks, but be careful not to destroy any of the trucks as you will fail the mission if you do. Once you have taken out all the tanks and AAA in the area, you will have to destroy the buildings that are situated the other side of the mountains. To get there you will have to pass though a tunnel. Once you get to the other side, there will be several AAA and T72’s strategically positioned awaiting your arrival. You will need to use your air-to-ground missiles for these targets but try to take them out from a distance before they get a lock on you. When the buildings, AAA and T72’s have been destroyed, you will need to fly around until the other "Zil" trucks have reached their destination. You will then get an incoming message to destroy the last buildings, do this with your remaining bombs. Making good use of your heading bar in this mission is a must.

Gulf State 4,

This is quite an exciting mission where you have to destroy Scud missile launchers moving slowly through the city. Enemy helicopters are patrolling the inner city so take them out first with your air-to-air missiles. You are able to fly around the buildings, so use them to your advantage for cover. Try not to fly in a straight line as you will be easy prey for the AAA on the perimeter walls. Once all the helicopters have been destroyed, target the Scuds. Use your brakes (L2) and rudders (L1, R1) to line up your plane with the targets. When all the Scuds have been destroyed, you must destroy the 3 building outside the base. Climb to high altitude and drop your bombs in the center of the targets.

Gulf State 5,

Destroy all AAA with your air-to-ground weapons to start with. Then go after the "Zil" trucks with your rockets when they arrive. Once the second wave of "Zil" trucks arrive, enemy aircraft will be circling the skies, so watch your altitude. Destroy all the "Zil" trucks to complete the mission.

Gulf State 6,

This, like GS3 is a very tricky mission. Use your air-to-ground missiles on the AAA to start with, as they will destroy your allied helicopter. A good tactic is to lock the AAA, fire your air-to-ground missile and turn away from the target using your afterburners. You will need to watch that you do not hit the canyons though. This should prevent you from being hit by enemy gunfire. The rows of AAA lead you to the prison camps that are guarded by enemy helicopters as well as the AAA that also need to be destroyed. Use your bombs to destroy the prison but make sure that the allied truck is far enough away that you will not destroy it. Follow the same instructions for the second part of this mission. It may take several attempts to complete this.

Gulf State 7,

Speed and accuracy is the aim in this mission. Remember, always attack the bombers from the front or side, as if you attack them from behind, they will destroy you with their deadly rear facing guns. Fire 2 air-to-air missiles at a bomber and a few cannon rounds to destroy 1. Do this for each bomber. You then have to destroy the remaining 10 fighters. Remember to "jink" away from incoming missile by double pressing the "L3" button twice in quick succession. This will also add to your score. Use your heading bar to determine whether the enemy aircraft are above or below you.

Gulf State 8,

Fly in front of your allied helicopters and then hit the brakes. With your brakes on, fire at the enemy helicopter in the canyon. On the left hand side of the canyon you will see a ledge, on it there will be AAA sites, you will need to destroy them as well as the enemy helicopter before your allied helicopters arrive. Then you will receive a message that enemy aircraft have entered the area. They should not be able to attack you unless you fly above canyon level. Circle around inside the canyon, using your air-to-ground missiles you should be able to pick off all the AAA defenses enabling your allied helicopters to land. Remain circling inside the canyon until they take off. Although you will get the "incoming" message, it is unlikely that you will be hit by enemy missiles unless you leave the canyon, but you can still get bonus points by "jinking" (double clicking L3).

Gulf State 9,

You will need to use your air-to-ground missiles to destroy the power plants first. Then use your bombs to destroy the buildings identified in the second instruction sequence, watch out for the AAA though. You will need to spare at least 2 bombs for the enemy HQ building the end of the mission.

Era 3

Academy 11,

You are going to have to be at your best to complete this mission. There are 4 AAA just over the edge of the canyon as you start the mission. Use your brake (L2) to slow the plane down so that you have more time to destroy them. You will need to destroy them as fast as you can in order to sustain the least amount of damage. The other AAA’s in this mission are strategically positioned so that it is difficult for you to take them out from distance. You will need to make several passes over targets to get them all, but be careful of the walls when turning as there is an altitude limit in this mission that will cause you to fail if breached. Use the tactic of firing at the enemy and use afterburner to get away from enemy gunfire.

Academy 12,

In this mission you have to evade your enemy without shooting any down. You should head towards the ground and fly at low speed and altitude until the time comes to attack. You only have to destroy 10 aircraft so you can afford to use 2 air-to-air missiles per plane. Don’t forget to "jink" (double press L3 when you get incoming missile warning) out the way of incoming missiles and score additional bonus points.

Academy 13,

Use your air-to-air missiles to destroy the enemy aircraft first. Some of the planes need more than 1 missile to destroy them, so fire 1 missile and finish them off with cannons as you only have 10 missiles. Then take out the AAA situated on the outskirts of the city with your rockets, as if you fly through the center of the city, you will sustain a lot of damage to your plane. Use your air-to-ground missiles to take out the remaining tanks.

Academy 14,

The trick on this mission is to attack everything with rockets, as if you use your guided weapons, you keep having to switch between the different weapons too much and you also have a tendency to miss targets. By using rockets, you can have all targets appear on your heading bar. Be careful of the walls when turning, as there is an altitude limit on this mission that will cause you to fail if breached.

Academy 15,

This is an air-to-air mission. This time your instructors have the upper hand in that they have air-to-air missiles and you do not. They also have the same aircraft. You will need to destroy your instructors as fast as you can with a high accuracy to score well. Don’t forget to "jink" (double press L3 when you get incoming missile warning) out the way of incoming missiles.

Arctic 1,

First you need to take out the enemy helicopters fast as you can (by continuously pressing and depressing the R2 shoulder button, you can maintain a high speed to your next targets without using all your afterburner) before the next cargo train arrives as the helicopters will destroy it. When all the helicopters have been destroyed, you will need to destroy as many fighters as you can until the train arrives at its destination. Don’t forget to "jink" (double press L3 when you get incoming missile warning) out the way of incoming missiles.

Arctic 2,

Take out the helicopters with your air-to-air missiles. When they have all been destroyed, the boats will appear. Using your air-to-ground missiles, acquire a boat, fire your missile and turn away using after burner. Do this for every boat and you shouldn’t lose too much health. Try not to go head to head with the boats, as they will inflict a lot of damage on you.

Arctic 3,

First of all, take out as many enemy boats around your allied tanker as possible. Once you have a comfort zone around your tankers (i.e. no enemy boats are shooting at it) take out "ALL" the enemy helicopters. Once they have been destroyed, destroy all the remaining "Osa" boats making sure that you destroy the "Osa’s" nearest to the tankers first using your air-to-ground missiles. As in Arctic 2, try not to go head to head with the boats, as they will inflict a lot of damage on you. You will then have to destroy all the AAA on the coastline with your Rockets.

Arctic 4,

In this mission you have to liberate the oilrigs. Concentrate in destroying one side of one oilrig at a time. You should be able to destroy all AAA on one side on a single fly by, but use you afterburner to get away and turn around for your next pass. Do this for all the oilrigs but be careful of what you are firing at, as there are friendly targets on the rigs.

Arctic 5,

To start with, circle your base until enemy targets appear on your radar screen. Once you have the trains in sight, only aim for the engine to destroy all of the train. Once you have destroyed nearly all the enemy trains, enemy helicopters and bombers will arrive. Finish off the helicopters first and then attack the bombers. Remember that the bombers have rear facing guns that will inflict a lot of damage if they hit you, so stay in front of them and attack the targets that are closest to your base first.

Arctic 6,

This is a very difficult mission. You must destroy all the bombers before they destroy your base. You are on your own on this one. Good luck!