So begins AirForce Delta Storm, amid the sounds of a majestic background score, and a cinematic overhead shot of the world as seen from above. Immediately following this mildly disturbing introductory sequence, the music shifts into high gear, sort of like military-themed progressive rock played way too fast. And, clichéd as it may be, one cannot help but think of Top Gun.

One thing you might not expect is how quickly apparent it is that this game truly kicks ass. I'm a lover, not a fighter, but I must admit an affinity for simulated violence, particularly when some care has been put into its design. I tend to find real world violence tragic, sickening, despicable, unfortunate, wasteful, foolish, and an absolute perversion of the potentially positive capacity of all sentient beings, but I see nothing wrong with blowing up animated pixels on a screen. It's entertaining, especially with that progressive rock thing going on in the background.

That said, what makes AirForce Delta Storm so surprisingly good is that despite its initially off-putting overhead third-person aerial perspective (you see the landscape from directly above at all times, with a small icon representing your plane towards the bottom of the screen), you'll quickly find that it's possible to zoom around in all directions. Which is to say, when you shift your altitude, the landscape alters accordingly. Miss a target, and swoop around to backtrack. Fly high enough, and you'll see things through the haze of clouds. Fly low enough, and you're liable to smack into a tree (or an enemy base).

Of course, the aim of the game is to stay alive while taking out terrorist enclaves, biological weapons factories, enemy craft, etc., so flying a kamikaze mission is not on the agenda. A tutorial mode will guide you through the basics of acceleration, deceleration, general craft movement, use of the heads-up display (HUD), and how to best utilize your weaponry. Players who wish to stand the slightest chance of ever passing a mission are highly advised to first play through the tutorial mode. Although this game is relatively arcade-like, it is still a bit tricky at first.

Part of what makes the game challenging is that you're not the only one capable of flying at multiple altitudes. You'll need to keep an eye on the enemy altimeter, as well as your own, and make appropriate adjustments. In addition, some targets are land-based, and you'll need to do more than simply locate them and blast away. You'll also be carefully avoiding land-to-air missiles and policing enemy craft, not to mention fighting the clock.

Briefings precede each mission, and messages appear on the screen during crucial turning points of your mission, without disrupting the flow of the gameplay. Most of the missions are well paced, with varied craft at your disposal. Certain missions will limit you to a specific craft, depending on the terrain and weather conditions you'll be facing. For example, certain craft cannot handle sand storms, whereas other craft cannot handle high speeds. In such cases, the computer chooses for you, dictating your approach to the mission. As you get deeper into the game, you'll have more of a say as to which set of wings you'd like to utilize. The lineup ranges from stealthy, high-capacity aircraft to old clunkers with still a bit of flight and fight in them yet. In an odd touch, you can also rename each craft, so that you may henceforth refer to your favorite plane as "Cindy" or "Pooyan71" rather than cold, formal names such as "KXF2" or "KF20."

This one's a clunker, but she's got some fight in her yet.

When following an enemy, one technique is to speed up and increase altitude, so that you've got a broader view of the action. Slow down to make tighter turns, speed up to make wider turns. Making a wide turn after passing an enemy is a bad idea as it will allow them time to escape. So strategizing your movements (on the fly, as it were) is a good idea. Sometimes it's best to simply tail an enemy at high speeds, at a common altitude. More often than not, the computer will offer a bit of advice on such strategic discrepancies.

Other techniques are detailed in the tutorial mode and instruction guide, including how to best avoid missiles and conduct ground attacks. Missions range from intercepting high-speed enemy craft to taking out top-secret bases. Generally speaking, the action is pretty frantic, but there are points when it will slow to a crawl, as when you've got to traverse a claustrophobic stretch of craggy hills, maintaining a low altitude all the while to stay off enemy radar. Such missions can be a bit tedious, as you may spend a good five minutes carefully reaching your destination, only to miss your target, attempting to turn back, and promptly smashing into a hilltop.

Ground-to-air missiles add to the mayhem.

Thankfully, the game has three save slots and multiple difficulty settings, so you can vary your approaches to the action and pick up where you last left off. Overall, AirForce Delta Storm is a strong GBA offering from Konami that will greatly please most fans of the flight-combat action genre. Featuring strong graphics, varied gameplay, convincing sound effects, and a high-octane soundtrack, this title hits its mark and soars.