During the mid-1990s, 3D graphics were starting to become more commonplace in video games. Arcades couldn’t hope to compete for long, and the best way to get people to keep pumping quarters into cabinets was to offer unique experiences that home consoles can’t. Air Combat 22, which gets its name from the Namco System 22, was designed around a lavish cabinet that put players inside a fighter cockpit. While it wasn’t a full-on moving cab like After Burner, Air Combat 22 took advantage of cutting-edge 3D graphics and more accurately simulated dogfights…as accurately as 1995 could. As another entry in the Arcade Archives 2 line, how can this early 3D flight sim hold up without the cockpit experience?
It may not be obvious, but Air Combat is a part of the Ace Combat series. Most gamers won’t ever realise this since there is no story to speak of. There is no plot, which is typical of arcade titles from the era, focusing more on gameplay than narrative depth. Unlike later Ace Combat games with their rich, alt-history Strangereal universe, Air Combat 22 offers nothing. Players are cast as an anonymous pilot for an unspecified military force tasked with neutralising enemy threats in a series of aerial combat missions. There’s no overarching campaign narrative or detailed geopolitical context… There isn’t even a cute anime girl that pops up to give a thumbs up and say “Good job!”.
Air Combat 22 is a series of aerial combat missions, a refueling bonus mission, and a climactic showdown with a battleship. There isn’t much to it, but witnessing this in 1995 would have been mind blowing. Apart from the cockpit-like cabinet, the core appeal was the fast-paced accessible aerial combat, with intense dogfights and multi-enemy engagements. Its focus on close-quarters action keeps sessions thrilling; perfect for arcade play.
Built on Namco’s System 22 hardware, it delivered stunning 3D graphics for its time, with detailed aircraft models and ground environments. Even by 2025 standards, the visuals are very appealing. The jets look amazing, and the chunky pixelated textures have a distinct charm that never goes away, no matter how much graphics improve. The three selectable crafts are a Grumman F-14 Tomcat, Sukhoi Su-35, and Lockheed YF-22; all rendered with detailed, textured 3D models. Each aircraft features details, with visible elements like wings, cockpits, and weapon systems that added authenticity. Regretfully, there are no gameplay differences between any of them. All three have identical handling and are functionally the same.
For such an old 3D flight combat sim, Air Combat 22 controls nicely. Movement is very fluid, and the sense of scale feels accurate to the jets’ speed. Main controls are speed down, speed up, main gun fire, and missile launch. It’s simple, easy to pick up and play, and the kinesthetic feedback feels good.
For the most part, Air Combat 22 has a solid foundation. The problem is that there isn’t enough game to go around. The playtime is incredibly short. In about 20 minutes, expect to reach the battleship, the game’s first and final boss. Most of the game is flying above an endless ocean or mountain range, shooting other jets with missiles, and trying to keep them on the crosshair. There is no way to crash or be killed at all. The only enemy is time itself, which is trickier than it seems because bogeys are fast and great at playing keep-away. There isn’t really much of a dogfight since the player jet is invincible, and the Arcade Archives version grants infinite credits.
Dropping a couple of quarters for a quick thrill of blasting jets out of the sky for a couple of minutes was how Air Combat was intended to be played. Translating this game as a home console release would necessitate additional content, redesigned gameplay, and more variety. Arcade Archives: Air Combat 22 is more akin to being a preservation effort or a short nostalgic experience for anyone who grew up playing it in arcades. Like always, Hamster includes all the standard extras like save states, different regional versions, and some options to modify gameplay difficulty. The game itself is already basically a time attack game, so it’s amusing to see a dedicated mode for it. This is a very tightly designed action game as is, so there isn’t much that they could add.
