Recommend some awesome air flight combat kinda games?

[Exhuminator]

Not really sure what to call this genre I'm thinking of, but stuff in the vein of Afterburner and Ace Combat, that kinda thing.

So lately I've been on a kick for this kind of gaming genre. My favorites have been Air Diver on the Genesis and the Ace Combat trilogy on PS2. Recently I tried AirForce Delta Strike and Lethal Skies Elite Pilot: Team SW on PS2 as well. Those two games didn't cut it for me so I put them back on the shelf. Tonight I'm planning on giving Heatseeker a try and maybe Lethal Skies II, again on PS2.

I'm looking for some recommendations from you folks about what games in this vein you think are super awesome, best of the best sorta stuff. I already own all the Ace Combat games available in the USA, so I'm looking for other franchises that are really good (or better who knows) than that series. It doesn't have to be jet fighter based, older aircraft games are cool too, as long as they are more on the arcade side of things. I respect the hell out of hardcore sim pilots but I don't have the patience for that. (Nor am I willing to spend the money for a proper cockpit simulation.)

So yeah, if anybody around here is into this genre please let me know your thoughts. Any platform is cool, any gaming era is cool too. Although I'm not looking for scrolling 2D shmup kinda games. (Just saying that so there's no confusion.) Arcade sim flight stuff yeah you got it.

[Flake]

Red Baron - old DOS game that remains among my favorite memories.

[Sload Soap]

Secret Weapons over Normandy for Xbox and PS2 was one I always quite liked, although you may not as it shares a little bit of style with Rogue Leader.

[ExedExes]

You tried Air Force Delta on PS2 but the first AFD on Dreamcast might be better.

[CRTGAMER]

Wii Sky Crawlers Innocent Aces
An undocumented control discovery of an obscure Flight Stick
http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopi ... 94#p603494

This Wii game is relatively unknown, except for maybe here on Racketboy since I praise it so much.

[Nemoide]

Descent and Terminal Velocity are DOS-era classics I loved. I also have fond memories of Descent: Freespace, though I never got around to beating it.

[isiolia]

This Wii game is relatively unknown, except for maybe here on Racketboy since I praise it so much.

The movie is good too, though I think the more interesting parts were added for that, and not in the light novels or game.

[MrPopo]

Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe. Or if you want the sci-fi skin for it, X-Wing and TIE-Fighter.

[J T]

Sky Odyssey is a surprisingly good, lesser known game on the PS2. I think you'll like it.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky_Odyssey

[fastbilly1]

Head to GOG and buy these:
Terrestrial:
Red Baron Pack
IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946
Apache Longbow
Wings of Prey: Special Edition

Space:
STAR WARS: X-Wing Special Edition
STAR WARS: TIE Fighter Special Edition
Freespace 2
Wing Commander 3 Heart of the Tiger
Descent 1+2

If you can only pick one, Wings of Prey is exactly what you want. Its WW2, arcadey with a hattip toward realism. Sadly it is the only one out of the bunch that will need a more up to date pc.

Though if you ever want to get into real flight sims, look no further than Xplane. Microsoft Flight Sim is great and all, but Xplane is amazing and is the only program that all of my aviation engineering friends and contacts use.

What kind of stick are you using? HOTAS? Rudders? Or are you just using a controller?