Top Gun was an influence, but before I saw Top Gun, I already had the idea for a fighter jet game taking shape in my mind. In the beginning, I was thinking of something more like Laputa: Castle in the Sky, something with that science-fiction anime feel. But Sega’s taikan games were to be sold not only in Japan, but in America, Europe, and all over the world. So we ended up switching things to an F-14 fighter jet, something that would be recognizable and approachable for anyone, no matter what country they were from. Americans, especially, tend to prefer realistic worlds to the fantasy, anime-ish worlds that Japan likes. Although, by now I think Americans largely understand the appeal of those fantasy worlds, too.
— Yu Suzuki
