Play Air Fortress Online

Air Fortress came out for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987, developed by HAL Laboratory. It was part of that wave of NES games that mixed straightforward action with more involved exploration, fitting right in with the platform's library at the time.

You control Hal Bailman, a pilot who infiltrates alien fortresses. Your mission is to fly your small ship through a side scrolling shooter segment to reach each fortress, then land and proceed on foot. Inside, the game shifts to a methodical, screen by screen exploration where you search for the core reactor. You use a limited energy beam to fight off the internal defenses and must find your way through the maze like structure to plant a bomb. The pacing is a deliberate back and forth between the frantic shooting outside and the cautious, resource managing exploration inside. Navigating the tight corridors under constant threat makes for a tense and focused experience.