Top Gun kicking tires, lighting fires this summer

It's been 24 years since Tom Cruise and Anthony Edwards first felt the need for speed in Top Gun, but the fighter jet popcorn flick has proven an enduring cultural touchstone, spinning off more than a dozen different gaming adaptations for every system from the Commodore 64 to the iPhone.

That legacy will grow by at least one more offering, as Paramount Digital Entertainment today announced Top Gun for the PlayStation 3, PC, and Mac. Set for release this summer, the downloadable game will put players in the role of ace pilot Maverick, reteaming him with Goose as the pair make its way through the navy's demanding Top Gun Academy program.

The game will feature two single-player modes, a story-driven campaign with new story dialogue courtesy of original Top Gun screenwriter Jack Epps, Jr. and a survival mode against a never-ending onslaught of enemy fighters. Those players looking to claim the title of Top Gun will be able to take to the skies in five multiplayer modes and prove themselves in online dogfights for up to 16 pilots with a variety of unlockable planes.

Top Gun is being developed by Kuju Entertainment's Guildford-based studio Doublesix. The downloadable-only developer is best known for its work on the PS3 shooter Burn, Zombie, Burn and the Xbox Live strategy game, South Park Let's Go Tower Defense Play.