Thrust Strafe

Your jet falls unless you hold the button, and the same button — tapped rather than held — throws a spread of flame downward at whatever is climbing towards you. Missiles come in waves and you cannot shoot forward, so altitude is the only real weapon.

The jet has two wings and they can be taken off you one at a time. Flying on one is not a life lost, it is a heavier aircraft that answers half as well, which is a far more interesting punishment than a life counter.

From Kenta Cho’s MIT-licensed crisp-game-lib collection.