Last updated on January 17th, 2026 at 03:57 am
Retro Flight: 3D battle sim – Action Game Review
Retro Flight: 3D battle sim is a Action/Entertainment/Casual game from Michael Howard, first launched in 23rd December 2009.
It’s rated 12+ and currently has 60+ ratings on the App Store.
What Makes Retro Flight: 3D battle sim Stand Out
Featuring…
- Rockets, bombs, snowballs, lasers, mini-nukes
- Truly madly bloodthirsty AI
- 8 unique aircraft
- Sandbox with tanks, cars, boats, alien invasions & lots more
- Wifi/Bluetooth multiplayer with teams & friends lists
- Game Center leaderboards
- Make & share your own game maps
- Won't fry your screen & battery
- Completely free: no ads, no microtransactions
You start as a cold war chopper pilot caught in a proxy war between a capitalist city state and a communist one. Later you get to fight in tanks, subs, jet fighters, WW1 biplanes, aircraft carriers and the occasional flying saucer. There's a tutorial plus options for autopilot, target practice, Cyberspace, Xmas, 2-player with WiFi or Bluetooth, and sandbox, where everything comes to life and you can drive & ride everything that moves.
This game is a challenge, but once you're up to speed and deep into the high-octane madness it's the most exciting adrenaline rush on the app store. While everyone else is staring at their phones in a vacant trance, this will have you punching the air and screaming out loud.
Quick Tips:
To see the last message during Tutorial, tap pause.
To exit to the menus from in the game, tap the door.
To change controls (joystick/gyro) or graphics (for snowballs & lasers), go to the options.
There's lots more tips & help in the app & on the web site.
Website: https://sites.google.com/view/retroflight/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RetroFlight/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Retro_Flight
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF2spdZRdG0zxpe2-cG8rOw
Press kit: https://sites.google.com/view/retroflight/Home/press-room
Some stores don't have reviews yet, so here are some five star reviews from around the world:
"It runs on literally any iOS, and runs FAST even on older devices. Honestly I’ve looked all over the App Store and couldn’t find a better flight sim game. This game has everything you need to entertain yourself for hours. Been playing for 4 years and will play for 4 more!"
"I spent 2 hours scrolling thru apps looking for this, I love it, it's amazing, the simplicity is the best, and I have loved this game for ever!!!"
"Fantastic Game … I love just goofing around shooting buildings and flying UFOs! … Not sure I'll ever delete it. :)"
"I love this game! It's best mode is on sandbox you can drive any vehicle you see!"
"If you haven't at least downloaded and tried this game, you are depriving yourself of The best hidden gem on the App Store."
"Best 3D dogfighting game I've ever played on my iPad! Great for playing with a friend. Fun graphics. Cool noises. No charge. What's not to like? It also has a complexity that some similar games lack."
"This is so freaking fun! I can't believe it was free, it is good for people who like retro or modern style games. Seriously you HAVE to get it. So fun!"
"Will blow you away! I love this game! No matter how many times you play it, it never gets old! I just love the thrill of trying to shoot as many down as I can on elite difficulty!"
"This game is absolutely the best game ever!! Its ridiculously funny too! I'm surprised it can run on the iPod touch…I LOVE THIS GAME!!!!! IT IS VERY ADDICTING!!!"
"Amazing … Like TRON with helicopters"
"Once you start playing you won't be able to stop. This is a polished game that is fun fun fun!!!"
"Complicated enough that you can spend hours on it, but quick enough that it can just as easily fill five minute gaps. Perfect."
"Awesome game and you can play it for hours and not get bored also the best part it free, I mean really you guys should take a little bit of time just to play this I mean PLEASE try it you wont regret it"
"OMG THIS GAME IS A DRUG LITERALLY"
Your five stars reviews/ratings are a big encouragement to me – I hope you'll come back and post one of your own!
This game is completely free, with no ads. If you think the game is awesome, please support it by telling others about it!
This Action game offers engaging gameplay and regular updates for mobile players.
Player Feedback
As a newer release, Retro Flight: 3D battle sim is building its player community. Early feedback suggests .
Recent Updates & Development
Latest Update: 6th January 2026
Recent improvements include:
Fixed some graphics, lighting & snow issues.
Download & Availability
Retro Flight: 3D battle sim is available through the official App Store for iOS devices.
Get Retro Flight: 3D battle sim on App Store
Requirements: Requires iPhone 5s / iPad Air / iPad Air (Cellular) / iPad Mini 2 (Retina) / iPad Mini 2 (Retina, Cellular) / iPhone 6 / iPhone 6 Plus / iPad Air 2 / iPad Air 2 (Cellular) / iPad Mini 3 or later.
Compatible with iPhone and iPad devices.
Player Experience Highlights
Community Insight:
We remember this game from when we were 10. But can you please add rifles or pistols to soldiers? Or an airliner? That would sound cool.
When we got the game, we saw we were able to control horses, cars, trains, helicopters, planes, tanks, and artillery, but one was missing from the group. The UFO. Which we dont know how to get it? Can you explain about the games UFOs and how to get them.
VERY Cool Game!!! If Youre Reading This Can You Add A Rifle Or A Pistol To The Soldiers?? Please Read This :).
This game has been our childhood since 2014! We hope you add a new update this year, because we are super excited for what new things are to come.
This game makes its return and is more fun than ever with more modes and an amazing chopper selection and so much, thanks for bringing it back dev.
Glad to see this awesome game is back. Fresh take on helicopter combat, plus there is much more than just choppers. And all of it is the work of one dev! Great job bud.
Very fun game except the controls need some work.
For a one man developer this is amazing.
How about you and nuclear bombs it is game to make it better and add some Bomberger's to drop the new coil you can make super tanks which is better and can you make it to where we can actually use aircraft carrier.
We spent 2 hours scrolling thru apps looking for this, we love it, it's amazing, the simplicity is the best, and we have loved this game for ever.
We love just goofing around shooting buildings and flying UFOs! We wish the bullets were more visible and that the missiles would travel longer. Besides that, great game! Not sure we'll ever delete it. :).
Ok so we were on the city map and we got on the big ship and drove it onto the little ramp at the corner of the city in the water and it makes the ship fly it is awesome dont fix please.
We love this game! It's best mode is on sandbox you can drive any vehicle you see! We would love this game even more if the buildings had windows and when shot at would fall over and hit other buildings and also we can barely see the bullets when we are tapping the black button (hint make them bigger plz!) but over all its an amazing game.
If you haven't at least downloaded and tried this game, you are depriving yourself of The best hidden gem on the App Store. We played this game back when iPhone 4s was newish, and why we didn't get it on our new phone until now is beyond us. The controls are friendly, the gameplay is fast, the game is great. If you don't like it, it's an issue of taste, not the game.
Awesome update man we can play on our iPhone 6 now.
We cant even enter the game. Its stuck on the options and you cant go back.
We can't play don't know what to do we looked at site but download map doesn't work because when we push back button it won't bring us to Main menu.
We played this a long time ago and still do plz dont give up on it and if we could help in any way then we will.
One of the finest games on the app store.
This game is, well, excellent! It's very fun, and although you don't just run into people to play with very often, it's fun to get your friends to play.
For all those who love retro but up to date games, this is for you.
Love the retro graphics, the physics/controls are a blast. We miss old PC gaming… :-).
Don't change a thing only add stuff if you want and fix bugs! But we can't figure out how to control the player that isn't in a vehicle(the human by himself)so please help us with that other than that,awesome game.
This is a great game but it would be nice if it had iPad support.
Love this game! To Creeperhugger7, you can make the people you run into have AI. Go to the "remember people who told you about this game" (or whatever it is) page and type allmobson in the box on the right. It will say its detecting cheats. Then go and start a game, and everything will be alive. Check the Retroflight Facebook page for more cheats.
Love this app! It could be cool if you could make it so that way you can customize your own guy and give an AI to the people and soldiers that are scattered around the maps. It would be awesome if you could add more vehicles to the game, such as the VTOL planes and battleships. But nevertheless, one of the best armed forces apps we have.
When this game came out, we always played it ever since. Now seeing how it has improved has impressed us. Great controls, graphics, etc.
This is an awesome, under appreciated game. For a free app, THIS IS GREAT! One of our favorites.
One of the most fun games ive ever played. Awsome controls and great potential to be even better than it already is.
We Enjoy the new update. Definitely something awesome that this app needed:).
Good game little sketchy with the controls but pretty fun.
It's soooo fun to play. Please make the grapics a bit more realistic or better. Please.
You basically walk around and shoot stuff, but ut us still excellent.
We want characters to hold weapons and add hits so when your not in a vehicle you can atleast hit and use weapons and add the inside of buildings if they added both these ideas then we would play retro flight every day.
The controls are like trying to walk on slick ice! Fix this, then 5 stars.
We truly enjoy playing this game.The new sandbox feature is cool, but needs more- maybe co-op battles and online battles with the crazy stuff there is on sandbox.
Good game but there's should be in-app purchases like 100 experience for $0.99.
We LOVE THIS GAME!! We also love that you can play multiplayer with another person from eachother's iPod Touch/iPhone!! This game is great.
This is one of the best games we've ever played.
Best app ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If u like this app our name is Kill3r mango 360 send us a friend request we're always up.
FANTSTIC had a lot of fun playin it could use more features better graphics but no lt too much better we like it simple.
This game is awesome we love it. It is super cool. A game actually worth playing. Look for YOLO copters plz friend.
It is really fun and we can't believe it free all the other real cool games need to do this :(.
This is a great game but one problem,ever since we got this game some of our other games keep crashing done please fix or we will kill ourselves LOL.
Fun gameplay. Excellent tutorial makes somewhat complex controls easy to master. Well done.
Reminds us of some arcade games we used to play.
This game is epic we are hopeing the sand box come out soon we'd give this 10 but cuz we can't we liked it on facebook so over all it gets a dual :D.
This game is cool with the capital K. Kool From latutsis iPod. Jared. We recommend it cause it is the koolest Kool.
It's pretty fun it's great if your bored.
User feedback from Apple App Store
App Details
- Version: 2.2.2
- Size: 7.19 MB
- iOS: 16.6 or later
- Languages: EN
- Content Advisory: Infrequent/Mild Contests, Infrequent/Mild Horror/Fear Themes, Infrequent/Mild Mature/Suggestive Themes, Infrequent/Mild Profanity or Crude Humor, Frequent/Intense Cartoon or Fantasy Violence
- Developer: Michael Howard
Last updated: 6th January 2026 | Genre: Action, Entertainment | Developer: Michael Howard