| After Burner | |
|---|---|
 Japanese arcade flyer | |
| Developer | Studio 128 |
| Publisher | Sega |
| Designer | Yu Suzuki |
| Programmers | Yu Suzuki Satoshi Mifune |
| Composer | Hiroshi Kawaguchi |
| Series | After Burner |
| Platform |
|
| Release | July 1987 |
| Genre | Rail shooter[15] |
| Mode | Single-player |
| Arcade system | Sega X Board |
After Burner[a] is a 1987rail shootervideo game developed byStudio 128 and published bySega forarcades.[16][17] The player controls an AmericanF-14 Tomcat fighter jet and must clear each of the game's eighteen unique stages by destroying incoming enemies. The plane is equipped with a machine gun and a limited supply of heat-seeking missiles. The game uses a third-person perspective, as in Sega's earlierSpace Harrier (1985) andOut Run (1986). It runs on theSega X Board arcade system which is capable of surface andsprite rotation. It is the fourth Sega game to use a hydraulic "taikan"motion simulatorarcade cabinet, one that is more elaborate than their earlier "taikan" simulator games.[18] The cabinet simulates an aircraft cockpit, withflight stick controls, a chair with seatbelt, and hydraulic motion technology that moves, tilts, rolls and rotates the cockpit in sync with the on-screen action.[19]
Designed by Sega veteranYu Suzuki,After Burner was intended to be Sega's first "true blockbuster" video game. Development began in December 1986, shortly after the completion ofOut Run, and was kept as a closely guarded secret within the company. Suzuki was inspired by the 1986 filmsTop Gun andLaputa: Castle in the Sky; he originally planned for the game to have an aesthetic similar toLaputa, but instead went with aTop Gun look to make the game approachable for worldwide audiences. It was designed outside the company in a building named "Studio 128", due to Sega adopting aflextime schedule to allow for games to be worked on outside company headquarters. An updated version with the addition ofthrottle controls,After Burner II, was released later the same year.
After Burner was a worldwide commercial success, becoming Japan's second highest-grossing large arcade game of 1987 and overall arcade game of 1988 as well as among America's top five highest-grossing dedicated arcade games of 1988. It was acclaimed by critics for its impressive visuals, gameplay and overall presentation, and is seen as being important and influential. It was followed by a series of sequels and ports for many platforms, including theMaster System,ZX Spectrum, andFamicom. Sega also produced several successors to the game to capitalize on its success, such asG-LOC: Air Battle.After Burner has also been referenced in many other Sega video games, such asFighters Megamix,Shenmue, andBayonetta.
The game allows the player to control anF-14 Tomcat jet airplane. At the start of the game, the player takes off from an aircraft carrier called theSEGA Enterprise on a mission to destroy enemy jets over 18 stages.
In the arcade version, the jet employs a machine gun and a limited number of heat-seeking missiles (in theMaster System version the player has unlimited missiles). These weapons are replenished by another aircraft, after beating a few stages. The aircraft, cannon and missile buttons are all controlled from an integratedflight stick.
The game itself was released in two variations in the US: a standard upright cabinet and a closed rotating cockpitdeluxe version. In the cockpit version, the seat tilted forward and backwards, and the cockpit rotated from side to side.[16] It featured two speakers at head-level for stereo sound, and had a seatbelt to hold the player when the cockpit moved. Both cabinets contained a grey monitor frame with flashing lights at the top that indicated an enemy's "lock" on the player's craft. Japan also received a commander cabinet that moved left and right. A third variation, calledcommander, released elsewhere, featured an open cabinet.
After Burner was designed byYu Suzuki, with assistance from programmer Satoshi Mifune and composer Hiroshi "Hiro" Kawaguchi.[20] Development of the game begin in early December 1986, shortly after work onOut Run was completed, with much of the development team having worked onOut Run.[20]After Burner was intended to be Sega's first "true blockbuster" video game; as such, the project was kept as a closely guarded secret within the company during the entirety of its development cycle.[20] When the game was in its initial concept stages, Sega had adopted aflextime work system, allowing development of games to be done outside the company;After Burner was one of the first games to be produced under this new system, with development taking place in a building namedStudio 128.[20]
Suzuki was inspired by the filmLaputa: Castle in the Sky and initially wanted to employ a similar aesthetic forAfter Burner, but this idea was scrapped early on in favor of a style akin to the movieTop Gun, as Suzuki wanted the game more approachable for a worldwide audience.[20] The game was programmed and tested on aPC-98 system, making it the first Sega-published video game to be developed usingpersonal computers rather thanworkstations.[20]
One of the biggest challenges the team had to overcome was researching and implementing sprite and surface rotation, which for the time was considered a milestone in video games.[20] The team also struggled with creating the smoke trails made by firing missiles, seeing several tweaks and revisions as development progressed.[20] Unlike their earlier gameOut Run, which featured real-world locations in its levels, Suzuki lacked the time to visit any specific places or landmarks, so he and his team made up their own stage settings.[20] Suzuki toyed with the idea of having theSoviet Union as the antagonists to potentially increase sales in the west, but decided against it later on after struggling to tie it together with the game's level designs and settings.[20] The refueling and landing sequences were created to add variety.[20]
TheAfter Burner arcade cabinet was significantly more expensive than most of Sega's other machines at the time.[20] The first prototype unit constructed, which consisted of the monitor attached to a steel frame, was claimed by Mifune to have "amazing power", but was considered too dangerous to operate and had the power levels lowered.[20] Suzuki also thought of the game using a gyroscopic arcade cabinet that spun the player around, an idea that later became theR-360.[20] A throttle control was briefly considered, but was abandoned as it would have destroyed the game's difficulty balance. It uses theSega X Board, which was also used for games such asThunder Blade (1987) andSuper Monaco GP (1989).After Burner was officially released in Japan in July 1987, and in October of that year in North America.[2] In Europe, it was released in September 1987,[1] with the hydraulic sit-in cabinet costing £4,000, or$6,500 (equivalent to $18,000 in 2024), in the United Kingdom.[21]
After Burner was followed byAfter Burner II, which was released in the same year (1987),[22] also released for theSega X Board arcade system. Some consider this game to be more of a revision of its predecessor, rather than an entirely new game, a practice later repeated by Sega forGalaxy Force andGalaxy Force II. In the game, players fly anF-14 Tomcat jet fighter, gunning down enemies while avoiding incoming fire.After Burner II came both a standardarcade cabinet and aservo actuated, sit-downmotion simulator version which moved according to the motion of the plane onscreen. The cockpit would bank in the same direction the on-screen aircraft was banking. It is an updated version ofAfter Burner, with the addition ofthrottle controls, and some of the music being changed, for example in the song After Burner, the rock guitars were added, and the xylophone and chords were put an octave up. It was a commercial success, becoming Japan's highest-grossing arcade game of 1988.
The game was mostly created by three men:Yu Suzuki, Satoshi Mifune, and Kawaguchi. During development, it was codenamedStudio 128 to specify the secrecy of the project.[23]
| Publication | Score | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arcade | C64 | Master System | PC | Sega Genesis | ZX | |
| Computer Gaming World | Positive[25] |   [24] | ||||
| Crash | 86%[26] | |||||
| Computer and Video Games | Positive[27] | 9/10[28] | ||||
| GameFan | 232/300(32X)[29] | |||||
| GamePro | 15.5/20(32X)[30] | |||||
| Sinclair User | 8/10[33] | 90%[31] | ||||
| The Games Machine (UK) | Positive[32] | |||||
| Your Sinclair | Positive[17] | |||||
| Zzap!64 | 17%[34] | |||||
| Console XS | 85%[35] | |||||
| Top Score | Positive[36] | |||||
| Publication | Award |
|---|---|
| 1987Gamest Awards | Best Graphics (1st) Game of the Year (2nd) Most Popular Game (3rd) Best VGM (4th) Best Ending (6th) Best Sound Synthesis (8th)[37] |
| 1988 AMOA Games Awards | Most Innovative Game[38] |
| 1988Gamest Awards | Special Award[39] |
| Computer and Video Games | C+VG Hit[40] |
Game Machine listedAfter Burner as the most popular arcade game of August 1987 in Japan,[41] where it went on to be the second highest-grossing large arcade game of 1987 (just belowOut Run)[42] and the overall highest-grossing arcade game of 1988.[43][44] In the United States, it was one of the top five highest-grossing dedicated arcade games of 1988,[45] and remained a top ten earner at various arcades through 1990.[46] In the United Kingdom, it was the top-grossing arcade game upon release in September 1987.[1]
The arcade game received positive reviews from critics. Clare Edgeley ofComputer and Video Games called it a "fabulous game" with praise for the gameplay and motion cabinet while noting it has a lock-on mechanic similar to theData East arcade gameLock-On (1986).[27]Top Score said it has "all the finger-numbing action of the best arcade shoot-em-ups, combined with some of the most stunning animation ever seen in a video game" and that it was "a glossy air combat game that ranks higher than similar efforts that have preceded it". The review called it "one of the most beautiful and realistic shooting games ever produced" with "somewhat shallow" gameplay that is nevertheless "definitively worth the price of admission" especially in the "cockpit simulator" cabinet.[36]
Sinclair User reviewed the arcade game, scoring it 8 out of 10.[47] Ciarán Brennan ofYour Sinclair said that, despite the higher price point, do not "let a little thing like apound coin stand between you and action like this".[17] Robin Hogg ofThe Games Machine called it the "hottest Sega release so far" with praise for the graphics and gameplay, but with some criticism towards the £1 UK price.[32]
At the 1987Gamest Awards in Japan,After Burner won the Best Graphics award, while being a runner-up forGame of the Year (2nd place), Best Ending (6th place), Best VGM (4th place), Best Sound Synthesis (8th place) and Most Popular Game (3rd place).[37]After Burner also won a Special Award at the 1988Gamest Awards.[39] In the United States,After Burner won the award for "Most Innovative Game" at the Amusement & Music Operators Association's 1988 AMOA Games Awards.[38]
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| ACE | SMD: 695/1000[48] TG16: 666/1000[49] |
| IGN | Mobile: 5/10[50] |
| Joystick | SMD: 79%[51] TG16: 72%[52] |
| Mean Machines Sega | SCD: 22/100[53] |
| Player One | 92%[54] |
| Retro Gamer | 90%[55] |
| Zero | 90/100[56] |
| Compute's Guide | SMD: 19/25[57] |
| MegaTech | SMD: 90%[58] |
In Japan,After Burner II was tied withAfter Burner as the highest-grossing arcade game of 1988.[44]
Mega placed the Mega Drive version at number 38 in their Top Mega Drive Games of All Time.[59]MegaTech magazine praised the smooth and fast gameplay, as well as the sound.
The game was ported to theAmiga,MS-DOS,Amstrad CPC,Atari ST,X68000,FM Towns,Commodore 64,Master System,PC Engine,Sega Saturn,MSX,ZX Spectrum. The C64 has two versions: a European version byU.S. Gold, and a US version byActivision and Weebee Games. A port for theFamicom was released in Japan bySunsoft and for theNES in North America byTengen (the latter version of which was not licensed byNintendo). A port to the32X was done by Rutubo Games, and was known asAfter Burner Complete in Japan and Europe.[60] A port to theGame Boy Advance was included in the arcade compilationSega Arcade Gallery.
After Burner for the Master System was a bestseller for Sega in the United States during 1988.[61]Computer Gaming World reviewedAfter Burner on the Master System, citing aircraft depicted in "remarkable detail", "spectacular" scenery, and excellent explosions.[25] The ZX Spectrum port was well-received, withSinclair User calling it a "top-class coin-op conversion destined for the top of the charts" and giving it 90%,[31] whilstCrash magazine gave it 86% overall.[26]Zzap!64's reviewers were unimpressed with the Commodore 64 version, which was described as "incredibly disappointing" with "laughably bad" graphics and sound. It was given an overall rating of 17%.[34] A laterComputer Gaming World review for the PC was much more critical, giving the game one star out of five and stating that it was inferior to the arcade version.[24]
Reviewing the 32X version,GamePro commented that the graphics, sound, and gameplay are all great, but that the only difference between it and the Genesis version ofAfter Burner II are some minor graphical and audio enhancements, making it only worthwhile to gamers who have never played anAfter Burner game before.[30]
After Burner II has been translated andported to numerous home systems:PC Engine,X68000,Mega Drive/Genesis,Famicom,FM Towns Marty,Atari ST,Amiga,Amstrad CPC,Commodore 64, andSega Saturn.[62][better source needed]
The game was rebuilt withstereoscopic 3D feature as one of3D Classics forNintendo 3DS.[citation needed]
Although theAfter Burner brand was long dormant, Sega created a number of aerial combat games centered on theF-14 Tomcat with many similar features, which are frequently regarded as part of the series.[63][64] These includeG-LOC: Air Battle and its sequelStrike Fighter (later rebrandedAfter Burner III in its home release). Later games associated with the series includeSky Target (which retained similar gameplay and presentation to the original, but with the addition of 3D graphics) andSega Strike Fighter (an arcade flight combat game which featured free-roaming movement, boasting similar music but with an F/A-18 Hornet as the main plane).[65]
In 2006, Sega released a new sequel onSega Lindbergh hardware,After Burner Climax, the first arcade game to bear the brand sinceAfter Burner II.
After Burner Climax was later ported toXbox Live Arcade andPSN. It was followed by the spin-offAfter Burner: Black Falcon for thePSP in 2007.After Burner Climax was de-listed in December 2014, leaving the game no longer available for purchase, only to be brought back in March 2019 to digital mobile platforms for free, with ads, under theSega Forever brand.
In Japan,After Burner II was released on thePlayStation 2 as part of theSega Ages classic series.
M2 portedAfter Burner II in Sega's3D Classics series to theNintendo 3DSeShop in Japan on 2013 and worldwide in 2015. This version is faithful to the original arcade game with additions, including Touch Controls and screen layouts that resemble the Upright as well as the Commander and Deluxe cabinets. An unlockable new Special mode was also added, which used a time-slowing "Burst" system similar toAfter Burner Climax, and featured a different story and altered stages. This mode has no stage select or continues, and instead depends on frequent acquisition of extra lives over the course of the game in order to complete it.[66]
An emulated version ofAfter Burner is playable at the in-game arcade inShenmue 2.[67]
The plane fromAfter Burner makes a cameo inFighters Megamix, accessed with a cheat code.[68]
The music fromAfter Burner appears in a remix in Chapter 8, entitled "Route 666", ofBayonetta (developed byPlatinumGames and published by Sega).[69] This remix is reused inSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U andSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate on theBayonetta stage, Umbra Clock Tower.
An area based onAfter Burner, "Carrier Zone", appears as a tennis court inSega Superstars Tennis and as a race track inSonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed.[70][71] The latter also features a playable racer, AGES, whose vehicle transforms into anAfter Burner-inspired F-14 Tomcat during flight segments.[72]
A remix ofAfter Burner appears inHatsune Miku: Project DIVA on both the arcade & console versions, complete withVocaloid vocals.
{{cite book}}:|work= ignored (help)After Burner was the fourth and most extravagant of Sega's taikan simulators and topping it would not be easy.
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