Back in the 90’s I wasn’t much of an After Burner guy – I was always more into Hang On and Space Harrier – but part of that was because I never owned a home conversion of the After Burner games – they were always something I played, loved, but could never get good at.
Following on from the success of OutRun Online Arcade, After Burner Climax takes the classic formula of that SEGA arcade hit and puts it in beautiful high definition, 3D graphics. You take control of a fighter jet as it flies through a variety of different settings at horrifying speeds, from city skies to perilous mountainous regions and even deep in the heart of the enemy base.
OutRun and After Burner share that in common, as they both sport branching paths and simplistic transitions between areas that have wildly differing art styles. There are fewer branches in the levels here, but the presentation is the same, and still works as well in 2010 as it did back in the day.
You can speed through levels in no time at all at max speed (the first level can last about twenty seconds) or you can slow down and go for the high score. The game grades you on enemies shot down, combos built and completion time and there’s a feature that’s new to the After Burner series to help you hit all three targets.
That’s Climax mode, where the game gets its name. Climax mode is essentially bullet-time, slowing down the action for a few crucial moments to allow you to lock on to enemies and send a salvo of missiles their way. It’s pretty handy, and can be used offensively to take out a large group of enemies or defensively to dodge incoming projectiles or a mountain you’ve not accounted for in your steering.
Climax mode is a simple and seemingly glaringly obvious addition to the After Burner series, but it makes a world of difference. It’s controlled by a meter you have to build up, so it can’t be used all the time, but mastering how and when to use that Climax meter is vital to survival and high scores in this game.
Other than that, this game is After Burner exactly as you remember it, just a whole lot prettier. All the stages are sharp, and the frame rate is mostly solid even as you crank up the speed and zip through levels at a pace that makes you wonder if the pilot’s face would still be intact were this ever real.
It feels like an old school arcade game bought up to modern standards from the gameplay right down to the detailed HUD, which’ll be showing combos, score, stage and a plethora of other information in a day and age where many games are trying to do away with HUDs. This isn’t a complaint, though – I love the retro feel of this game, and the option to switch the modern music off and opt for the old After Burner II chiptunes is also a very welcome addition.
The action is fast-paced, engaging and fun, even if it is a bit simplistic and limited. The game can be completed in about fifteen to twenty minutes, but after you’ve done that there are a bunch of unlocks that will change the way the game plays, making it harder or easier to complete. Named EX options, they edit the game in such a manner as to increase the replay value quite a bit.
In the end, After Burner Climax is a simple but enjoyable update to the 80s arcade classic that later made its way home in the early 90s. If you go in expecting a game with tons of depth and options you’ll walk away disappointed, but if you want a game you can pick up, play, sink some time into and have a ton of fun with, After Burner Climax is for you.
7/10
Originally Published on The Gaming Vault.
