After Burner Climax

After Burner appeared in arcades around 1987 and was one of the first big game of the brilliant Japanese designer responsible for Shenmue, Yu Suzuki. In 2006, Sega brought back to the classic arcade version with Climax. Now in 2010 it received an improved HD version in consoles to succeed once again. Due to its nostalgic arcade nature , After Burner Climax is available for download at PlayStation Store and Xbox Live Arcade. Nevertheless, the game is not to impress us with their quick action and graphics in high definition. Is it enough?

If you have not had the pleasure of playing the classic After Burner in recent decades, know that we have another example of the true arcade at its most pure style. No plot, all you need to do when you play After Burner comes down to destroy aircraft, helicopters, ships, satellites, warheads and something else that comes in your way. While it is simple, it's really fun. You always have a lot to get right with your machine gun and missiles. In a normal game you go through 13 stages where you will find plenty of action and some emergency calls. These such calls are nothing more than for you to eliminate targets that were previously not part of the mission. These are usually special aircraft that are not cut easily and disappear from sight shortly. Of course, you are rewarded with points after destroying the unexpected foe.

The biggest flaw of the game still lasts less than we desire. With the alternative paths and secret missions, we have little more than 20 stages, which you can detonate in less than 30 minutes. In addition to the arcade mode we just have the Score Attack mode to extend the life of Climax, which is where we can play with defined rules  and compete for a spot in the online rankings. The biggest attraction of this version is just its name: Climax. This new in-game effect works like the famous "bullet time", where everything is moving in slow motion waiting for the attack on the aircraft. To limit the use of this feature, there is a power bar that is filled slowly with time. During Climax mode, you have infinite missiles to shoot. Under normal conditions, you should stop blowing things up for a few seconds to reload.

The new look introduced in Climax ensures an exciting experience and does not let you take your eyes off the screen for even a second. When you finish a stage you just also enjoy flying your plane to the clouds and then dive on a new mission. In terms of sound, you hear a remixed version of the track in the series, complete with new tracks in the arcade style . The coolest thing is that before you begin the game you can choose the original soundtrack for After Burner II. This is so nostalgic.

The gameplay is intuitive and things can get even more interesting when you start to unlock some extra options. They are unlocked as you complete some requirements in the game. The list of goals is long and includes, for example, destruction of enemies and use continues. So the more you play, the more options will enable new specials and this is the greatest incentive to continue playing. Some extra options make the game extremely easy, as the aiming device and the unlimited use of Climax.

In the end, After Burner Climax proves to be one of the most intense downloadable game we have available. However, it is difficult to recommend it to all at the price it costs. The $10 mark will only be invested by those who place fun above all. This is a game that lasts very little, but plays a fun role and will make you repeat it several times. If you happen to be those who have played in an arcade machine and want more, it's a good thing to have this version in your home with new options and high definition. An extra incentive for some is the fact that the achievements and trophies of the title requires very little effort. It's a game that makes time fly like a jet.

Marco Cecilio, NoobFeed