After Burner: Black Falcon

Anyone who has ever grown up in an arcade will remember After Burner well. Unlike the other cabinets that stood tall and flashed with inviting images, the After Burner cabinet was designed to look like the cockpit of a fighter jet. Practically demanding your attention, you couldn’t help but sink into the pilot’s seat, hand on the stick and quarters ready to be sunk into its money slot. Oh, darn that Tom Cruise and his need for speed in that one movie that made kids my age dream about flying. After Burner wasn’t a serious flight combat simulator but it was the closest we had to taking to the skies and fighting enemy fighter jets. So it was a pleasant surprise that Sega has resurrected the After Burner games with After Burner: Black Falcon on the PSP.

Black Falcon is a new game in the series and it actually includes a story. Well, three different stories but don’t expect a deep and involving tale since the game follows the same plotline. The main plot revolves around Forge, the old leader of the elite JTF Scramble Team who has gone rogue after a disagreement with the US government and as a result has become a terrorist threat. Forge even managed to convince a few members of his squad to join him and one night they raid a secret military installation and steal a number of prototype jet fighter planes. It is now up to the last three remaining members of Scramble Team to put a stop to Forge and his followers.

As I mentioned above, the game tells three stories but they’re mainly introductions that revolve around the three available characters you can select at the beginning of the game. There’s Billy Blaze, the “David Beckham” of Scramble team who is still trying to get over the fact that his fellow fighter pilot and girlfriend Diamond had joined with Forge. Then there’s Harrison “Bull” Duke who is motivated by money and the need to rise above the ranks to be the top fighter pilot. Finally, there’s Tomiko Rossellini, the group’s only female fighter pilot who is determined to prove herself despite the sexism among the predominantly male Air Force and the top brass whose old-school mentality sees her as a burden rather than an asset. In the end, these three characters don’t have a continuing story but the outcome of their efforts are explained at the end.

Still, After Burner has never been about storytelling and once the action gets started it really gets started. Like the arcade original, Black Falcon is both fast-paced and action-packed and many of the threats that were encountered in the original can be found here as well. You’ll still be dealing with enemy fighter jets as well as ground threats such as enemy submarines, artillery guns, SAMs (or Surface-to-Air Missiles) and even enemy convoys and battleships. To make things more interesting, you’ll even have to maneuver through some environmental dangers like narrow canyons. Luckily, the controls are handled beautifully and while the framerate does take a dive now and then this is mostly a smooth ride.

The game begins with a few select licensed fighter jets to pick from such as the F-14 Tomcat, an F/A-18 or even an F-22 Raptor but you can always unlock and purchase new planes since points you earn in the game translate into money. You can even upgrade your jet with better missiles and gun as well as select different skins. The levels are pretty straightforward affairs with boss battles at the end that add more challenge to the tough levels. You’ll quickly find out that even in the normal difficulty setting this game shows no mercy. Expect missiles to come flying at you from the front and back. When an enemy fighter has a lock on you, expect to find yourself scrambling to lose the fighter that is tailing you. Believe me when I say that you’ll be making good use of the afterburner and barrel roll button throughout the game.

Throughout each level you’ll be racking up combos by destroying a series of enemy fighters and you’ll be rewarded with power-ups that come in the form of crates. The power-ups range from repairing your jet to slowing time or adding more missiles to your payload. You’ll earn more cash by completing a set of secondary objectives that range from destroying an X number of satellite dishes, enemy convoys or even ships out on sea. Overall, the levels don’t really do anything very different from level to level. There are times with extra objective pop up such as the time you’re asked to destroy a bridge, but other than that each level plays out the same. Still, you would think that this makes for a repetitive and boring experience but it doesn’t. In fact, just about the worst thing about the game is that it is too short. Sadly, even the multiplayer mode doesn’t extend things all that much.

Black Falcon does look pretty good on the PSP but it’s nothing really to write home about but then again this game does offer different backgrounds. Each mission takes place in different environments whether you’re flying over a desert or an icy tundra. Even the skies look pretty good and the water effects aren’t that bad. The game does use licensed planes (thanks to Lockheed, Boeing and Northrop Grumman) and they do look pretty good. The explosions could have been cooler so just about the only neat effect comes in watching your jet fall apart after being shot down.

The game’s soundtrack is made up of some embarrassingly cheesy rock tunes that feel a lot like what we heard in the arcades so long ago. Still, it’s good to see that it doesn’t get annoying and I hardly felt the need to go for the mute button. The sound effects are not bad at all either, but like the visual effects they just don’t sound as good as it should even on the PSP.

When it comes to arcade-styled aerial combat for the PSP, After Burner: Black Falcon has you feeling the need for speed and has you wanting more in the end. It’s levels and gameplay style might not be diverse but when it comes to the quick pace and solid high-flying action, Black Falcon more than delivers and it does so with plenty of style fit for Sony’s handheld. Sure, it’s too short but fans of the classic will have a blast with this one.

Gameplay: 8.2
Black Falcon’s controls fit the PSP nicely and everything from barrel rolls to sending a rocket straight into the tailpipe of a boss is handled beautifully. While the framerate dips at certain points in the game, you’re in for a somewhat smooth and fast-paced ride. Sadly, the game is really short and will leave you wanting more.

Graphics: 7.5
For a flight combat game, there’s much to see here besides blue skies and fluffy clouds. The terrain changes for each mission and the fighter planes look pretty good on the PSP. The explosions and missile fire could have been better, though. The comic book-styled intros and endings are a nice touch.

Sound: 7.0
The same type of generic rock tunes that made the arcade original so cheesy can be found here only updated to new heights of cheesy-ness. Still, the music doesn’t get on your nerves and the sound effects aren’t bad either.

Difficulty: Medium/Hard
If you thought the arcade original was challenging, this one shows you no mercy even early in the game. There are boss battles and they’re 10 times harder than the number of skillful henchman pilots you’ll encounter throughout the game.

Concept: 7.8
While the missions remain the same, the story arch is different for the three pilots. The missions offer some variety and boss battles but don’t expect the game to stray from its formula. You can upgrade your fighter jets or purchase new ones as well. There’s multiplayer but it’s nothing incredible.

Multiplayer: 7.0
The competitive multiplayer aspect of the game isn’t as fun as the solid co-op that makes many of the harder missions seem less harsh. Much like the single-player game, though, the framerate can dip occasionally.

Overall: 8.0
Sticking close to its arcade game roots, After Burner: Black Falcon is a short but addictive flight combat game for the PSP. Considerably challenging yet very straightforward, the game doesn’t offer enough variety but it still manages to remain fast-paced and action-packed. If you like a good portable flight combat game then this is the game for you.