Please login to submit a screenshot

Long awaited it may be but let us hope no-one is holding their breath because there is no R-Type miracle here. Afterburner is a dog.

The various sequences and backgrounds are there, but what gameplay that existed in the coin-op has been forgotten. The graphics themselves are patchy speccy affairs and only the sound redeems the package
Jez San must be rueing the day he took this job on, because for once we were right – it is unconvertible.

"Prepare for take-off"

Afterburner is one of those games that you just can’t seem to get away from, regardless of how many flight simulation games that you play. Featured originally in the arcades as a rotation game with a gyro seat and piloting stick, and then on various home systems, the appearance of this game on the Amiga is the beginning. While it isn’t the prettiest game that you’ll ever play and for the most part it seems to be lagging in some areas, it is still a constant reminder of what action games were in the very beginning.

Piloting an F-14 Tomcat fighter, you blaze your way through several stages of mind blowing action that never really seems to vary from one stage to the next. You have your assortment of weapons and otherwise that will keep you in the game, but there is really nothing that you have to do but fly through the different stages and save the world in the process. The story line that you might be looking for in this title doesn’t exist, keeping with the simple mentality of throwing plenty of enemies and explosions into a game and then slapping a title on it!

-The Game Play-

The game play is a behind the view type of shooter that gives you control of a rather agile fighter plane with a fixed amount of room to work with. As most shooting games go, this one really doesn’t have much difference from any other one that you might play. When you really dive into what the game has to offer in terms of the game play and even the control, there is little here that differs from one stage to the next, leaving you with the feeling of being on constant repeat. Weapons are kept simple with machine guns and missiles being your only choice and you’ll have to learn to work with them at all levels.

The difficulty that you find here is nothing exceptional, with anyone from the beginning gamer to the veteran player being able to pick up on the controls in a heartbeat and work with what the game has to offer. Although the button configuration is set up to be easy to work with, you may need to take a little time to get used to the sometimes sluggish way that Afterburner moves on the screen. Being in that fixed position simply means that you have to use timing and get used to the various patterns in order to successfully get through the game in it’s later stages.

-The Visuals-

Visually, Afterburner really doesn’t use much of the systems abilities and seems to come off as a little muted in some areas and exceptionally blocky in others. Although most gamers who own an Amiga won’t notice the difference, gamers who have played the arcade version and other various home based versions of this title will find that the game really doesn’t have much visual flare for the buck. However, there are plenty of details and the game does seem to move at a relatively fast pace, keeping the theme of the game fast and furious through all of the stages!

-The Audio-

The audio seems to be a little misplaced though, with the game sounding like it’s trying to be a Top Gun movie reincarnate. With the somewhat muted rock sounds that you hear, this is the prime example of what happens to action games before they started moving into the new age trance that we hear in most of the games today. Although this isn’t all bad, and you consider the age of the game into the equation, there is enough in the sound department with the explosions and gunfire to keep you interested for at least an hour before it really starts to drag on your nerves.

-The Verdict-

Afterburner for the Amiga isn’t a bad game, but you have to take it for what it is and consider the dating that the game has to offer. With blurred visuals and a misplaced soundtrack as well as the fixed way that your fighter jet is locked on the screen, there is just a little too much here that will impress the new age gamers. However, if you’re an Amiga fan and owner and you like After Burner no matter what it looks or feels like, then you’ll find that this title is perfect for your growing collection on a classic video game machine.

While we’re all playing games like Ace Combat 4 and Top Gun on the Play Station 2, this game is something of a relic from a lost time and placed on a lost system. To say that there isn’t a redeeming quality to be found here would be wrong, but for those of you who played the old arcade original, and own an Amiga, you may find that this version of the game is behind the times.



Reviewer's Score: 7/10 | Originally Posted: 10/01/02, Updated 10/01/02