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- After Burner: Black Falcon
After Burner: Black Falcon
- March 26, 2007 16:50 PM PST
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As my commuter jet bucked and tossed in the winds of a thunderstorm, I figured it was the best time to check out After Burner: Black Falcon on my PSP.
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I put on my head phones, blocked out my fellow passengers, and instantly felt like I was back inside the arcade cockpit that I lost so many childhood quarters to.
Bringing it All Home
After Burner translates surprisingly well to a handheld, keeping all of what made the original game so great; the feeling of supersonic speeds, intense dog-fighting action, and heavy fire power. At times the action feels cluttered on the small screen, but the accurate lock-on targeting system makes it less of a hindrance. My one gripe is that it's next to impossible to target ground objects, but on most levels it's not a major problem.
This is one of the few PSP titles I've played that controls smoothly. The analog nub is responsive without being a nuisance--I felt like I was actually flying my plane, and in no time I was dodging enemy fire like a pro. The only hindrance to an otherwise well laid-out control scheme was the positioning of the barrel roll on the triangle button.
The game's story does a decent job of making sense of the missions, but ultimately feels like a dumbed-down version of a Michael Bay film and is simply unnecessary. Instead, the biggest incentive to play the game is earning enough loot to purchase upgrades and all 19 of the planes.
The landscapes are varied but present nothing more than what typical flight-simulators offer. Half way through the game it starts to feel redundant, but many objects are destructible and keep things from feeling monotonous. The soundtrack comes across in the same way as it offers a few different types of styles but seem to loop infinitely.
Afterburner is addictive and fun, but best played in short bursts. Though the game is sometimes challenging, it never gets frustrating if only because it no longer requires a stream of quarters to keep the action going.
Pros: All the fun and intensity of the arcade game on a hand-held.
Cons: Not enough depth or re-play value.
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