After Burner Climax Possibly Coming To Consoles

[DJ_Izumi]

My own review for the game:

For those that don’t know, After Burner Climax is a 2006 arcade game created by the famous Sega-AM2 development team. AM2 also brought us the After Burner series, Outrun series, Daytona USA, Ghost Squad, Virtua Fighter and many other games. Until today After Burner Climax was only available at your local arcade and if you’re like many people you don’t have a local arcade. Members of Sega-AM2 ported ABC to Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network.

At only 800 Microsoft Points or $9.99 ABC is a fairly direct arcade to console port with few changes. The key addition is the ‘EX Option’ which are essentially a set of 35 unlockable cheats to make the game easier or more difficult. Otherwise you aren’t getting much else. However at only ten bucks, getting a four year old arcade game that in the arcades would consume $1-$2 per credit, it’s a great deal.

Gameplay wise, ABC is essentially on rails shooter about fighter jets that’s meant to make you feel like an ace jet pilot with explosions and smoke in the sky as you fly over a wide arrangement of beautiful terrains. The game is fast, frantic, colorful and all about your targeting and dodging skills while you fight your way to the highest score.

After Burner Climax has leader board support in Score Attack where all players must play with unlimited lives and otherwise default settings. The actual Arcade Mode only scores to a local scoreboard and my issue with this is scores achieved with EX Option cheats enabled also go to this scoreboard. I found that using the EX Options made the game progressively easier, with each EX Option you unlock you can use them to help unlock others. Within two hours I was flying an F-14 that was invincible, had unlimited missiles, automatically targeted enemies and automatically fired at them and would score 95%-100% kill rates on each stage. This left rather high scores on my scoreboard that I would never beat without using the same cheats again. Once I had all achievements and unlocked my After Burner t-shirt for my avatar I went and deleted my player data so that the high score board would be reset to default. Now I have no intention of using EX Options other than enabling freeplay mode. (Unlimited credits)

Another fault is the lack of online multiplayer which would be excusable if the game didn’t feature multiplayer in the arcades but it did. Two After Burner Climax cabs could be linked over Ethernet but this ‘Team Play’ mode was omitted for the console ports. It’s a great shame that I can’t play together with friends over Xbox Live.

In the end this is a game with bright colors in contrast to the drab ‘brown’ of many current games that is built like a ten minute long ‘attraction’. It’s ideal for those who are fans of Sega, AM2, arcade games or who just wants to add ten dollars worth of jet fighter action to their game library. I’m very happy with my purchase because the Super Deluxe ABC arcade cabinet costs about $15 000 and is about 1275 lbs heavier than my Xbox 360.

[Loafmeister]

Saw it, bought it, played it, love it.  It basically plays like the original so if you didn't like that old classic, then don't bother with this one.  If you do like that classic onrails gameplay, then give it a try, I doubt it will disappoint.

[Howard_Casto]

I like it a lot, but it's a shame that it isn't available on the pc like other sega arcade titles.  Mainly because there isn't a force-feedback (not rumble, force-feedback) joystick for the 360. 

[versapak]

I like it a lot, but it's a shame that it isn't available on the pc like other sega arcade titles.  Mainly because there isn't a force-feedback (not rumble, force-feedback) joystick for the 360. 

Would the game even have force feedback support if it was on PC?

Did Outrun 2 have force feedback support on PC? It didn't on PS2 or Xbox (but then nothing did on Xbox), and it doesn't have support for it on 360 either.

[DJ_Izumi]

Did Outrun 2 have force feedback support on PC? It didn't on PS2 or Xbox (but then nothing did on Xbox), and it doesn't have support for it on 360 either.

Nah, only Outrun 2006 for PS2 in Japan has force feedback, it's also the only version with USB wheel support (Other than PC)

[Howard_Casto]

Actually... I've been looking into that.  The pc version of 2k6 has the folder that the ps2 version put all the motion effects in, it's just empty.  I think I might try downloading the ps2 version and installing the extra files.  They might need converted into something m$ friendly, but that wouldn't be terribly hard. 

But to answer your question, no it wouldn't guarantee that it has force-feedback, but it would make sense for it to be added.  Outrun's release was rushed and they originally had plans for FF.  Also remember that outrun came out in 2006 and ab climax is much more recent console release.

[DJ_Izumi]

Ahem, JAPANESE PS2 version.  The NA and EU PS2 ports of Outrun 2006 do not support any USB wheels at all.  The PS2 NA and EU ports were out in March 2006 and they ONLY support the Gamepad, the PC port was out in June 2006.  The Japanese PS2 version which does support USB racing wheels like the types used on GT4 came out in Feb 2007.  That's much later and I doubt that PS2 code will run on a PC.

[gavkiwi]

Well I bought it, $9.99 well spent, loving it, kids do also 

[DJ_Izumi]

I found a tiny easter egg.  Hold the A button as the game loads, when the large Sega logo bumper comes up you'll hear the clasisc Genesis era 'Sega Chorus' sound effect play.  I believe this happens on PS3 as well with the X button.

[HaRuMaN]

Now on sale for 400 points on XBLA