Reviews

In 2006, almost 20 years after people started pumping coins into the original, Sega's plane combat game After Burner made a return to arcades with After Burner Climax. Four years on, and now we can put those pound coins away and retire to the comfort of our living room, by virtue of Xbox Live Arcade or the Playstation Network.

As a youngster, many of my gaming hours were ploughed into playing the Sega Master System port of the original, while 7 years ago it recaptured my imagination as a part of the Sega Arcade Gallery for the Gameboy Advance. Despite rarely progressing past the first refuelling stage, the simple two-button game-play made for good quick fix, fast paced entertainment.

To say that Climax is fast paced would be a major understatement, as your fighter jet zips onward at breakneck speed. You do start to feel that the pre-game epilepsy warning that you're presented with at the beginning has never been more appropriate that it is here, as you tear through the skies.

Those worried that the title may have become over-complicated with a mass of commands will feel relieved to learn that the two-button game-play has only evolved into three-button game-play. As before, your aircraft is equipped with a high-powered machine gun and an unlimited supply of homing missiles, with which you can target and eliminate the enemies in your way. You'll also need to use evasive manoeuvres, from simple steering to rolls in order to avoid enemy fire-power. Added to the mix now is the new Climax mode, which is activated by holding a shoulder button.

Climax is basically a focus / bullet time function that slows down the action temporarily, but allows you to steer, target and attack in real-time. Climax is only available for a brief period of time, before requiring a recharge, so it's important not to waste it. Key times for its use are during the more dangerous stages when you're steering past mountains, and on the occasions when you're presented with key targets as part of your emergency orders.