After Burner II

Infobox VG
title=After Burner II


caption=European boxart
developer=Sega-AM2
publisher=Sega
distributor=
designer=Yu Suzuki
version=
released=1987 (Arcade)
1989 (Amiga)
1989 (Atari ST)
1989 (DOS)
1989 (Famicom)
1989(Sharp X68000)
1990 (Mega Drive/Genesis)
1990 (PC Engine)
2004 (PlayStation 2)
genre=Shoot 'em up
modes=Single player
ratings=
platforms=Arcade, Amiga, Atari ST, DOS, Famicom, Sharp X68000, Mega Drive/Genesis, PC Engine, PlayStation 2
media=
requirements=
input=Joystick, trigger, missile button, throttle
cabinet=Standard upright, sit-down hydraulic cockpit
arcade system=Sega X Board
cpu=
sound=
display=Raster

"After Burner II" is an arcade-style flight game released by Sega in 1987. It is the second game in the "After Burner" series. In the game, you fly a F-14 Tomcat jet fighter, gunning down enemies while avoiding incoming fire. Like "Out Run", another Sega arcade game, "After Burner II" came in several versions, the most famous being a large, servo actuated, sit-down cabinet which resembled a cockpit and moved according to the motion of the plane onscreen. The cockpit would bank in the same direction the on-screen aircraft was banking. There was also a much less thrilling upright version.

The differences between "After Burner" and "After Burner II" are very small, and it is easy to confuse the two. The differences included:

*The waiting-for-start sequence (the screen/music after a player inserts credits but before starting the game) is different.
* "After Burner II" added a throttle to the controls, allowing players to vary their speed while flying.
* "After Burner" has 18 stages; "After Burner II" has those same stages but adds three additional stages that make 21 stages total.
* "After Burner II" added a few minor enemy changes to introduce new speed-based challenges (missiles/aircraft behind the player aircraft) to account for the use of the new throttle control.
*The player's missiles in "After Burner II" could be fired considerably more frequently.
* Musical compositions were the same for both games, though "After Burner"'s instrumentation is different in spots.

Translations and Ports

"After Burner II" has been translated and ported to numerous home computers and consoles, including versions for the PC Engine, Sharp X68000, Sega Mega Drive/Sega Genesis, Famicom, FM Towns Marty, Amiga, Commodore 64, Sinclair ZX Spectrum, Sega Saturn and, in Japan, the PlayStation 2 as part of the Sega Ages classic series.

It is notable that the version released for Sega Saturn is a nearly direct port of the arcade code, which before consoles like the Saturn and PlayStation was largely unheard of for a home version.

Trivia

*"After Burner II" was originally planned to have a World War II theme and make it a realistic flight sim but was dropped because Yu Suzuki states that "It would not have fit the arcade scene." A pure dogfighter was not his intention.
*Although the plane you pilot is a variation of the F-14, the cover art for the Mega Drive version uses an F-15E Strike Eagle.
*Shenmue II features a full playable version of "After Burner II".
*It is the game John Connor is playing before he is chased by the T-1000 in Terminator 2.

External links

*KLOV game|id=6822
*moby game|id=/after-burner-ii|name="PAGENAME"
* [http://www.arcade-history.com/index.php?page=detail&id=40 "After Burner II"] at Arcade-History