Title - "Burning Force"
Alternative title(s) - N/A
Genre(s) - Shooter action
Platform(s) - Arcade and Mega Drive
Namco released "Burning Force" as an arcade game in 1989 and a Mega Drive game a year later. Other than graphics, as far as I know, there aren't many other differences. If you have played "Space Harrier", you sort of get a feeling of what it's like. If that doesn't help, you are playing a shooter from the back view of a vehicle.
Anyway, you are Hiromi, a young lady attending at some university on Earth (most likely in Japan), who wants to be a space fighter. To do that, she must go through a big exam that will last six days. The exam is a simulation of an invasion and you have to squeeze you way through various enemies to defeat each boss.
Each day, you will be in a different surrounding. When you're in each surrounding, you will be in three areas, plus a bonus area, except for the final day. You will travel on your airbike for the morning and afternoon time slots each day and on your airplane, which will also be converted from your bike for the evening slots as well as the bonus rounds. On the final day, you will use your plane. So, are you ready to take the exam?
Fun - 8
Considering that this is a very old game, I will say that for a game this old, it has its shining moments. I mean, I actually get to take an exam that's actually fun. Really! Shooting down enemies, gaining benefits, this made the experience fun. As for what's wrong with this game, the lack of a repair item really hurts the experience as well as the lack of invulerability items, which I'll get to in a bit. I also wish that the game has a couple more of weapons, but oh well.
Life - 7
Well, you can beat the game on easy and hard. Other than that, what else is there? You got me.
Control - 10
You have three different types of special guns: Wide Spread, Laser and Cross Laser. W gives you the Wide Spread and though it's the weakest of the special guns, it covers the most range. L gives you the Laser and even though it's the most powerful of the three, it's the most narrow. Cl gives you the beautiful looking Cross Laser and it's the most balanced of the special guns. Actually, I'd say that the Cross Laser is a little less narrow than the Laser, but it still is a bit narrow.
You have two different types of missiles and there's the invulernability item, which I'll get to in a bit. H gives you Homing Missiles, missles that lock on the closest enemy to you. M gives you Max Missiles, a big explosion missle. If you collect five invulnerability items, you can press the item button and you become invulernable for a short period of time. Once you become invulnerable, the item holder resets.
Well, there is not much to say here. Airbike, up speeds you up and down slows you down. Airplane, each direction moves the way you want to move the plane. You have three hit points per life, which isn't enough in my opinion. You learn about the night bosses' weakness or weaknesses. You have your usual shooter aspects. That's all.
Audio - 8
Aside from the sometimes standard sound effects, the music is great. The tunes fit the game and I get some sort of rhythm going as I hear them. I especially like the Day 3 theme.
Art - 9
So, there's not much animation overall in terms of your vehicle. So, the backgrounds aren't the best in the world. That doesn't matter. At least the enemy designs as well as the heroine and the weapons look nice.
Story - 7
Yeah, there's no way this game can have a story as deep as "Area 88's". Well, at least it's different from your standard theme of saving the world. I'll give Namco credit for that.
Overall - 8
This is one of the most underrated games I have ever played. The heroine design and the blasting as well as the spiffy soundtrack make the game look solid. If only it concentrated on the little matters also.
+
Beautiful heroine, beautiful music, beautiful action, it sure is one of the hotter games I've played in my life.
-
The lack of the little matters hurt and this is quite a questionable game to keep in the long run.
Date of creation - 8/2/04
Last update - N/A