I. INTRODUCTION
===============
Aero Fighters is an arcade vertical shoot-em-up game, and I don't mean the "3D
first person shooter" kind of shoot-em-up (or shmup for short). In this game,
you control a jet fighter as you fly over various places in the world and shoot
at military enemies as you go. It's a pretty simple game (it's an old game
from 1992, after all); dodge enemy fire, grab power-ups and point bonuses, blow
up whatever you come across, and take down the big bad boss at the end. It's a
nice shmupping formula that you'll see again and again in other shmups that
will come after this one, and that formula will be improved upon as well.
Yes, it's an old game; but it's still fun to play even now, and it did start a
unique shmup style. So if you ever come across this game, it's my hope that
you'll have a lot of fun playing it :)
II. CONTROLS
============
There's not really much to it. Joystick moves your plane, A button shoots, and
B button bombs. Easy enough...
III. GAMEPLAY
=============
It's a simple concept, but one that works. You move your plane around, dodging
enemy fire and shooting at enemies as you go; just like that. Apart from the
main view (where all the action takes place), there are also letters, numbers,
and icons on the gaming screen.
First, your score is shown at the top-most part of the screen. It'll increase
as you grab and blow up stuff, and you'll be rewarded with an extra life (only
once) if it reaches 200000 or 300000 (depending on the machine's settings).
And speaking of lives, they're displayed just below your score. You start the
game with 1 to 4 lives (again depending on the machine's settings, but it's
usually 3), and you lose one when an enemy bullet hits you or you collide with
an airborne enemy. Once you're out of lives, it's pretty much Game Over...
unless you continue, that is.
And finally, you have your bombs at the bottom of the screen; you start out
with two, but you can collect more. Bombs are used for your plane's bomb
attack, a powerful attack that does a lot of damage, covers a wide area, and
nullifies enemy bullets. Bomb attacks use up one bomb; and if you run out of
bombs, then you can't do bomb attacks anymore.
There are items that you can collect throughout the game. These items are
listed and described here:
Power-Up - A bullet (not the enemy kind) with a P on it. Grabbing this will
strengthen your plane's firepower (up to three levels); the 3rd
level is limited though, and will revert back to the 2nd level
after you've fired enough with it. If you grab this item while
you're already at the 3rd level, you'll score 2000 points instead
and your 3rd level firepower will be recharged.
Full Power - A bullet (again, not the enemy kind) with an F on it. Grabbing
this will boost your plane's firepower to the maximum level
immediately. If you're already at max, then you'll just score
10000 points instead and your firepower will be recharged.
Bomb - A bomb with a B on it. Grab these to use them for the bomb
attack. If you already have 6 bombs when you collect this, then
you'll just score 10000 points (a waste of a bomb, in my opinion).
Note that you cannot collect more than 6 bombs.
Currency - Either a Dollar, a Yen, or any other currency (depending on which
plane you chose). Anyways, these are point bonuses; grab them,
and you score 1000 points.
This game has a total of 7 stages, and all of them end with a boss battle.
Once a boss is destroyed, you fly on to the next stage. If you take too long
fighting a boss however, it'll self-destruct and leave you with no points as
well as a wave of enemy bullets to deal with; but you'll still fly on to the
next stage afterwards.
After you complete all 7 stages, you'll be treated to the ending of your
plane's pilot. If it's a 2-player game, then you'll be shown a joint ending of
your two planes' pilots. However if you let the final boss escape (unlike all
the other bosses, it doesn't self-destruct), then you'll be shown a bad ending
instead. Nevertheless, the game isn't over yet; after the ending, you'll fly
through all 7 stages again and this time the challenge will be harder. This
is known as a second loop.
The game ends when you run out of lives and don't continue, or you finish all
7 stages twice. And that's all there is to it...
IV. PLANES
==========
There are 8 planes to choose from, varying in speed, firepower, appearance,
and pilot. Only 4 planes are available to each player; and if it's a 2-player
game, both players can only select two planes from the same country. The
following info will describe what these planes are, what they can do in the
game, and who their pilots are.
First, the four planes that you can select only from the Player 1 side:
F/A-18 HORNET
-------------
Pilot: Subshot: Bomb Attack:
Blaster Keaton Snake Napalm F.A.E.
The F/A-18 "Hornet" is a single- and two-seat, twin engine, multi-mission
fighter/attack aircraft that can operate from either aircraft carriers or land
bases. The F/A-18 fills a variety of roles: air superiority, fighter escort,
suppression of enemy air defenses, reconnaissance, forward air control, close
and deep air support, and day and night strike missions. The F/A-18 Hornet
replaced the F-4 Phantom II fighter and A-7 Corsair II light attack jet, and
also replaced the A-6 Intruder as these aircraft were retired during the
1990's.
(Source: Military Analysis Network <http://www.fas.org/man/index.html>)
The pilot:
Keaton is your typical American military guy. All patriotic, all heroic, and
all that stuff; nothing much special... at least, not right now ;)
The plane:
The F-18 possesses a decent straight shot. For its subshot, it fires burning
napalm that passes through and damages anything in its path; it also moves a
little to the left or right when you move left or right. And for its bomb
attack, it drops down a bomb that causes a really huge explosion; the plane
will loop over as it does this to avoid enemy fire, so this bomb can save you
in a pinch.
Overall:
The F-18 has average speed and its firepower packs a punch. Its bomb attack is
also quite powerful and life-saving too. A decent plane.
FIGHTER SUPPORT X (FS-X)
------------------------
Pilot: Subshot: Bomb Attack:
Hien Ninja Missile Ninja Beam
The Mitsubishi F-2 is a Japanese fighter aircraft manufactured by Mitsubishi,
based on the American F-16. In October 1987, Japan selected the F-16 as the
basis of its new fighter, to replace the Mitsubishi F-1. The F-2 programme has
been controversial because the unit cost is roughly 4 times that of a Block
50/52 F-16, but this demonstrates Japan's commitment to its aerospace industry.
Before its official designation of "F-2" in 1996, it was known as the FS-X.
(Source: Wikipedia <http://en.wikipedia.org>)
The pilot:
Hien is a ninja, one of the coolest kinds of humans on the planet. Ever loyal
to his Shogun, he follows orders without hesitation; all for peace, honor, and
the way of the Ninja... I suppose.
The plane:
The FS-X shoots shurikens. Yes, shurikens. And these shurikens are replaced
by hi-speed kunai daggers at max level. For its subshot, it fires seeking
missiles that slowly home in on any target. And for its bomb attack, the plane
unleashes a powerful energy beam; no doubt, ancient Ninja power in action.
While this beam is active, the plane cannot be harmed and it can also still
move around.
Overall:
The FS-X is a fast plane; it also has fast and rapid firepower, but it's quite
erratic. It also has a nice bomb attack, but its pretty concentrated and only
does decent damage. It's still a cool plane, though.
AJ-37 VIGGEN
------------
Pilot: Subshot: Bomb Attack:
Kowful the Viking Metal Storm Thor Hammer
The AJ-37 is a Swedish-made attack aircraft, part of the System 37 project that
was launched in 1960. The first to be built, the AJ, is primarily a ground and
sea attack aircraft with a secondary fighter role. The design utilizes a large
double delta wing, large flapped canards, tandem wheel main landing gear, and
thrust reversers to achieve short takeoff and landings from rough terrain and
country roads. All remaining front line AJ-37's are of the SF-37 and SH-37
varieties, equipped for all-weather day/night reconnaissance and all-weather
maritime surveillance/strike respectively.
(Source: Aerospaceweb.org <http://www.aerospaceweb.org>)
The pilot:
Kowful is a viking, and he's out to prove that he's the strongest. And what
better way to do it than to fly a jet and blow everything to kingdom come? >:)
The plane:
The AJ-37 shoots a strong straight shot that's pretty wide. For its subshot,
it sprays its front with a scattershot of twin missiles. And for its bomb
attack, it loops over and releases 8 big missiles that home into and blow
through whatever they come across; this attack's overall effectiveness depends
on what the missiles decide to attack. Note that these missiles do not stop
enemy bullets.
Overall:
Average speed and strong firepower make this plane a good choice. But its bomb
attack leaves something to be desired...
AV-8 HARRIER
------------
Pilot: Subshot: Bomb Attack:
Villiam Sid Pride Cross Missile Support Bomber
The Harrier vertical take-off and landing fixed wing warplane has earned its
place in history as the only successful operational "jump jet", as the press
likes to call it. Using vectored engine thrust through four rotatable nozzles,
the Harrier was born in England from a prototype, the Kestrel, which first flew
in October 1960. Before the decade was out the Royal Air Force was flying them
operationally, then the U.S. Marine Corps bought them in 1970 as the AV-8A,
replaced by the AV-8B which serves the Marines today as one of its primary
ground attack aircraft.
(Source: Jeff Ethell's Pireps <http://www.airandspacemagazine.com/asm/web/
special/ethell/menu.html>)
The pilot:
Villiam is a royal prince, and his bride has been kidnapped by the enemy! He's
obviously not too happy about this, so now he's gonna kick some butt and rescue
her.
The plane:
The AV-8 fires 3 shots in a spread pattern, once it's powered up enough that
is. Its subshot is a pair of missiles that shoot off forward, to add to the
plane's frontal firepower. And its bomb attack consists of three bombers
flying over the area and carpet bombing the heck out of everything in sight.
This attack is devastating but it doesn't nullify bullets nor damage anything
until the bombs make their impact, and that takes a long while to happen. So
don't expect this bomb attack to save you from immediate danger.
Overall:
Its firepower covers a lot of area, and its bomb attack is extremely effective.
But on the downside, the bomb attack is slow; and this plane also happens to be
the slowest of all the player planes! It can be a very powerful plane if you
can play it right...
And now, the four planes that you can select only from the Player 2 side:
F-14 TOMCAT
-----------
Pilot: Subshot: Bomb Attack:
Keith Bishop Phoenix Missile Tomahawk
The F-14 "Tomcat" is a supersonic, twin-engine, variable sweep wing, two-place
fighter designed to attack and destroy enemy aircraft at night and in all
weather conditions. The F-14 can track up to 24 targets simultaneously with
its advanced weapons control system and attack six with Phoenix AIM-54A
missiles while continuing to scan the airspace. Armament also includes a mix
of other air intercept missiles, rockets, and bombs.
(Source: Military Analysis Network <http://www.fas.org/man/index.html>)
The pilot:
Keith is typical American military guy #2. Sporting some cool shades, he does
what any American soldier does best... so yeah, yay for him.
The plane:
The F-14 shoots a strong and wide straight shot. For its subshot, it fires
powerful seeking missiles; upon impact, they cause small explosions with a
lengthy burn time to keep on damaging whatever they hit. And for its bomb
attack, a barrage of large missiles bombards the whole area. It covers the
whole screen, but it doesn't nullify bullets immediately (there's a short delay
before that happens) so be careful.
Overall:
Strong firepower, full-screen bomb attack, and fast speed. The F-14 is quite a
good plane.
F-15 EAGLE
----------
Pilot: Subshot: Bomb Attack:
Mao Mao Gull Laser E-Wave
The F-15 "Eagle" is an all-weather, extremely maneuverable, tactical fighter
designed to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. The Eagle's
air superiority is achieved through a mixture of maneuverability and
acceleration, range, weapons, and avionics. The F-15 has electronic systems
and weaponry to detect, acquire, track, and attack enemy aircraft while
operating in friendly or enemy-controlled airspace. Its weapons and flight
control systems are designed so one person can safely and effectively perform
air-to-air combat. It can penetrate enemy defense and outperform and outfight
current or projected enemy aircraft.
(Source: Military Analysis Network <http://www.fas.org/man/index.html>)
The pilot:
Mao Mao is a Japanese megastar; she sings, she acts, she does all that popular
idol stuff. But today, she's flying a jet fighter; actually, it's more like
she's riding a jet fighter that's flying itself. What's going on...?
The plane:
The F-15's main shot is a simple but decent straight one. For its subshot, it
shoots forward lasers that tear through anything in their path. And finally,
its bomb attack is quite unique; instead of a typical mass destruction attack,
the plane unleashes a shockwave that stops time (and also does a little damage,
wiping out weak enemies). Everything except the player planes are frozen in
place, allowing you to freely shoot at the helpless enemies until the effect
wears off.
Overall:
The F-15 is the fastest of all the planes here. It needs to be, because its
firepower is a bit weak. Also, its bomb attack is quite variable; it could
either do great damage or crap damage depending on how you use it, so use it
well.
JAS-39 GRIPEN
-------------
Pilot: Subshot: Bomb Attack:
T.B. A-Ten Float Mine Grand Napalm
The JAS-39 Gripen is the result of a joint development by Saab Military
Aircraft, Ericsson Microwave Systems, Volvo Aero Corporation and Celsius
Aerotech. It is a fourth generation, multi-role combat aircraft. The Gripen
fighter combines new knowledge-based, software-controlled avionics systems;
modern materials; advanced aerodynamic design; a well-proven engine and fully-
integrated system to produce a highly-capable, true multi-role combat aircraft.
The Gripen is the first Swedish aircraft that can be used for interception,
ground-attack and reconnaissance (hence the Swedish abbreviation JAS -- Fighter
(J), Attack (A) and Reconnaissance (S) in Swedish) and is now successively
replacing the Draken and the Viggen.
(Source: Military Analysis Network <http://www.fas.org/man/index.html>)
The pilot:
T.B. is a robot, programmed to be the absolute best jet fighter pilot. Will it
be able to prove that claim, or will it be just replaced with a better model?
The plane:
The JAS-39 fires a simple straight shot. For its subshot, it litters the place
with hovering mines that wander around. These mines do big damage upon impact,
and they also stop enemy bullets. And for its bomb attack, it releases a giant
wave of burning napalm that burns everything in its path. But beware, this
napalm wave does *not* nullify bullets!
Overall:
Another slow plane and with erratic firepower to boot, but the firepower is
quite strong and the bomb attack is quite devastating too. It's a tricky plane
to use...
TORNADO IDS
-----------
Pilot: Subshot: Bomb Attack:
Lord River N. White Napalm Dispenser Ring Bomb
Intended as a multi-role strike aircraft, the Tornado IDS was an international
project designed by the three members of Panavia, the UK's British Aerospace,
Germany's MBB, and Italy's Aeritalia. The Tornado design is still quite
effective despite being over 30 years old. The aircraft can carry a wider
range of weaponry than any other aircraft ever built yet is also compact and
can fly at the fastest combat speed at sea level of any aircraft ever built.
The Tornado is also noteworthy for having the highest payload weight to empty
weight ratio of any aircraft other than the F-16. In addition to its
exceptional performance, the Tornado is well-suited to low-level high-speed
bombing missions thanks to its advanced nav/attack system including a search,
ground-mapping, and terrain-following radar.
(Source: Aerospaceweb.org <http://www.aerospaceweb.org>)
The pilot:
Lord White is an old pilot, but he's still able to fly with the best of them.
Does his family know that he's still flying around, though...?
The plane:
Decent straight shot, that's what the IDS shoots. For its subshot, it launches
forward bombs that drop to the ground and explode with a long burn time upon
impact; the bombs can crash and explode into airborne enemies before hitting
the ground. And for its bomb attack, the plane loops over and fires down a
scattershot of missiles all around it to create a deadly cloud of explosions.
Overall:
The IDS is a slow plane, but its got strong firepower and an even stronger bomb
attack if you use it right. A good powerhouse of a plane.
V. STAGES
=========
There are a total of 7 stages, taking place in various locations around the
world. What follows is a description of each stage; the places, the enemies,
and the bosses.
First, it should be noted that the first 3 stages are arranged randomly. There
are actually 4 random stages, but you'll only play 3 of them; the only one you
won't be playing is the stage that's the same country as that of your chosen
plane (e.g., if you play as Hien or Mao, you won't encounter the Japan stage).
And now, the stages...
RANDOM STAGE: U.S.A.
--------------------
The stage begins with you flying high over the city before descending close to
the sea. You'll be battling helicopters, jets, and submarines before taking on
the boss, a large battleship with plenty of gun turrets and missile launchers.
You'll slowly make your way to the battleship's bridge as you battle its many
weapons and support choppers that occasionally show up.
RANDOM STAGE: JAPAN
-------------------
In this stage, you'll be flying close to the city. You can destroy buildings
and vehicles as you go; just be careful of the tanks and the choppers that are
moving around behind the buildings. Soon, you'll come across a giant building;
and that's when you fight the boss, a weird-looking green machine. Watch out,
because it'll burst out of the building with its laser attack (and yes, this
can kill you). It'll then fly across the devastated city as it tries to shoot
you down with its guns, extending harpoons, and laser cannon. Be sure to keep
an eye on the ground for enemy tanks as you fight this boss.
RANDOM STAGE: SWEDEN
--------------------
You'll be flying high over the sea and mountains in this stage. Lots of jets
to shoot down here, some of them emerging from hangars in the mountain range.
Also, be wary of hidden guns that emerge from the forests. Soon, you'll reach
a small base; that's the boss, and it's packed with lots of gun turrets. Don't
be fooled though, because this base is actually much bigger than it looks...
RANDOM STAGE: ENGLAND
---------------------
Choppers, turrets, and lots of tanks in this stage. You'll be flying over
grasslands, an old castle, and a field before arriving at an air base; there,
you'll take on some jets before chasing after the boss, a large bomber that's
about to take off. It's got plenty of guns, some of which are on its wings
(they're destroyable, by the way); enemy jets will also occasionally lift off
from the runway below and support the bomber.
STAGE 4: MIDDLE EAST
--------------------
You'll be taking on choppers, jets, and tanks as you fly over this arid place.
You'll encounter a couple of gun towers and then fly on into the desert where
you battle the boss, a gigantic armored vehicle. It starts out with only a
couple of cannons and a turret, but it'll expose more weapons once it expands.
Support choppers will also occasionally launch from the boss to pester you.
STAGE 5: MEDITERRANEAN
----------------------
Over the sea you go as you face battleships, gunboats, jets, and an aircraft
carrier. And then you fly on to battle the boss, a large hovercraft with many
gun turrets. This hovercraft shoots a lot, launches gunboats, and moves pretty
fast for its size; all that, and support jets will occasionally come in to
harass you. This boss is quite difficult...
STAGE 6: RUSSIA
---------------
This stage has choppers, jets, and many tanks. Not only that, but even the
buildings are out to get you; towers will launch and try to collide with you,
and a couple of palaces will attack you with guns and hovering structures.
Once you get past all that, you'll fly high into the sky and battle the boss,
a large black jet. After a while, a second similar jet will join it (you'll
see it flying below over the sea before emerging). Aside from shooting down at
you, both of these jets also launch missiles that go forward but fire bullets
downwards at you. This is quite a hard battle, but you can make it easier by
taking down the first jet before the second jet appears.
STAGE 7: SPACE
--------------
You'll be flying high above the planet in this final stage. Lots of strange
machines to take on as you make your way to a great satellite platform; in the
middle, you'll encounter a big machine. This is the sub-boss, and it's quite
dangerous as it lets loose with fast waves of bullets and two cannons that
fire straight down. Once you get past it, you'll fight some more machines
before arriving at the end of the satellite; there, a space shuttle will take
off. This is another sub-boss, and it'll take you on with plenty of guns; and
once it's damaged enough, it'll start sending down electric barriers. Two
probes will also detach from the shuttle and attack you as well.
Once the shuttle has had enough, it'll release the final boss; a large rocket
with a lot of different segments. You'll fight these segments (some of which
will detach from the rocket) until you finally reach the skull-shaped warhead.
If the both of you start falling through the atmosphere, that means you better
hurry up because the boss will escape soon!
Sometimes though, you won't get the rocket. Instead, the shuttle will release
a capsule; and from that capsule will break out a monkey. Yes, a monkey. It
shoots at you with palm attacks, it unleashes bullet waves, and it summons
smaller monkeys to attack you. This is the Aero Fighters games' very first
instance of a silly final boss, and it won't be the last ;)
And in case you're wondering, the bad endings of the rocket and monkey are
indeed different.
VI. MISCELLANEOUS
=================
NAME CHANGE
-----------
In Japan, this game is originally known as "Sonic Wings". Perhaps it was
renamed for outside-Japan releases so that this game won't be confused with a
certain speedy blue hedgehog. Who knows...?
AERO FIGHTERS vs STRIKERS 1945
------------------------------
The Strikers 1945 games are shmups just like the Aero Fighters games. Not only
that, but the two game series also happen to be very similar to each other.
Similar bullets, similar power-ups, similar gameplay style, and even similar
fonts. However, the two game series were made by two different game companies
(AF by Video System, and Strikers by Psikyo). So what's going on here?
Perhaps the answer lies in the credits of these games. A few names in AF's
staff list (like Shin Nakamura and Wataru Yamazaki) also show up in Psikyo's
many shmups. I can only conclude from this that some of the staffers moved on
to Psikyo and continued to create and refine their shmup style there. This may
not be the correct answer though, so don't take my word for it.
Still, it's kinda nice to think that Aero Fighters is the granddaddy of all
Psikyo shmups even though it's not a Psikyo shmup itself ;)
SPECIAL APPEARANCES
-------------------
A few certain things make special appearances in this game. But what exactly
are these things...?
- Rabio Lepus (also known as Rabbit Punch) is a semi-cute horizontal shmup that
Video System released prior to the Aero Fighters games. The rabbit-shaped ship
from that game (called the Aka Usagi, or Red Rabbit) makes a cameo appearance
here in this game. Just check out Mao Mao's ending and you'll see it ;)
- Turbo Force is another Video System game released before any Aero Fighters
game. This one is a vertical shmup, and it involves flying cars. In Kowful's
and T.B.'s joint ending, you can see plenty of Turbo Force arcade machines.
If you see any other special appearances in this game that's worth mentioning,
please tell me about them.
Komentar
Posting Komentar