SEGA Announces AFTER BURNER: BLACK FALCON for PSP

[parallaxscroll]

before power diving into the news of After Burner: Black Falcon, I'd like to point out that the Sega Ages: After Burner remake for PS2, released in Japan in 2004, has not made its way to these shores yet -- I would like to see that happen. it wasn't a bad game at all from what I understand, and yet, the U.S. gets trash like PS2 Sega Ages Golden Axe.

Also, After Burner: Climax, the next-powered coin-op arcade game in the series, running on the Lindbergh hardware, has not yet been announced for Xbox 360 or PS3.

okay, now about AFTER BURNER: BLACK FALCON for PSP


http://www.gamespot.com/news/6159568...stnews;title;0

Sega fires up PSP After Burner
Planet Moon developing arcade-style flight sim based on Sega's classic
franchise; PSP game touches down this spring.

By Tim Surette, GameSpot
Posted Oct 10, 2006 10:41 am PT

One of the very first arcade games to deliver a sensation of speed was
Sega's After Burner. The air-combat simulation was like OutRun in the
skies, using Sega's trademark three-dimensional perspective and adding
heat-seeking missiles, jet fighters, and barrel rolls.

Gamers who missed out on the action the first time around (or on the
franchise's multiple console ports) will soon be able feel the need for
speed anywhere they go, as Sega has announced After Burner: Black
Falcon for the PSP. Black Falcon is due out in spring 2007 and is
currently in development by Planet Moon Studios, the creators of Armed
& Dangerous and Infected.

The game's plot sees a terrorist cell dubbed Black Falcon planejacking
13 fighter jets from the CIA. Players will be tasked with making the
skies friendly again by screeching through the skies in an assortment
of planes, including F-14D Tomcats, F-22 Raptors, and F15E Strike
Eagles. Each plane can be customized with a variety of weapons, which
will come in handy when shooting targets in the air and on the ground.

Black Falcon will support "numerous multiplayer challenges" in both
eight-player competitive and two-player cooperative modes.

After Burner: Black Falcon has not been rated or priced.

http://psp.ign.com/articles/738/738141p1.html

After Burner Flies Again
SEGA sends its combat jet classic on a new, portable mission.
by David Adams

October 10, 2006 - SEGA today revealed it is working with developer
Planet Moon Studios (Infected, Armed & Dangerous) to bring After Burner
to the PlayStation Portable, confirming our suspicions that the
partnership between the companies would result in the revival of a SEGA
flight franchise.

Long-time gamers remember the After Burner arcade cabinet for its
high-speed, highly explosive fighter jet combat. Planet Moon is
revising this formula for portable gamers with After Burner: Black
Falcon, which adds customizable planes, a story-based single-player
campaign, and multiplayer options to the series' aerial action.

After Burner: Black Falcon includes 19 licensed military planes --
including the F-14D Tomcat, F-15E Strike Eagle, and F-22 Raptor -- each
of which can be tweaked with new engine components and weapons. The
single-player game casts players as part of a classified military group
tracking down plane-thieving terrorists, while ad-hoc multiplayer modes
offer both competitive and co-op play.

"As huge fans of the original After Burner, we are delighted to
re-imagine this classic arcade franchise," said Planet Moon CEO Bob
Stevenson. "Building After Burner: Black Falcon from the ground-up
enables us to craft the game with PSP features in mind with all-new
multiplayer modes, customizable jets and over-the-top gameplay. Most
importantly, it's approximately 9000% more portable than the original
arcade cabinet."

SEGA expects to clear After Burner: Black Falcon for takeoff this
spring.

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3D3154296

After Burner Headed to PSP
Planet Moon Studios' mystery Sega game revealed.
by 1UP Staff, 10/10/2006


Sega teased about teaming with Planet Moon Studios (Armed & Dangerous,
Infected) for a PSP-bound remake of a company classic, but only today
can we confirm it's an update to After Burner, which recently
experienced a revival in the arcades, as well. After Burner: Black
Falcon actually features 19 licensed fighter planes for players to zip
around with in both single and multiplayer modes.

Planet Moon's even incorporated a storyline this time around, though
obviously thin and hokey. Basically, an underground mercenary
organization named Black Flacon has stolen 13 top-secret fighter
planes, and it's up to players to navigate "dangerous terrain" to get
them back. In other words: who cares, let's blow things up.

"As huge fans of the original After Burner, we are delighted to
re-imagine this classic arcade franchise," said Planet Moon Studios CEO
Bob Stevenson in the announcement release. "Most importantly, it's
approximately 9000% more portable than the original arcade cabinet."
Good point, Bob.

As would be expected for this kind of update, the gameplay's been
expanded, as players will now be able to custom-fit their fighter jets
with different weapons and enhancement components, such as new engines.
The game will also feature head-to-head and co-op multiplayer modes,
though the press release doesn't mention if Planet Moon's implementing
Internet support.

There's still a bit of a wait until the return to the nostalgia zone,
though, as After Burner: Black Flacon won't arrive until sometime in
2007. At least that gives Sega some time to work out an Xbox 360 and
PlayStation 3 port of the arcade game, right?

more
http://www.computerandvideogames.com...hp?id=3D147410
http://www.gaming-age.com/news/2006/10/10-13
http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/PSP/A....asp?c=3D=1690
http://games.kikizo.com/news/200610/042.asp
http://www.pspworld.com/sony-psp/new...eck-005889.php
http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/news/?id=3D14058
http://www.gamers.com/?run=3Dnews&news_id=3D6849

[Bacon McShig]

Jesus christ, one source is enough.

[Diff-chan]

How was Planet Moons first PSP game?

[Bacon McShig]

Crap-tacular.

[Giga Power]

Unless it's Climax being anounced for 360 I don't give a damn.

[Joust Williams]

BULEE DAT

[Taito]

Plot, multiplayer and customizing makes this sound more like Ace Combat with After Burner's name on it. Not interested until After Burner gameplay is confirmed.

[Rem]

Unless it's Climax being anounced for 360 I don't give a damn.

IBTN, from the two second video I saw after E3 It at least looked like they nailed the speed at least.

[gameoverDude]

Sega Ages Golden Axe is the bottom of the barrel. Yech.

I'm hoping Black Falcon stays true to After Burner (rail shooting) and doesn't try to be Ace Combat. Sega tried this once before as "Sega Strike Fighter", not to be confused with the 1991 "Strike Fighter" (After Burner III). The 3-monitor Ace Combat type game was OK, but it was a poor substitute for After Burner. Seeing 12 enemy jets in front of you, then decimating the squadron with lock-on missiles? That's After Burner. Hunting down the targets on radar and racing against the clock isn't.

ABClimax for 360 or PS3 would sound loads better. The fact that Planet Moon is working on this PSP version instead of SoJ doesn't exactly inspire me. Hopefully the co-op mode will be like Climax, but I'm not enthralled by the idea of head-to-head in this one.

[marwan]

sega will never stop making shitty games.