Classic Arcade Game- Afterburner

The vintage game Afterburner was a classic of the arcades in the late 1980's.

 Although not directly tied into the movie Top Gun, it's likely that much of its success could be attributed to the wave of popularity and interest that occurred around the films release.

Afterburner was a game that saw conversations to the home console and computer market. But at the time it was unable to recreate the full Afterburner experience. Partly due to inferior graphics present in the domestic machines and missing the gyroscope chair that was offered  to give the player the full 360 air combat experience. The game in the arcades was pretty much impossible to replicate properly yet software houses were unwilling to miss out on the lucrative market that the arcade machine opened up.

The Arcade Version Screen Shot.

Afterburner was released on several Sega consoles and from 1989 through to 2006, many versions of the game were released. Afterburner was available as download off a number of console sites from the late 2000's on wards.

The level of realism of the game varied from platform to platform. The master system version of the game allowed a near infinite supply of missiles whilst other versions restricted such ordnance to a more realistic level.

The whole game really centred on the F-14 Tomcat as it shot down enemy planes from the sky. On the arcade machines, if you had a missile lock the red lights on the display flashed to indicate the imminent threat.

There are reconditioned arcade machines for sale online and they fetch over £5,000 which is roughly $6,400. So if you have cash to burn and nostalgic, here is an expensive way to fully appreciate this arcade classic.

For those who prefer a cheaper way to enjoy this classic arcade game. It is available as part of Sega Arcade Collections for the Play Station 2 and the PSP. For those with a PC, finding a version of the original or many of its sequels- should not be too difficult.