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3D After Burner 2: M2's quest for port perfection
"Arcade-perfect" is a term that was bandied about in the '80s and '90s as developers struggled to port state-of-the-art arcade games to significantly less powerful console hardware. Compromises were made, features were removed, and many ports that were billed as "arcade-perfect" still needed to be scaled back quite a bit compared to their cabinet counterparts. These days, consoles boast enough horsepower to emulate classic games at a software level - virtually recreating arcade hardware in order to run original programming code, rather than porting graphics, sound, and gameplay components from scratch. Purists argue, however, that straightforward emulation lacks a certain appeal specific to original hardware. Playing the classic racer Daytona USA using an Xbox 360 controller, for instance, is a vastly different experience compared to sitting in the cockpit of the original arcade cabinet and gripping a force feedback-equipped steering wheel that fights you at every turn. Arcade-perfect ports still elude many publishers. Japanese porting studio M2, however, sets its sights higher than mere perfection. M2's 3D After Burner 2, released in the Nintendo 3DS eShop in North America this week, is more than an arcade-perfect port. Not only does it make great strides toward simulating the look and feel of a classic arcade game, but it also improves on the game's original design in ways that its creators planned but never fully achieved. The result is perhaps the first "complete" look at After Burner 2 as it was originally envisioned, and it's a rare treat for classic gaming enthusiasts.
New Nintendo eShop releases: Get ready, it's 3D After Burner 2
Rrrrrrrr... Vroooooooooooom! Whooooooooom! Fire! Boom! Fire! Boom! Whooooooooooom! Thwoooooooosh! Fire! Boom! Beep beep beep! Be careful! Wooooooooooooooosh! BOOM! Fine... we'll put down our arm-wings and stop running around the room, but only to tell you 3D After Burner 2 is out on the eShop today. The latest in Sega's 3D-enhanced Classics range includes 23 stages, new difficulty settings, visual additions like smoke transparency, and multiple arcade cabinet styles. Also, there's a new "special mode" that's unlocked after you beat the game. In it, shooting down planes builds up a meter that, when full, lets you slow down time to avoid attacks and take down foes with ease. So it's a bit like the Climax Gauge in After Burner Climax, or Neo in The Matrix. Whichever you prefer. Alright, that's too much time not playing Human After Burner. Don't worry, we've included the full list of new eShop releases below the break and you'll find all the new eSales here. Get ready! Whoooooooooooooooooosh!
3D After Burner 2 simulates multiple arcade cabinet styles
If your memories of Sega's classic arcade shoot-'em-up After Burner 2 are tied to one of the game's many unique cabinet styles, a new port for the Nintendo 3DS will hit you with an unexpected wave of nostalgia. The upcoming 3D After Burner 2 will simulate all of the game's arcade cabinet variations, porting studio M2 revealed as part of an ongoing interview series this week. "The game had a number of arcade cabinet variations, starting with the 'Double Cradle' (moved both forward/backward and left/right) and the 'Single Cradle' (moved left/right)," the article reads. "More variations were released later, including 'Sit-down' and 'Upright' variations." Footage demonstrating the "Double Cradle" variant is available here. 3D After Burner 2 will simulate any of these machines at the player's option, surrounding the gameplay screen with cabinet artwork and flickering lights that indicate incoming enemy attacks. Another option simulates cabinet movement, tilting the emulated gameplay screen at appropriate angles according to player flight paths. M2 previously simulated arcade cabinet aesthetics and motion in last year's 3DS ports of Space Harrier and Super Hang-On. 3D After Burner 2 will launch for the Nintendo 3DS eShop in North America this Thursday, January 15. [Image: Sega]
3D After Burner 2 locked-on to hit 3DS eshop next week
Sega's next wave of 3D-enhanced Classics looks set to begin January 15 with After Burner 2, going by new eShop listings. Nintendo's storefronts in North America and Europe have the arcade air fighter down for that date, though Sega's yet to make any announcements. We've reached out to the publisher to confirm the ETA for some top-gunning action. According to its eShop description After Burner 2 includes 23 stages and comes with a selection of "real arcade cabinets," new difficulty settings, new graphical options, and the standard Classics addition of stereoscopic 3D. Also, if you beat all 23 stages you unlock an extra mode that features "even more gameplay enhancements."
After Burner 2 leads Sega's second set of 3DS classics next year
Sega announced plans to re-release five games from its catalog on 3DS in 2015, the publisher announced today. The next set of "3D Classics" from Sega will reach North America and Europe next year, starting with After Burner 2 in early 2015. Sega plans to issue one game every month from that point on, each priced at $5.99 (£4.49 / €4.99) on Nintendo's 3DS eShop. Though it did not list the order in which the games will appear on the eShop, the other four games getting the 3D relaunch treatment are Fantasy Zone, Fantasy Zone 2, OutRun and Thunder Blade. The first set of 3D Classics launched in late November 2013 and included games like Sonic the Hedgehog, Altered Beast, Ecco the Dolphin and Shinobi 3. Games in the 3D Classic catalog such as Space Harrier feature additional game settings that allow players to optimize the difficulty, number of lives and other bonus functions, improving on the original games. [Image: Sega]
