I've been waiting quite a while for After Burner Climax to come to a home console. Back when it first appeared in 2006, I really wanted to play it, but wasn't prepared to go on a road trip to the nearest arcade, so I let many opportunities slip through my fingers. Hypocrite? I don't think so; I knew I'd get to play it eventually. In fact, the first time I did was in Japan last year, but with glitchy graphics -- a bittersweet experience, but enjoyable nonetheless. So I was elated to find out that Sega was finally bringing Climax to Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network. Better yet, I wasn't let down.
Climax effectively operates as a high-def remake of the original After Burner games: a breakneck shoot-em-up where you take a lone fighter jet through a variety of locales, from oceans to grasslands to narrow canyons. After Burner always played a bit like Sega's other classic Yu Suzuki-created arcade game, OutRun: You dash through a level, reach the proverbial fork in the road where you can choose between two levels, then continue branching left or right until you reach the final level and claim victory. Simple, smooth, and above all, fast. Climax adds one big feature to the formula: a bullet time-like defensive technique called Climax Mode. While in Climax mode, time slows, and you're able to sweep your reticule over any visible enemies (more than you can normally) lock onto them, then send indefensible missiles their way. It can be super-helpful when you feel outgunned, but the meter depletes quickly once activated, and you can find yourself only locking on to one or two enemies because you weren't positioned quite right.
