PixlBit

While Sega is well-known for their classic consoles such as the Genesis, Saturn, or Dreamcast, the company is also well-known for their great arcade games that were featured in unique arcade cabinets. Originally released in 2006 in arcades, After Burner Climax has just recently made its home console debut four years later in the form of a PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade release. With the exception of the unique arcade cabinet, the home console conversion is a faithful high-definition remake of the classic arcade title.

In After Burner Climax, you play through a series of linear levels and shoot down as many enemies as possible, while maneuvering though enemy fire and obstacles. Occasionally, players will encounter a branching path opportunity, to take it, players must simply fly towards a portion of the screen, seamlessly transitioning to the next level. Since the transitions are seamless, the gameplay is never interrupted with the exception of a brief screen that shows you how well you performed in the level and the mid-point checkpoints.

The game is fast and frantic; everything in the game moves quickly including enemy aircraft and weapons. While most of the time you will be defeating enemies with your gun and missiles, you also have the ability to slow down everything using a bullet-time effect if your climax gauge is full. This is useful for targeting and eliminating a lot of targets all at once with your missiles. Occasionally, there are side missions such as eliminating a stealth bomber that can't be targeted by your missiles, if you complete these goals, you will be able to earn a bonus or unlock certain things in the game.

One of the best elements in the game are the EX options. These options allow you to tweak the game through various settings, making it easier or harder. By default these options are locked and to unlock each setting you will have to perform various tasks.

For a downloadable title, the presentation in After Burner Climax is fantastic. The graphics look sharp and the sense of speed is incredible. I haven't experienced a game this fast since the Gamecube’s F-Zero GX. The audio is also equally impressive and also versatile, offering options to make the game sound like After Burner II, which will undoubtedly appeal to retro fans.

The only issue this game has is the extremely short length. If you're well versed in the game, it can take you as little as ten to fifteen minutes to beat the game. In order to make up for this, there is a lot of replay value in the game including the EX options, online leaderboards, and branching levels.

Overall, After Burner Climax is a fantastic title. Despite its very short length, the game provides one of the best arcade experiences that are available on PS3 and Xbox 360.