After Burner II Longplay (Saturn) [60 FPS]
15,003
Published 2017-07-07
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Foreword: Apologies in advance if certain parts of the video show heavy artefacts/blockiness - YouTube's aggressive encoding presets have resulted in video quality that doesn't do the game justice.
It's pretty much a given that Sega were king of the arcades during the 1980's and early 90's, thanks in no small part to their combination of programming talent and unrivalled hardware technology. Afterburner was the poster-child of the arcade scene in it's day, boasting eye-popping visuals and explosive gameplay beyond what most home console tech of the day could even hope to achieve.
It wasn't until the 32-bit consoles came out in the mid 90's and the release of Returbo's excellent conversions of Afterburner II for the Saturn and Sega 32X hit the streets that consumers could finally experience the game in all it's synapse-shredding glory.
Starting with graphics, I compared the footage I recorded and compared it to my arcade longplay and the graphics are perfect. However, the Saturn version trumps the arcade thanks to running at a consistent 60 fps, even during the more taxing canyon/strafing-run sections (which appeared to drop to 30 on the original arcade version).
Looking more closely, the Saturn version boasts an improved colour palette, which is evident in the smoother gradient in colour transition between sky/ground on the horizon. This is at it's most evident when banking/turning, which causes the horizon to shift - whereas there are distinct banding lines present on the arcade, the effect on the Saturn is much smoother and cleaner.
Also ported across are the game's soundtrack and audio effects, which sound clearer, with better separation. You have to listen closely, but there are some sounds during the mid-air refuelling sequence that I was sure I hadn't heard before - having listened to the arcade version, they are present, but the balance between music and effects makes it much harder to hear them.
Crucially, the controls have be overhauled to accommodate the Saturn's digital controller and D-pad. The jet now holds it's current position on-screen when you stop moving, rather than trying to level out, allowing you to achieve your desired vector with greater ease. The ability to barrel-roll has been assigned to it's own button rather than the stick, making it easier to execute (and believe me, you'll need to make use of it!).
Also included is an options menu that allows you to configure controller setup, number of lives, as well as the game's difficulty. I rather foolishly decided to play it on hard and found it to be absolutely bananas; life expectancy can measured in mere seconds and you'll be sucking dirt in the blink of an eye (hey, it's based on a coin-op after all).
I think it's safe to say that Returbo did an excellent job on this conversion, finally giving gamers a chance to experience arcade-perfect conversions of some of Sega's arcade classics in the comfort of their living room.
#retrogaming
All Comments (21)
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Afterburner II Longplay (Saturn) [60 FPS]: Sega's Saturn console delivers a perfect port of their classic arcade game! Read the video description for my review!
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30 years old and still amazing to play.
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Played this so many times in the arcade. Awesome soundtrack as well.
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The Saturn is definitely the best sounding console I know. :-)
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man i remember as a kid my dad coming back home with a console , i was disappointed it was the playstation 1 , it was the sega master system 2 it had this game alex the kid and wonder boy . i hooked it up and holy shit i was blown away by after burner . glad i got to play sega
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12:39 If you do a barrel roll when the refuel tanker arrives, it barrel rolls with you. LOL
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How you manage to not getting shot down is beyond me!😮
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After seeing your video, I’ve come to the conclusion that you should become a PILOT!
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Nunca puede faltar Afterburner en una consola de SEGA
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is this the game that played by John connor in T2?
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I liked your review! :) Just one thing, are you sure of this: "Saturn version trumps the arcade thanks to running at a consistent 60 fps, even during the more taxing canyon/strafing-run sections (which appeared to drop to 30 on the original arcade version)" ? That would be cool. Plus you said improved colors and more handy gameplay... Well, I guess I should also compare both versions by myself but you made me want to purchase this version :)
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Fire fire
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fire
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This version is very close to the arcade version.
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8:37 outrun 🚕
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Looks as good as the Arcade version! The Saturn is probably one of the most underrated home consoles.
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Did you play this on an emulator or on actual hardware? Still trying to see the differences between emulator and actual hardware.
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i like to think you play as the bad guy in this game. I mean you shoot villages on the ground lol. Your victms think they are safe by hiding in a canyon but nooooo.
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I think this is the best After Burner port, but the only thing I don't like is that Sega used CD audio instead YMF292.
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Pero quieeee, esta mucho mejor que el 3
