the lure of the sky

i've had a nostalgic appetite in terms of gaming lately. my romps on the NES emulator have been well documented, and i am definitely in the mood for more. imagine my surprise when i popped by an arcade one day and found an after burner climax machine sitting there in all its glory.

after burner is a classic. it harkens back to the days of tom cruise in top gun and the days when naval aviation dramas were all over the place. one of my favourite drama series of all time, JAG, had the main protagonist as a former F-14 tomcat pilot. and it didn't help that i was a plane nut when i was a kid - i loved planes. you could peer into the drawers of the plastic container where my mom keeps all our old toys and you could tell. the F-14 was one of my favourite jets for it had a cool name and it was a pretty looking plane. with a swing-wing design, it just looked so freakin' cool... anyway, before i lose myself rambling, after burner came at a time when air combat was cool. it doesn't get any better (if you're a kid or a mere mortal) than sitting in a simulated pilot chair that tilts and rolls as your on screen jet rolls and yaws around virtual air space.



climax is a gorgeous game. the visuals are crisp, with detailed aircraft models and luscious backgrounds. flying over active volcanoes and beautiful oceans whilst gunning down bogeys and evading missiles and enemy gunfire, it's a real adrenaline rush. i'm particularly in love with the level called the lure of the sky, which is the screenshot on the above left. the lovely tones of blue, jetting over the ice floes and the aurora in the distance just take my breath away, even if it is a virtual environment. it's a spectacle to behold, especially while racing across the sky, barrel rolling and gunning away while trying to lock onto enemy aircraft.



can't wait to get back in the pilot seat again and take to the skies...

images taken from sega's after burner climax website and 1up.com.