Game of the Day 3/18/2016: Burning Force

[celerystalker]

Burning Force for the Sega Genesis is a port of a Namco arcade game that was in the style of Sega's Super Scaler shooters, most notably Space Harrier. As a young blue-haired cadet, Hitomi, you must complete a week of combat in order to graduate. The overall look and feel is very much like that of Space Harrier, as you race forward into the screen, dodging enemies and obstacles, gunning down the opposition, and killing bosses.

Each day of training is in three main areas, followed by a bonus stage. The first two areas are fought on a jet bike of sorts, and, unlike Space Harrier, it can only move left and right while speeding up or slowing down. After beating the miniboss at the end of each, you are picked up for briefing on a boss battle, and you take off in a jet fighter for area 3. These are almost exactly Space Harrier, with full range of motion, and culminate in a big boss battle. Clear this, and you are rewarded with bonus stages in which you collect orbs with varying point values. At 100,000, you gain an extra life.

You have three different shot powerups to grab, which can either increase the width of your range, destructive power, or both modestly. There are also a couple of types of missiles, which are situationally useful. Lose a life, though, and you lose your powerups, so you should try to stay alive at all costs... no shit, right?

Burning Force executes its scrolling effect beautifully, doing 3D motion as well as any Genesis game I've seen, and it's fast. The Genesis isn't so awesome at sprite scaling, but it does a pretty solid job all the same... though I kinda wish this was a 32X game, where it probably would have gone from looking pretty great to incredible. Music's pretty good as well.

I like Burning Force for the same reasons as I like Sega's scalers. It's fast, crisp arcade action executed at a high level. If you're a Space Harrier or Galaxy Force fan, this ought to be one you play. It's good.

Played it?

[Niku-Sama]

I have not played this and I am going to apologize in advance for what I am about to say but it has to be said....



THERES A BURNING FORCE IN MY PANTS!!!

[celerystalker]

I have not played this and I am going to apologize in advance for what I am about to say but it has to be said....



THERES A BURNING FORCE IN MY PANTS!!!

I guess the question is, is it a force for good, like a massive post-constipation dump, or a force for evil, like the erection snuck in during the wedding in The Little Mermaid?

Either way, you should play this game, but it may be difficult if you're saddled with a massive boner.

[Tanooki]

They don't call it a joystick for no reason at all, and I'm sure a cream or pill would solve that problem.

Galaxy Force I used to really be into, was fun stuff while it lasted but never cared for Space Harrier much for whatever reason. I guess I can keep an eye out for this one on Genesis if it pops up locally. I'm trying to really greatly limit game buying on ebay, in particular with consoles, slightly less so with Gameboy stuff if I really want it (or want it back.)

[Dire 51]

Got to throw in some love for Burning Force, because it's such a great game. It came along just when I needed another Space Harrier-style game, and it delivered in spades. It remains a permanent fixture in my Genesis/MD collection.