is a 1989

third-person shooter Third-person shooter (TPS) is a subgenre of 3D shooter games in which the gameplay consists primarily of shooting. It is closely related to first-person shooters, but with the player character visible on-screen during play. While 2D shoot ...

arcade game developed and published by

Namco was a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational video game and entertainment company, headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo. It held several international branches, including Namco America in Santa Clara, California, Namco Europe in London, Na ...

in Japan. A home conversion for the

Sega Genesis The Sega Genesis, known as the outside North America, is a 16-bit Fourth generation of video game consoles, fourth generation home video game console developed and sold by Sega. It was Sega's third console and the successor to the Master Syst ...

was released worldwide a year later. The player assumes control of the 21-year-old space cadet Hiromi Tengenji, a pilot training to become a member of the Space Force, who must complete each level by shooting down enemies with her airbike and avoiding projectiles. Gameplay is similar to ''

Space Harrier is a third-person arcade rail shooter game developed by Sega and released in 1985. It was originally conceived as a realistic military-themed game played in the third-person perspective and featuring a player-controlled fighter jet, but techni ...

'', featuring a fixed camera position behind the player and having similar mechanics. It runs on the Namco System 2 arcade hardware.

Gameplay

In ''Burning Force'', the player controls a 21-year-old space cadet named , who as part of her final training, must battle high-tech enemies through six worlds of four areas on a futuristic airbike named "Sign Duck". The

gameplay Gameplay is the specific way in which players interact with a game, and in particular with video games. Gameplay is the pattern defined through the game rules, connection between player and the game, challenges and overcoming them, plot and pla ...

is similar to that of Sega's ''

'', but the worlds are divided into four areas and there is no vertical mobility making the game different in its own right; in the first two sections the player controls Hiromi on the airbike, which can move to the left and right, as well as braking and accelerating - and the airbike can also fire bullets and missiles at the enemies. The third area of every world is a boss area and the airbike will be transformed into a flying ship which can move in all directions; the fourth area of each world, however, is a

bonus stage A bonus stage (also known as a bonus level, bonus round, or special stage) is a special level within a video game designed to reward the player or players, and typically allows the player to collect extra points or power-ups. Bonus stage either ...

and the player has to collect as many spheres (which have numbers on them) as possible for bonus points.

Reception

In Japan, ''Game Machine'' listed ''Burning Force'' on their December 1, 1989 issue as being the ninth most-popular table arcade game at the time. The Sega Genesis / Mega Drive received mixed and mostly mediocre reviews in the West upon the release, including 4/10 from ''ASM'', 5/10 from ''Génération 4'', 71% from ''Joystick'', 51% from ''Power Play'', and 77% from ''

RAZE Raze may refer to: * Demolition ** Slighting * Raze, Haute-Saône, a town in France * Raze (house-music group) * Raze (Christian pop group) * Raze (Underworld), a fictional character in the Underworld films * Raze (magazine), a videogame magazi ...

'', which opined "''Space Harrier'' is too old a formula to be successful nowadays." The ''

New Straits Times The ''New Straits Times'' is an English-language newspaper published in Malaysia. It is Malaysia's oldest newspaper still in print (though not the first), having been founded as ''The Straits Times'' on 15 July 1845. It was relaunched as the ' ...

'', in October 1990, dismissed the game as "yet another ... in the line of ''Space Harrier'' clones." It also had mediocre sales. Retrospectively, Hardcore Gaming 101's Kurt Kalata opined it "is among the better of 'Space Harrier''clones, partly because it's based on more powerful arcade hardware (the Namco System-II, which ran '' Phelios'' and ''

Valkyrie no Densetsu ''Valkyrie no Densetsu'' is a 1989 action-adventure role-playing arcade game developed and published in Japan by Namco. It is a follow-up to the Family Computer game '' Valkyrie no Bōken'' (1986). Players control the warrior maiden Valkyrie an ...

'', amongst others), and partly because it puts its own unique spin on the formula." '' Next Generation'' listed the Genesis version at number 93 in their "Top 100 Games of All Time", explaining that "What earns ''Burning Force'' its place on this list is level design, the fact that no enemies are repeated from level to level, and the stunning design of the bosses."

Legacy

Hiromi Tengenji went on to reappear in an advertisement on an airship in '' Mach Breakers'' (along with ''

Pac-Man originally called ''Puck Man'' in Japan, is a 1980 maze video game, maze action game, action video game developed and released by Namco for Arcade game, arcades. In North America, the game was released by Midway Manufacturing as part of its l ...

'', Prince Gil and Princess Ki from ''

The Tower of Druaga is a 1984 arcade action role-playing maze game developed and published in Japan by Namco. Controlling the golden-armored knight Gilgamesh, the player is tasked with scaling 60 floors of the titular tower in an effort to rescue the maiden Ki ...

'', ''

Wonder Momo is a 1987 beat 'em up arcade game that was developed and published by Namco exclusively in Japan. It was ported to the PC-Engine in 1989, with both versions of the game later ported to the Wii Virtual Console. The game was also included in '' ...

'', Valkyrie from ''

'', and Pitto and Patti from '' Tinkle Pit'') and also appeared in the Namco System 12-era ''

World Stadium ''World Stadium'' (full title: ), is a series of baseball arcade games that were released by Namco in the late 1980s and 1990s; they were spin-offs of the '' Family Stadium'' franchise, inspired by the 1986 Famicom game ''Pro Yakyū Family Sta ...

'' games as the Nikotama Gals' defensive half. She is one of player's

party A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature ...

characters in ''

Namco x Capcom was a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company, headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo. It held several international branches, including Namco America in Santa Clara, California, Namco Europe in London, Namco Taiwan in Kaohsiung, ...

'', where she is partners with Toby "Kissy" Masuyo, the main character of the ''

Baraduke also known as ''Alien Sector'', is a run-and-gun shooter arcade game originally released by Namco in 1985. Gameplay The player takes control of a spacewoman in a biohazard suit. Player 1 is Kissy and Player 2 is Takky. They must clear eight wo ...

'' games. In ShiftyLook's Namco dating sim ''Namco High'', she appears as one of 18 dateable characters. ''Namco Game Sound Express Vol. 02 - Burning Force'', published by

Victor Entertainment , also known as in Japan, is a subsidiary of JVCKenwood that produces and distributes music, movies and other entertainment products such as anime and television shows in Japan. It is known as JVC Entertainment in countries where Sony Music E ...

in 1990, contains the original

soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...

from ''Burning Force'' with compositions by Yoshinori Kawamoto.

Notes

References

External links

*{{KLOV game, id=7243 1989 video games Arcade video games Namco arcade games Science fiction video games Scrolling shooters Sega Genesis games Video games developed in Japan Video games featuring female protagonists Virtual Console games