After Burner: Climax is the third installment in the long-running After Burner series. As in previous games, players pilot an airplane from a third-person perspective, attacking foes, dodging enemy fire and rockets, and traversing valleys and restricted passes. The gameplay is arcade-style and needs rapid reflexes. The previous games’ renowned F-14 Super Tomcat has been replaced by an F-14D Super Tomcat, including two new aircraft, the F/A-18E Super Hornet and the F-15E Strike Eagle.
A branching mission route has several objectives in the normal EX arcade mode. Sometimes adversaries must be fought, while other times friendly fighters must assist, stealth must be employed, or a specific target must be tracked and eliminated. There are two types of weapons: conventional cannon fire for close range and rockets that can only be fired when locked on. A Climax gauge can also be activated when it reaches its maximum value. Time slows down, and numerous opponents can be targeted simultaneously. As soon as the aircraft exits Climax mode, all designated targets are bombarded with rockets at the same time. Cannon and rocket fire is unlimited if the player does not use them consistently. Simultaneously, enemy rockets must be avoided by moving up, down, left, or right or performing barrel rolls. Like the previous game in the series, there is limited maneuverability but no complete freedom. The aircraft’s speed, however, can be changed.
Players can acquire various EX choices throughout the game to modify the arcade mode and make different paint schemes available: Standard, Camouflage, Special, and Low Visibility. A supplementary score mode with an unlimited number of credits is also available.
