After Burner is a high-speed arcade combat flight simulator released by Sega in 1987. Strap into the cockpit of an F-14 Tomcat and take to the skies in this fast-paced, pseudo-3D rail shooter. Designed by Yu Suzuki, the game is renowned for its smooth sprite-scaling technology and adrenaline-fueled gameplay, demanding rapid reflexes to dodge incoming fire and lock onto waves of enemy aircraft.
How to Play
Your objective is to survive through 18 stages of relentless aerial combat. The F-14 automatically flies forward, leaving you to control its pitch and roll while targeting enemies. Use the joystick (mapped to arrow keys in your browser) to maneuver your jet. Fire your vulcan cannons with the primary button (Z) and launch lock-on missiles with the secondary button (X). Missiles are limited, but you will occasionally be restocked during mid-air refueling sequences.
Tips
- Keep moving: Flying in straight lines makes you an easy target. Perform barrel rolls by quickly pushing hard in one direction to break enemy missile locks.
- Conserve your missiles: Save your lock-on missiles for large enemy formations or targets that are hard to track. The vulcan cannon is often sufficient for individual fighters in your immediate path.
- Listen for warnings: Pay close attention to the lock-on warning sound. As soon as you hear it, evade immediately, as enemy missiles travel extremely fast and leave little room for error.

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