After Burner

Sega's 1987 arcade flight shooter, designed by Yu Suzuki, puts players in the cockpit of an F-14 Tomcat through 18 stages of aerial combat. Machine guns and heat-seeking missiles down enemy jets and ground targets, while mid-mission refueling rendezvous with a KC-10 tanker keep ammunition topped up. The Super Scaler sprite-scaling hardware delivered breathtaking pseudo-3D visuals, and deluxe cabinets featured hydraulic motion seats for intense immersion. Hiroshi Kawaguchi's driving electronic rock score became instantly iconic. One of the defining titles of Sega's golden arcade era.