Aero Fighters 2

"An Airplane Shooter that deseves a look....."

Aero Fighters/Sonic Wings 2 is a classic airplane shooting game for Neo-Geo. Aero Fighters 2 has 8 planes to choose from countries around the world. The wacky pilots vary from a ninja to a dolphin to a robot. Each plane has its unique name, pilot, bomb, projectiles, secondary weapons, and speed. Power-ups, bombs, and money are the collectibles in the game. Your plane can have up to 4 power-ups to level up the look, shape, size, amount, and your secondary weapons. Unfortunately, the MAX weapon power doesn’t last very long and it disappears when you really need it like boss fights. There are a total of 20 stages; the first 10 are easy, while the last 10 are harder versions of the first ones. The shooting in the last half of the game gets REALLY intense, which proves that this game can be a challenge to veterans and beginners alike.

Graphics: The planes, minor enemies, and the humongous, tough bosses are designed very well. The “bullets” that the enemies shoot out are big, small, or able to be destroyed by your weapons. The battlefields that you fight on are well designed and have many famous locales like the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower make the place recognizable. The animation of the bombs is very well done also.

Sound: The recognizable sounds or gunfire and ships blowing up is very well done. The music in the background isn’t very recognizable as you are to busy dodging hordes of kamikaze airplanes and bullets. Whenever you are entering the boss part of the level, you will hear an odd alarm to notify that you are in a fight with the boss.

Controls: The controls are rather simple. The “A” button is used to shoot your regular weapon and your secondary weapon (small bombs, missiles…etc) and the “B” button is used for using your powerful bomb. It can’t get any simpler than that.

Replayability: Aero Fighters 2 has minor flaws that can be overlooked. The game is very fun and it will take you awhile to beat the whole game and get everything possible. Bosses change from time to time and you might find secrets you have never known to add to your high score. This game will keep you interested for a while. If you have a friend that wants to play, it doubles the fun by selecting any plane from the available planes, unlike Aero Fighters 1 where you must use the two planes from that country, no mixing or matching. The dialogue between levels between you and your partner or just yourself add to the Replayability. Wasabi2005

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/06/01, Updated 07/06/01