SONIC WINGS
(Aero Fighters)
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ソニックウイングス
©Video System 1993
Release: 1993-07-30 (¥8900)
Cartridge SHVC-HW
Shooter/Vertical
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Released in America as
AERO FIGHTERS
( SNS-AERE-USA )
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Sonic Wings (aka Aero Fighters in the west) is an intense vertical shooter by
Video system and conversion of their own arcade game originally released in 1992. Four
elite pilots from around the globe are called upon to take part in an anti-terrorist military
operation and seven large enemy installations and weapons must be destroyed. Players can pick
one of four nationalities to fulfill their missions - United States,
Japan, England and Sweden.
Each pilot comes with his own plane and each one of them is based on real fighters such as the F-14 Tomcat,
Tornado IDS or AJ-37. They also feature their own handling characteristics
and special weapons. The weapons system is rather simple and consist of one main upgradeable Vulcan
gun (and secondary missiles) and a set of bomb-attacks capable of obliterating most of the objects
on screen. A maximum of four bombs can be carried at once and each weapon can be upgraded four
times - however, the highest power-up level only lasts for a short period of time. The game counts a
total of seven stages, three of which are played first and in a random order. A two simultaneous
player mode is also available and a friend can join the party at any time.
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Sonic Wings was an arcade game released in 1992 by Video System (picture on the left) and was
ported to the Super Famicom in 1993. As a side note the American Super Nintendo version
of the game was released in very small quantities and a boxed copy can today fetch $200 or more.
A sequel followed in 1994 called Sonic Wings 2
which was converted to the Neo Geo the same year. Sonic Wings 3 was logically released
in 1995 and also ported for the Neo Geo in 1995. A collection called Sonic Wings Special
and featuring the three games later came out for Sony's Playstation (1996) and
Sega's Saturn (1996). Finally, the game was released for the Playstation 2
in 2005 (Japan Only) as Oretachi Game Center Zoku Sono 6: Sonic Wings by Hamster.
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Teaser text from the American version:
The World's hope hinges on your combat skills and sheer
determination as an "Aero Fighter". Defend the world from
unknown alien forces that are attempting to take over the
world. You must extract these unkown forces before
they can execute their plot for dominance. After conquering
the unknown forces, the battle continues into space
where the "Controlling Intellect" dictated the take-over
attempt. You must seek and destroy this evil force to
prevent it from seizing other worlds.
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Game Staff (Copied from the introduction sequence) :
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Director
T. Hosokawa
Designer
Hikihara
T.Akamatsu
Hiroshi
Kazuo.A
Yamamotoya
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Main Programmer
Kazzo
Sub Programmer
M. Tsukada
Urashita
Y.Fukuda
Y.Nakanishi
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Sound
Nao. Itamura
M.Yamana
Special Thanks
Y.Kaneda
K.Shiomi
Tomomi.M
M.Kumichou
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Click on picture to enlarge |
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Rabio, the character from Rabio & Lepus, is hidden in the game.
To select it, go to the character selection screen and do the
following button combination:
Hold the Right Shoulder Button from the first controller and press Left, Down, Right,
X, Y, A, B, Left, Down, Right, Down,
X, Y, A and B on the second controller.
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A special Boss time-attack mode can be unlocked.
To select it, go to the character selection screen and do the
following button combination:
Hold the Right Shoulder Button from the first controller and press
A, Left, Y, Right, X, Down, B and Up
from the second controller.
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LK
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Add your Pov here !
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P
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Sonic Wings turns out to be a frenetic affair. Any shooter fan familiar
with Psikyo's series of games will feel right at home (Strikers 1945,
Gunbird etc..). Sonic Wings features all the landmarks that made the
Japanese company popular among shooter geeks. The company's badge has always been an
intense gameplay and short and frenetic stages with jaw dropping bosses and this
Super Famicom port seriously exceeded my expectations in that field.
I especially like how they shuffle the first stages which really adds to the
game's replay value. The two simultaneous player mode is also a delightful option. Graphics are detailed
with some amazingly large bosses and the gameplay is astonishing. The screen is
always full of enemy planes, explosions and flashing ammo. Aside from a couple
of framerate slowdowns and a short lifespan, Sonic Wings is a game with
high production values and a distinct gameplay that will most certainly satisfy
any fan of the genre. One of the best vertical shooter for the system and
an amazing conversion. As a side note, I'd advise you to hunt down the
Japanese game, the American version is rare and insanely expensive.
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