View All (7)

How does it actually play? Black Falcon is a fast-paced shooter like the arcade original. The enemies that you’ll encounter include the normal fighter jets and anti-aircraft vehicles from the ground. If that isn’t enough, there are battleships and submarines that join in on the warfare and make things even more interesting. The combat is indeed action-packed, so learning combos is a must. When you execute the combos correctly, power-ups are provided for rewards. The power-ups come in the form of crates that need to be blasted open. These power-ups help with repairing your jet while in combat or even providing players with more missiles to fire away at the opposition.

The best feature about Black Falcon has to be the controls. They handle beautifully and keep the game from constantly becoming too frustrating. Players should have no trouble navigating through canyons and dodging obstacles. Also, add to the fact that dog fighting is done with perfection on the PSP and executing barrel rolls is done with ease, AB: BF’s controls are solid.

What AB: BF doesn’t have going for it is the slow start that occurs. The game begins with only a few select fighter jets to choose from. But, don’t let the rough beginning turn you away from playing through the rest of the game. Players are able to purchase new planes with points they earn from the missions and use them as money. If they’re not satisfied with the planes they already have, they can upgrade them with better missiles and weapons.

For added replay value, there are secondary objectives to complete. The secondary objectives will provide more cash for the players that are in dire need of finding a new plane to pilot. The diversity of levels is minimal; midway through the story I ran across all the same objectives that I fulfilled in the past, but they occurred in a different order and within a new level. Each level feels way too similar to the one before it – the repetition holds back AB: BF from being a great title.