Air Fortress

aka: Air Fortress: Kuuchuu Yousai
Moby ID: 11663
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Description official description

The Federation of Intergalactic Powers is under threat by gigantic fortress spaceships which have suddenly appeared and destroyed nearby civilization. When conventional defense tactics fail, the Federation looks to find a specially selected person, Hal Bailman and equip him with a special "Lightship". His mission will to be to fly through the defenses of the eight known Air Fortresses and dock at the airlock. Then he must travel through the fortress in only a spacesuit to find and destroy the central core. Once the central core is destroyed, Hal must then quickly find the emergency lightship and escape before the fortress explodes.

The game is made up of two parts. The first part is a side-scrolling shooter on the surface of the air fortress where you must avoid various flying enemies and try to destroy as many waves as possible. This lasts until you dock with the airlock. Once docked, you walk the inside of the Air Fortress at your own pace. Hal is equipped with a jetpack rather than a jump as well as a blaster weapon and a more powerful bomb weapon. Any movement or firing you do consumes energy which is regenerated by standing still. Your goal is to blow up the core and find the escape ship before explosion.

Power-ups to increase Energy or Bombs can be found in each part of the game. Additionally, Super-bombs (clear screen of enemies) and Invulnerability can be found while flying the lightship.

Spellings

  • 空中要塞 AIR FORTRESS - Japanese spelling

Groups +

Screenshots

Promos

Credits (NES version)

9 People

Director
Producer
Game Designers
Graphic Designer
  • Live Planning
Sound Composer
Programmer
Tool Programmer
Chief Map Designer
Map Designers
Technical Advisers
Presented by
  • Hal America Inc.

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 60% (based on 11 ratings)

Players

Average score: 3.5 out of 5 (based on 22 ratings with 2 reviews)

Those space ice cream cones are tough!

The Good
The setup for this game is that there are 8 Air Fortresses (they look kind of like large, fat ice cream cones) headed towards earth to take it out. You are the lone warrior who can stop them.

I always welcome games that have varying types of action and Air Fortress does not disappoint. The game features 2 types of action: First, you must penetrate an Air Fortress's outer defenses in a one-way sideways-scrolling shooting action sequence where you will perish when hit once. You gain powerups during this phase. Then you enter the actual Air Fortress where you can explore in all directions and take lots of damage. The goal is to find and destroy the main reactor and then find an escape route before the Air Fortress reaches critical mass.

I liked exploring the insides of the Air Fortresses. They were laid out well and took a lot of time to navigate, particularly in the later levels.

The game was well-designed in the way that the challenge gradually escalated throughout the Air Fortresses, starting from easy and going to impossible (you reach the impossible level before the final Air Fortress).

The Bad
I didn't like the fact that I could never get past the 6th Air Fortress, and not for lack of trying!

The Bottom Line
If you think you're good at action games, pick up the NES controller for this game. The later Air Fortresses are likely to put you in your place.

NES · by Multimedia Mike (20664) · 2005

AIR? More like SPACE.

The Good
This game was truly a breakthrough. It displayed what the NES was (and still is) capable of. However, the graphics stand out. They ROCK! The metal around you as you fly on your little ship increases. It's cool.

The Bad
??? What's NOT to like?

The Bottom Line
GET THIS GAME. This is an ORDER. If you do not listen, I will fire at your core.

NES · by Alex Baumfull (3) · 2004

Analytics

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Identifiers +

  • MobyGames ID: 11663
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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by Shoddyan.

Additional contributors: Игги Друге.

Game added January 22, 2004. Last modified March 17, 2024.