Support NeoGAF

RK128 · Mar 17, 2016

This game released after NiGHTS into Dreams and Ristar, with it being one of the last games released on the Saturn in western markets. It is a game that in a lot of ways, is a sudo-prototype to Sonic Adventure. One must ask, why are you covering this when you said that Billy Hatcher and Ristar were the next games? Wanted to cover the final 3D action game Sonic Team made before moving forward for the retrospective.

However, I must clarify this; I did not play this game nor did I beat it. I had no access to this game and thus, cannot play it. If I find the means to play it, will edit the OP with more impressions. But unlike my Sonic Shuffle Thread, I know more about this game thanks to watching a lot more videos of it online and it having a lot of material to work with.

So, lets save some lives and fly!

- - - - - - -

While SEGA JP was pressuring Sonic Team to make a Sonic game for the Saturn to help sell the platform, Naka said no and let Sonic Team experiment with more new IP after NiGHTS.

So, after NiGHTS into Dreams released, Sonic Team moved on to the next Saturn Project with it being this game. They tried experimenting with more 3D elements then they did with NiGHTS and to push for effects that were not common on the Saturn.

SEGA had a hard time advertising this in US/EU and it quietly released in NA/EU mere months before the launch of the Sega Dreamcast. What makes this so interesting, is that a lot of elements from Sonic Adventure were birthed here.

Playing with water effects, a entire boss being carried over to Adventure, the killer whale that chases Sonic appearing in this game, six playable characters, core character movement/camera..........a lot of this game was a prototype to Sonic Adventure and it releasing so close to the Adventure launch in Japan (1998) is not only ironic, but fitting.

Like Sonic Jam before it, gamers got a taste of Sonic in 3D before Sonic Team's grand jump into 3D for the Blue Blur.

- - - - - - -

The presentation comes first, as it is a visual marvel for the Sega Saturn. This is fully voice acted in JP or English (depend on the region) and having visual effects that many Saturn games did not have. Transparency being a big one, as many Saturn games struggled to have that feature.

But Sonic Team made the Saturn sing and was able to push this effect to its limit. The game also has a lot of detail for its locations, animations looking very detailed and from what I saw online, the game appears to run well despite all the explosions and effects flying all over the place.

The game has a visual issue with things having excessive pop-in, leading to levels literally pop up in front of you as you run through the stages.

Burning Rangers has two presentation has to be the animated cut-scenes and the amazing music.

Anime goodness oozes from the game and just watch the opening :'). Outrageous designs, catchy music and being filled with color; it screams SEGA/Sonic Team and I love it

! It screams 90's and its something that is so iconic to SEGA :'). Amazing music and it comes back in future Sonic Team titles in clever ways

.

This was so great, that Racing Transformed had a Burning Rangers Track and a remix of one of the themes! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okTi4MmRimM

- - - - - - - -

So, here comes the gameplay and like I mentioned in the OP, I never played this game before. So, I hope I do a good job covering this portion of the game

.

Anyway the game is a 3D action game that has some platforming elements. Every character has a blaster and a jet pack (styled after Angel Wings, a choice Sonic Team made to show that these characters are 'heroes'), with one button to shoot and one button to jump/double jump.

You can dash in the air upwards or forwards, and you can charge your blast to launch stronger blasts.

The goal for the Burning Rangers is to put out fires and so, they use hoses, axes and......

Wait, they SHOOT the fire O_O!

I....guess that works XD! So, somehow, fire can be put out by shooting it and that is your main foe in the game. Different kinds of fires use different means to put them out (simple blast or a charged blast for example), so it makes putting them out interesting.

You also have rin....I mean crystals that gauge your health. The more you collect, the more health you have but if you get hit, you lose them. You also need them to help out hostages in danger, so its a risk/reward system where the less you get hit, the more people you can save.

You have a total of 4 levels to clear with one of two characters before the game is over......but there's more

. You have four other characters you can play as if you input different codes on the level screen and the levels start getting randomly generated after you clear the game once.

Endless replay value galore! It makes what is a very short game have a lot of content

. The replay value is further extended with the game having a scores with each level. Like NiGHTS before it, you are pushed into getting the best possible scores for every level and it should give a sense of reward as you get better times

. Having mastery of the game should make getting the best score all the more fun.

- - - - - - - -

Overall thoughts on what I saw of the game is that it is a promising effort to make a 3D action game and as a prototype to Sonic Adventure in some respects, its a damn good effort. Lots of fun mechanics with the shooting, replay value with the levels and the amazing presentation helps make this a hidden gem among other Saturn classics.

If you own a Saturn, the JP version can be found for cheap (but you need an Action Replay) and have fun saving lives. Burning Rangers GO!

Man God · Mar 17, 2016

This is the one game I don't understand belonging in the retrospective at all. Hell you could probably make a better case for PSO.

Billy Hatcher and Ristar at least play exactly like Sonic in many ways and NiGHTS is extremely important to the history of Sonic and his lost years on the Saturn.

oneida · Mar 17, 2016

Weird addition especially considering you haven't played the game.

it's decent, but wildly over-priced, too short, and it controls poorly.

RK128 · Mar 17, 2016

Man God said:
This is the one game I don't understand belonging in the retrospective at all. Hell you could probably make a better case for PSO.

Billy Hatcher and Ristar at least play exactly like Sonic in many ways and NiGHTS is extremely important to the history of Sonic and his lost years on the Saturn.

Wanted to talk about it as it appears in Sonic Pinball Party. And, its made by Sonic Team, so, want to cover them and a few other SEGA games

.

If you guys don't like me covering SEGA games, will stop covering them in the future.

Nakasan · Mar 17, 2016

Great write up, BR is one of my favourite games of all time. The email system was a stroke of genius and really did drive you to try and find the victims. Having a continuous email chain from some when you rescued them a few times over really was fun.

Played the smeg out of it and I'm sad it didn't become a franchise.

Seven Force · Mar 17, 2016

Kind of a weird choice for this retrospective.

Neat game despite it's very obvious shortcomings. I miss when Sonic Team did IP aside from Sonic.

RK128 · Mar 17, 2016

oneida said:
Weird addition especially considering you haven't played the game.

it's decent, but wildly over-priced, too short, and it controls poorly.

So the game controls badly

? That is a shame. I didn't play Sonic Shuffle either but still covered that.

Like I said in the OP, if I am glossing over anything feel free to correct me/let me know.

Onaco · Mar 17, 2016

Man God said:
This is the one game I don't understand belonging in the retrospective at all. Hell you could probably make a better case for PSO.

Billy Hatcher and Ristar at least play exactly like Sonic in many ways and NiGHTS is extremely important to the history of Sonic and his lost years on the Saturn.

RK128 said:
While SEGA JP was pressuring Sonic Team to make a Sonic game for the Saturn to help sell the platform, Naka said no and let Sonic Team experiment with more new IP after NiGHTS.

So, after NiGHTS into Dreams released, Sonic Team moved on to the next Saturn Project with it being this game. They tried experimenting with more 3D elements then they did with NiGHTS and to push for effects that were not common on the Saturn.

---

Playing with water effects, a entire boss being carried over to Adventure, the killer wale that chases Sonic appearing in this game, six playable characters, core character movement/camera..........a lot of this game was a prototype to Sonic Adventure and it releasing so close to the Adventure launch in Japan (1998) is not only ironic, but fit
ting.

- - - - - - - -

Overall thoughts on what I saw of the game is that it is a promising effort to make a 3D action game and as a prototype to Sonic Adventure in some respects, its a damn good effort.

Read the OP?

RK128 · Mar 17, 2016

Seven Force said:
Kind of a weird choice for this retrospective.

Neat game despite it's very obvious shortcomings. I miss when Sonic Team did IP aside from Sonic.

I covered this in the retrospective as it is a prototype to Sonic Adventure in a few ways. And it was Sonic Teams first full-3D game too (though Sonic Jam and NiGHTS fit this though, even though the later is more of a 2D game with 3D controls).

Man God · Mar 17, 2016

RK128 said:
Wanted to talk about it as it appears in Sonic Pinball Party. And, its made by Sonic Team, so, want to cover them and a few other SEGA games .

If you guys don't like me covering SEGA games, will stop covering them in the future.

Hey don't feel like we're all dog piling on you, friend. It's just an odd choice for a non Sonic Sonic team game in a retrospective, especially since you didn't play it. You do you though. Burning Rangers is a fun game with some wonky controls and is a bit short.

Theanine3D · Mar 18, 2016

RK128 said:
If you guys don't like me covering SEGA games, will stop covering them in the future.

Don't stop. I like your writeups. No one else is making threads for these dead games, but now that you are, other people who played the games are having a new opportunity to discuss them.

As for Burning Rangers... my only exposure to this one is through the theme song. It made an appearance in a quest in Phantasy Star Online. I think it was selectable in the online lobby jukebox in Episode 3, too, but my memory may be foggy. I've always wanted to play the actual game but I lack a Saturn, and Saturn emulators are not that good from what I've seen. It looks really fun though.

RK128 · Mar 18, 2016

Man God said:
Hey don't feel like we're all dog piling on you, friend. It's just an odd choice for a non Sonic Sonic team game in a retrospective, especially since you didn't play it. You do you though. Burning Rangers is a fun game with some wonky controls and is a bit short.

You guys make a good point

.

Have other SEGA/Sonic Team games I plan on covering and will look all them over before I decide to make threads on them.

Elixist · Mar 18, 2016

do your thing op. i do agree just drop the Sonic Anniversary moniker for stuff like this one tho. put it under sonic team retrospective or something

Nakasan · Mar 18, 2016

RK128 said:
So the game controls badly ? That is a shame. I didn't play Sonic Shuffle either but still covered that.

Like I said in the OP, if I am glossing over anything feel free to correct me/let me know.

Woah Woah Woah... Controls poorly? Though I won't outright refute that, I do want to challenge it. There's nuances to the controls that actually make it control like a dream (infinite boost flight, pressing down as soon as you here the pitch for an explosion, hitting jump and forward at the same time to really take off) and mastering the controls is actually a skill, one that you need to combine with level layout memorization in order to achieve great scores (by saving people and keep the fire threat level down to 0%.)

Edit: chalk me up as someone who thinks this does belong in a SA retrospective too!

RK128 · Mar 18, 2016

Nakasan said:
Woah Woah Woah... Controls poorly? Though I won't outright refute that, I do want to challenge it. There's nuances to the controls that actually make it control like a dream (infinite boost flight, pressing down as soon as you here the pitch for an explosion, hitting jump and forward at the same time to really take off) and mastering the controls is actually a skill, one that you need to combine with level layout memorization in order to achieve great scores (by saving people and keep the fire threat level down to 0%.)

Ah, so its kinda like NiGHTS, where the controls work with you the more you play with them

.

Great to hear

! Thank you for breaking it all down buddy

.

IronicSonic · Mar 18, 2016

I loved BR at the time and I'd like to see a new entry with new tech available.

Miss the time when Sonic Team puts a lot of different game out there

RK128 · Mar 18, 2016

Elixist said:
do your thing op. i do agree just drop the Sonic Anniversary moniker for stuff like this one tho. put it under sonic team retrospective or something

Okay, will do that for the future (though will have a link to the Retrospective Thread in each thread going forward)

.

Seven Force · Mar 18, 2016

RK128 said:
I covered this in the retrospective as it is a prototype to Sonic Adventure in a few ways. And it was Sonic Teams first full-3D game too (though Sonic Jam and NiGHTS fit this though, even though the later is more of a 2D game with 3D controls).

Fair enough, though I'm fairly certain the whale thing is more of a coincidence.

And yeah, the game (initially, Nakasan actually has a decent point) controls and runs like ass. It's impressive in the sense that the Saturn is more or less being pushed to the seams when it comes to this game. The game needs a remake from the ground up more than anything.

It'd sell like, 12 copies though. Not really worth the effort for Sega.

RK128 · Mar 18, 2016

Just a heads up for future non-Sonic Threads; the only games being covered now includes Ristar, Phatasy Star Online, Samba De Amigo and Pyuo Pop. They are either new IP from Sonic Team or games Sonic Team had a large role in making.

So, will cover them and they will all be covered via threads

. But after those, no more SEGA games though.

You all make a great point that this is an odd game to include in the retrospective and I agree; will ensure future games have clear links to Sonic if they aren't Sonic titles.

Might cover some select SEGA games like Jet Set Radio, Space Channel 5 and Super Monkey Ball after the Retrospective is over though

.

Nakasan · Mar 18, 2016

Theres one thing I think is missing here - which is totally understandable given you haven't had the chance to play it yet - and that is BR is, like NIGHTS, a score attack game once the main story mode is finished. Replaying the differing and random levels while also trying to get a good score can get TENSE!

RK128 · Mar 18, 2016

Nakasan said:
Theres one thing I think is missing here - which is totally understandable given you haven't had the chance to play it yet - and that is BR is, like NIGHTS, a score attack game once the main story mode is finished. Replaying the DIFFERING and random levels while also trying to get a good score can get TENSE!

That is really interesting to hear

! Sonic Team must of loved making arcadey games XD! Will edit the OP to include that information, thank you for the heads up

.

RK128 · Mar 18, 2016

Thank you all for posting in this thread! I know it might not link to Sonic, but its a cool game I wanted to draw attention to due to its link to the first Adventure game.

Hope you all understand why I covered this and I will now only be covering Ristar, Phantasy Star Online and Samba De Amigo for Sonic Team titles outside of Sonic.

SolicitorPirate · Mar 18, 2016

The greatest theme song in gaming history. Anyone who disagrees is a fascist.

RK128 · Mar 18, 2016

SolicitorPirate said:
The greatest theme song in gaming history. Anyone who disagrees is a fascist.

The theme song is another reason I wanted to make a thread for this game

. Its just sooo good XD!

TheDinoman · Mar 18, 2016

What boss from this game was put into Sonic Adventure, exactly?

RK128 · Mar 18, 2016

TheDinoman said:
What boss from this game was put into Sonic Adventure, exactly?

Chaos Three from Sonic Adventure looked like this:

You are above water and you have a few platforms to bounce across from.

In Burning Rangers, you have this boss during mission 2 (starts 6:04):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEHC3JzM3Tw

You have platforms above water with a creature attacking you. Unlike in Sonic Adventure, you can swim in the water but you still have the platforms to jump off of.

So in some ways, Sonic Team took this boss layout and idea, and carried it over to a boss fight in Sonic Adventure

.

leroidys · Mar 18, 2016

RK128 said:
Just a heads up for future non-Sonic Threads; the only games being covered now includes Ristar, Phatasy Star Online, Samba De Amigo and Pyuo Pop. They are either new IP from Sonic Team or games Sonic Team had a large role in making.

So, will cover them and they will all be covered via threads . But after those, no more SEGA games though.

You all make a great point that this is an odd game to include in the retrospective and I agree; will ensure future games have clear links to Sonic if they aren't Sonic titles.

Might cover some select SEGA games like Jet Set Radio, Space Channel 5 and Super Monkey Ball after the Retrospective is over though .

Never-the-less I enjoyed the thread. I've always been curious about this game, but the prices have kept me from playing it. Keep up the good work dude.

Indelible · Mar 18, 2016

Really fun game, one of the must play games for the Saturn. It is a shame it was never ported to any other platform and is so damn expensive to buy.

B_Signal · Mar 18, 2016

Performance issues aside I loved Burning Rangers. I always felt more could have been done with it, like the hiss you got as a warning something was going to explode, they could have utilised that more.

I always thought it should have got a Dreamcast port too, nowadays that would happen by default, but it really needed better hardware

RK128 · Mar 18, 2016

leroidys said:
Never-the-less I enjoyed the thread. I've always been curious about this game, but the prices have kept me from playing it. Keep up the good work dude.

Thank you

! I'm glad you guys like the thread so far

.

cireza · Mar 18, 2016

One of my favorite games not the Saturn. I still play it every year. Great replayability.

When I get bored of killing people in games, I go and save them in Burning Rangers (at least the one I find lol).

robot · Mar 18, 2016

Whenever a "What game deserves a remake" thread comes up, time and time again I think of Burning Rangers.

An awesome concept trapped on antiquated hardware. Would've been amazing on Dreamcast.

RK128 · Mar 18, 2016

robot said:
Whenever a "What game deserves a remake" thread comes up, time and time again I think of Burning Rangers.

An awesome concept trapped on antiquated hardware. Would've been amazing on Dreamcast.

Almost every Sonic Team title got a new version or port on other hardware (Samba: Wii, the Adventure games: GC, HD ports, Phantasy Star Online: GC, NiGHTS: PS2, HD Port) so the fact this never got a port is really head scratching :l.

I guess they lost the source code like many other Saturn titles

.

celsowmbr · Mar 18, 2016

I love Burning Rangers !

When I was a teenager I used to imagine a Dreamcast Burning Rangers 2 with split-screen and the first stage would be a Futuristic Shopping Mall...

Maybe some day I try to do something in Unity...

ghibli99 · Mar 18, 2016

This was one of my most anticipated games after loving NiGHTS so much, but it was an immense let-down for me. It's odd that the biggest things I remember were its title song (which was great), and what I think were the few examples of alpha transparencies on the Saturn in a 3D game vs. the dithered mess of most others. I thought the game ran and controlled terribly, which at that point in the game, really underscored the gap between it and the PS1. I'd love a BR-inspired modern game, though... it's a genre/idea that hasn't really been explored much.

Aesnath · Mar 18, 2016

I always really wanted to play this. Since Saturn games never get ported to anything else, I guess I'm not going to.

oneida · Mar 18, 2016

Aesnath said:
I always really wanted to play this. Since Saturn games never get ported to anything else, I guess I'm not going to.

you're not missing much IMO

celsowmbr · Mar 18, 2016

Aesnath said:
I always really wanted to play this. Since Saturn games never get ported to anything else, I guess I'm not going to.

Nights was ported twice !

Panzer Dragon 1 was ported and Guardian Heroes too !

Don't lose your faith Bro !

balladofwindfishes · Mar 18, 2016

The All Star Racing level had a cool theme song

leroidys · Mar 19, 2016

celsowmbr said:
Nights was ported twice !

Panzer Dragon 1 was ported and Guardian Heroes too !

Don't lose your faith Bro !

And Radiant Silvergun. PD1 had a PC port contemporary with the Saturn release though, and this one was used for the PDO bonus, I believe.

Heero5 · Mar 19, 2016

I played it all the way through about 3-4 years ago, I must say it's fun but not worth it's insane price.

I've heard this isn't the most import friendly game (voice direction navigation is a bitch in Japanese) but totally worth it at 20-30$ import price.

Support NeoGAF

Sonic Anniversary Retrospective - Burning Rangers

Member

Non-Canon Member

Cock Strain, Lifetime Warranty

Member

Member

Banned

Member

Member

Member

Non-Canon Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Banned

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Banned

Member

Member

Cock Strain, Lifetime Warranty

Banned

Member

Member

Member

Similar threads