• Platform: Sega Game Gear
• Release Date: 1992

Game Description

Aerial Assault is a side scrolling shooting game from Sega for its Game Gear portable gaming system. You control an airplane and try to navigate your way through the game's levels either evading or destroying all the oncoming enemies. One player can go it alone or two players can use a link cable to play together.

The ship you control begins with a weak shot and no defenses. One touch or hit from an enemy unit will destroy you. If you lose your entire stock of planes, the game is over. Upgrade the plane's basic equipment by acquiring power-up icons. These icons have various effects, like shots that are more powerful or homing shots. Uncover power-ups by destroying bracketed enemy ships.

Aerial Assault's scoring system is based on the distance you travel into the game. Every second of gameplay is worth ten points, and these points will continue to pile up as you go further into the levels. ~ Kyle Knight, All Game Guide

Review: Enjoyment

While Aerial Assault is a basic, average shooter that doesn't feel like a regular shooter, it is still enjoyable nonetheless. ~ Kyle Knight, All Game Guide

Review: Overall

Japanese developers have traditionally dominated the shooter genre; every shooter classic traces to one Japanese company or another. Aerial Assault doesn't feel like a Japanese shooter, so if you have certain preset notions about how shooters should be, Aerial Assault will leave you somewhat disappointed. Nevertheless, taken on its own, the game is decent and enjoyable, despite a few flaws.

Although Aerial Assault walks and talks like a shooter on the surface, the soul of its gameplay is quite different from that of most other shooters. You do get to fly around a 2D background from a side view perspective, but everything else about the game feels different. Your ship is actually quite large for a shooting game, with a very low rate of fire. Flexing the shoot button won't do much since default only allows one shot on the screen at a time.

For most of the game, you will be shooting less and avoiding enemy ships more. This is not bad, but not what you would expect from a shooter. The game's controls are also a little quirky. They are responsive and only a little sticky, but they have an odd feel that will take awhile to adjust to.

Aerial Assault's graphics are simple and not especially detailed, but manage to present the individual graphical elements very clearly. The backgrounds are likewise uninspired in their blandness, although colors are adequate. The game presents visuals that are remarkably clear and easy on the eyes, but at the cost of sacrificing a great deal of graphical frills.

The same simplification process applies to sound and music. Unfortunately, it is not necessary to simplify sound to make it clear. You end up with depressingly average sound effects for shots and explosions, plus a soundtrack that, except for one notable spot at the title screen, never manages to be rousing, exciting or anything but forgettable.

Aerial Assault isn't a bad game. Despite some flaws, it is still quite playable and somewhat enjoyable, but it suffers from being a black sheep. It isn't trend setting or genre defining, so it has to rely on an established group of genre fans. Unfortunately, it is also different from what shooter fans are accustomed to. It is caught between a rock and a hard place, so to speak. Nevertheless, try the game with an open mind and you may find it a little entertaining. ~ Kyle Knight, All Game Guide

Review: Graphics

The graphics and coloring are simple, but at the same time quite clear and easy on the eyes. ~ Kyle Knight, All Game Guide

Review: Sound

The sounds and music are dull. ~ Kyle Knight, All Game Guide

Review: Replay Value

Everything in the game is scripted, including power-ups and enemy placement. ~ Kyle Knight, All Game Guide

Review: Documentation

Average documentation. ~ Kyle Knight, All Game Guide