Air Buster: Trouble Specialty Raid Unit

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AirBuster MDTitleScreen.png

Air Buster: Trouble Specialty Raid Unit
System(s): Sega Mega Drive
Publisher: Kaneko
Developer:
Developer(s) of original games: Kaneko
Genre: Shoot-'em-Up

















Number of players: 1-2
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Mega Drive
JP
¥6,0006,000 T-33013
Sega Mega Drive
US
33026

Air Buster: Trouble Specialty Raid Unit is a 1990 arcade shoot-'em-up by Kaneko which was subsequently ported to the PC Engine in 1990 and to the Sega Mega Drive in 1991. The PC Engine and Mega Drive ports were renamed Aero Blasters: Trouble Specialty Raid Unit (エアロブラスターズ) in Japan.

Gameplay

Pressing B shoots and can be held down for rapidfire; some powerups depend on rapidfire. Button A also shoots but holding A will charge a flash attack which damages everything on screen. Once it is fully charged, release A to perform the attack; the player must then wait for the charge bar to empty (it will display a black bar telling how much time is remaining) before it is possible to charge another. Powerups can be found by destroying barrels scattered throughout each level.

Versions

Both home ports are pretty faithful, with the Mega Drive one being closer to the original game than the PC Engine version. The Mega Drive port runs fullscreen, features more detailed graphics, keeps most of the arcade version's parallax and has better sound effects. The PC Engine port features a slightly expanded ending.

Production credits

Crew of "Air Buster" ("Crue" in the Japanese version)
  • Software: K.Matsumoto, M.Yoshida
  • Graphics: H.Yokoyama, M.Taguchi
  • Music Compose: T.Watanabe
  • Sound Operate: K.Komatsu, T.Ohkuma
  • Test Game: Inter State Staff
  • Special Thanks: Kaneko Arcade Staff
  • Total Coordinate: Y.Hojo
  • General Producer: A.Uto
  • "Air Buster" ("Aero Blasters" in the Japanese version)
  • ©1991 Kaneko Co., Ltd.
  • All Rights Reserved
Source:
In-game credits

Magazine articles

Main article: Air Buster: Trouble Specialty Raid Unit/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert in Sega Visions (US) #4: "April/May 1991" (1991-xx-xx)
also published in:
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Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert in Mega Play (US) #4: "May/June 1991" (1991-0x-xx)
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Print advert in Mega Drive Fan (JP) #12: "January 1991" (1990-12-08)
also published in:
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Physical scans

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
78 №45, p72-73[5]
73 №1991-02, p31[6]
69 №, p84[7]
80 №113, p79[8]
74 №1, p16[9]
20 №1991-02, p41
80 №15, p106[10]
60 №5, p90
85 №9, p85
78 №1, p76[11]
80 №6, p40-42[12]
74 №7, p66[13]
100 №23, p52
100 №46, p96[14]
62 №1, p18[15]
62 №18, p64
Sega Mega Drive
73
Based on
16 reviews
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
1700 igr dlya Sega (RU)
80
[16]
1700 igr dlya Sega (RU)
50
[17]
ACE (UK)
79
[5]
Aktueller Software Markt (DE)
70
[18]
Beep! MegaDrive (JP) NTSC-J
73
[19]
The Complete Guide to Sega (UK) NTSC-J
90
[20]
Console XS (UK) NTSC-J
62
[21]
Computer & Video Games (UK)
80
[8]
Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide (UK)
74
[9]
Hippon Super (JP) NTSC-J
20
[22]
Joystick (FR) NTSC-J
80
[10]
Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK) NTSC-J
60
[23]
Mega Drive Fan (JP) NTSC-J
74
[24]
Mega (UK) PAL
85
[25]
MegaTech (UK) NTSC-J
78
[11]
Mean Machines (UK) NTSC-J
80
[12]
Mean Machines Sega (UK)
78
[26]
Power Play (DE)
79
[27]
Power Play (DE)
80
[28]
Raze (UK) NTSC-J
74
[13]
Sega Power (UK) NTSC-J
100
[29]
Sega Pro (UK) NTSC-J
62
[15]
Sega Pro (UK) NTSC-J
62
[30]
Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J
69
[31]
Tricks 16 bit (RU)
75
[32]
Sega Mega Drive
73
Based on
25 reviews

Air Buster: Trouble Specialty Raid Unit

Mega Drive, US
AirBuster MD US cover.jpg
Cover
AirBuster MD US cart.jpg
Cart
Airbuster md us manual.pdf
Manual
Mega Drive, JP
AirBuster MD JP Box.jpg
Cover
Aeroblasters MD JP CartTop.jpg
AirBuster MD JP Cart.jpg
Cart
Aeroblasters md jp manual.pdf
Manual

Technical information

ROM dump status

System Hash Size Build Date Source Comments
Sega Mega Drive
CRC32 f3d65baa
MD5 972f4f683356e33b1a4a832f41a34b87
SHA-1 239636cc38a865359b2deeb5f8dc3fd68da41209
512kB 1991-01 Cartridge (US)
Sega Mega Drive
CRC32 a00da987
MD5 401a31b3db4f14820e639c7a3efbb3e6
SHA-1 64d1964c3b6293f521427d3d83e4defe363cc129
512kB 1989-01 Cartridge (JP)

References

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NEC Retro has more information related to Aero Blasters
  1. File:EGM US 020.pdf, page 58
  2. Game Players Sega Guide!, "Vol. 2, No. 3: June/July 1991" (US; 1991-0x-xx), page 77
  3. Mega Drive Fan, "February 1991" (JP; 1991-01-08), page 90
  4. Mega Drive Fan, "March 1991" (JP; 1991-02-08), page 102
  5. 5.0 5.1 File:ACE UK 45.pdf, page 72 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:ACE UK 45.pdf_p72" defined multiple times with different content
  6. File:BeepMD_JP_1991-02.pdf, page 33
  7. File:SSM_JP_19950901_1995-09.pdf, page 86
  8. 8.0 8.1 File:CVG UK 113.pdf, page 79 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:CVG UK 113.pdf_p79" defined multiple times with different content
  9. 9.0 9.1 Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, Virgin Books, page 16 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:MeanMachinesEssentialSegaGuide Book UK.pdf_p16" defined multiple times with different content
  10. 10.0 10.1 File:Joystick FR 015.pdf, page 106 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:Joystick FR 015.pdf_p106" defined multiple times with different content
  11. 11.0 11.1 File:MegaTech UK 01.pdf, page 76 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:MegaTech UK 01.pdf_p76" defined multiple times with different content
  12. 12.0 12.1 File:MeanMachines UK 06.pdf, page 40 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:MeanMachines UK 06.pdf_p40" defined multiple times with different content
  13. 13.0 13.1 File:Raze UK 07.pdf, page 66 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:Raze UK 07.pdf_p66" defined multiple times with different content
  14. File:SegaPower UK 46.pdf, page 96
  15. 15.0 15.1 File:SegaPro UK 01.pdf, page 18 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:SegaPro UK 01.pdf_p18" defined multiple times with different content
  16. 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 28
  17. 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 14
  18. Aktueller Software Markt, "Mai 1991" (DE; 1991-04-26), page 128
  19. Beep! MegaDrive, "February 1991" (JP; 1991-01-08), page 31
  20. The Complete Guide to Sega, "" (UK; 1991-05-xx), page 100
  21. Console XS, "June/July 1992" (UK; 1992-04-23), page 126
  22. Hippon Super, "February 1991" (JP; 1991-01-07), page 41
  23. Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "January 1993" (UK; 199x-xx-xx), page 90
  24. Mega Drive Fan, "April 1991" (JP; 1991-03-08), page 83
  25. Mega, "June 1993" (UK; 1993-05-20), page 85
  26. Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 137
  27. Power Play, "2/91" (DE; 1991-01-18), page 150
  28. Power Play, "6/91" (DE; 1991-05-10), page 136
  29. Sega Power, "October 1991" (UK; 1991-09-05), page 52
  30. Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 64
  31. Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 86
  32. Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 6