
Having recently announced it will be adding Video System titles to its Arcade Archives series, it seems likely that HAMSTER will make the original Aero Fighters available on Switch at some point. Before then we have Aero Fighters 3, offering similar shooting action to the excellent (and already available) second title. This time there are ten playable characters to choose from as you battle through eight fun levels either on your own or with the help of a friend.
There are some new and some familiar faces in the lineup, with each choice providing an ending after completion of the eighth level. Endings also feature for the two-player teams, but unlike with the second game these teams are fixed; if player one is the ninja Hien, player two will always be movie star Mao Mao.

Aside from aesthetics, each pick offers weapon differences with upgrades adding more noticeable variety as spread is increased or a scattershot, missile or laser attack is added to the regular cannon. A limited number of bomb attacks (more can be collected) are available to get you out of tough situations or deal large amounts of damage to a boss. These too vary between characters, with some performing energy blasts rather than bomb drops, calling in extra planes to help or in the case of Keaton, transforming into a giant version of himself to punch away at the bad guys. A couple of characters (including dolphin Spanky) can also perform charged shots, giving you another option to use as you attempt to defeat the enemy forces.
Settlements obviously have more detail than a flight through the clouds, but the visuals work well and are helped by the variety of things trying to shoot you down; some regular in appearance, others more alien in design. Some aircraft, boats, tanks and turrets turn their attention to you, sometimes emerging from gaps in the scenery, other times emerging from the smoking rubble of a building you’d destroyed for some extra points. Sound effects, naturally, include some firing noises and explosions and there’s some energetic adventurous music too. Some tracks feature vocalisations (admittedly this at times devolves to simple yelling) which in general adds to the atmosphere.

Although you’ll play through eight stages en route to your ending, these stages come from a selection of 18, allowing for differences on subsequent playthroughs although it is possible to choose your path if you know what to do. The stages themselves are quite short, with one captured in its entirety using Switch's 30-second video clip function. The bulk of the time on the levels is spent fighting the bosses.
These battles are fun and frantic affairs as you manoeuvre your way through different attacks, blasting off pieces of the boss when you get a chance. Variety again adds to the appeal of these encounters with you fighting the likes of mechs, rockets, battleships and a metal fish. There are also four possible end-of-level-eight boss fights ranging from a flying saucer to a dancing mahjong tile.
The game can get quite difficult at times, not just due to the patterns of different attacks you’ll be dealing with, but their speed too. Some bullets give you ample time to slide past while others are quite rapid, requiring quick reflexes to avoid an explosive end. Offering some respite from these hectic battles are the third and sixth levels (essentially bonus stages) that enable you to rack up the points, although you are not completely safe from destruction. The meteor-like stage in particular may cause you to come a cropper, but generally there’s less chance of failure here than on others stages.

After viewing your ending, the game begins a second more difficult loop, but unlimited credits are on hand to help you out. Diving into the options menu you can adjust things such as the difficulty, number of lives and even whether a continue will send you back to the start of a level or have you resume from where you fell. These options can be used either to make the game a pushover or to customise a challenge.
For a set challenge, the usual one-credit Hi Score mode is available as is the five-minute Caravan mode. With a varied choice of characters, branching paths and various things to blast for points, there’s a lot to experiment with as you try to improve your placements on the online leaderboards.
Conclusion
Having fixed pairs in two-player mode is a definite step backward and pre-boss portions of the levels can be very short, but the action is fast and enjoyable. There's plenty of dangers to contend with and there are some options available to take out the enemy forces, adding to the fun whether simply shooting them down or attacking with a matryoshka doll. Branching paths allow for varied replays and there's plenty of enjoyment to be had from trying to improve your score. Aero Fighters 3 is another great shmup among the growing library on Switch.
Comments 26
so. many. switch. shooters. How do I choose?!
I do hope the original gets released in the future so we cna have the whole trilogy on the Switch!
AF 1 and Strikers III have got to come
@Dayton311 Don't, buy them all!
I was actually a little disappointed with this one. Found the stages far too short and the bosses no more difficult than in the 2nd game. The audio seems to be very quiet too. I'll go back to it though and take it for what it is,I'm sure I'll enjoy it more.
@Dayton311 If I was to recommend you just one, Tengai all the way. It's incredible!
There are so many of these on the Switch that one really needs to stand out for me to even consider it. I wish Nintendo Life would do some kind of survey to see what the most loved titles are of this genre because there must be at least 2 dozen or more of them on the Switch at this point.
I'd love a ranked list of all the shmups and all the beat-em ups (fewer on the system at the moment, but still). Whilst I'd likely have my own ideas as to the ordering it would prove a handy shopping list in order for me to buy every last one 😉
I own all the classic shoot-em-ups and I'd rank them in this order
1- Tengai (Outstanding)
2 - Strikers 1945
3 - Samurai Aces
4 - Gunbird
5 - Strikers 1945 II
6 - Pulstar
7 - Aero Fighters 2
8 - Zero Gunner 2
9 - Blazing Star
10 - Galaga 88
11 - Last Resort
12 - Aero Fighters 3
13 - Heroic Episode
14 - Sol Divide
15 - Galaga
16 - Alpha Mission 2
17 - Zed Blade
2 to 5 could be in any order really and you can't go wrong with any of the top 11. Dragons Blaze which releases this week will likely take one of the top 3 places. I also have Moon Patrol and Gunbarich but they're not really shoot-em-ups.
Modern shooters I own
1 - Steredenn: Binary Stars
2 - SkyForce Reloaded
3 - Danmaku Unlimited 3
4 - Aqua Kitty DX
5 - Graceful Explosion Machine
I only own 6 Beat-em-ups
1 - Sengoku 3 (Outstanding)
2 - Wulverblade
3 - Mutation Nation
4 - Sengoku 2
5 - Robo Army
6 - Burning Fight
@Dayton311 Dragon Blaze comes in two days. Psyiko's best score-chaser... Simple, intense, and pretty much perfect.
It’s funny because when I was younger I saw this game back in the arcades but didn’t know the name of the title. Now recently seeing the intro with the music and that flying matryoshka doll really brought me back. The stages are shorter than the 2nd but I prefer this one over it.
Also, better get used to that boss theme cause you will hear it a lot. Show me what you goooooootttt! Lol
and its wish list time
@OorWullie This is exactly what I was looking for... thanks so much for the opinions and lists. I will be downloading some of these over the coming weeks.!
@ACK I just watched some videos on Dragon Blaze, looks amazing! I will pick up on Thursday as well
@OorWullie I totally agree with your modern shooters list, but as for your classics: While the Psiyko shooters are great, I put their Switch adaptations below most good Hamster-published shooters since they lack online leaderboards. I find that an extremely important feature; it kind of completes the "arcade" experience.
@NinChocolate Hamster just bought the Video System library and have past experience emulating Aero Fighters 1 on the PS2, so while it's not announced, it's basically just a formality at this point and a question of when it will hit the regular Arcade Archives line (It wasn't a Neo Geo title, unlike 2 & 3). The big question mark I suppose is Aero Fighters/Sonic Wings Special, which ran on PS1 derived hardware in the arcade.
Unless Hamster has several more games with rights secured that ran on similar hardware, I'm not sure they'd invest in developing a unique emulator for just one game (Although they could go the Psyiko route if source code came with their purchase, and just port it) . But the PS1 port for Sonic Wings Special at least is available from Hamster on the Playstation Store for those still with a PS3 (Or PSP, Vita, or PSTV).
@Atariboy Is 'Sonic Wings Special' a different stand-alone game then? I noticed it a good while back on PSN but assumed it was a compilation of the AERO FIGHTERS games?
@Lroy It's a standalone game in the franchise rather than a compilation. That said, it's not 100% original.
It's basically an amalgamation of elements from Aero Fighters 1-3 (Especially Aero Fighters 2), including remixed levels from those games.
Also, while I don't remember all the differences, the Playstation version has more stages than the arcade version. So still a worthwhile download for PS3 fans even if the arcade version does end up in the Arcade Archives program.
@Atariboy Thank you for the info. I'll make a note to pick that up 👍
@Dethmunk I haven't got Sine Mora yet but if I ever see it in a sale I'll get it for sure. I've been meaning to buy Star Force but each week I end up spending too much on the Eshop. I think this week is pretty quiet though other than Dragons Blaze so I'll get it then.
I already have Steredenn, Danmaku 3 and Star Force. I don't think I need another shmup anytime soon, unless it's something completely off the wall, like Cho Aniki. But I'm in no way an expert, so feel free to change my mind
Love old Neo Geo titles like this one brings back memories for me god bless SNK.
Part way through the game, my mode went from continue to reset somehow, and I had to keep restarting the stage in frustration. It was the level with the guitar shedding monkey. Of course, when I went to reset it back to normal continues, it wanted to reset the whole game. Anybody else run into this?
@Shiryu your wish came true
@MrHeli and it only took 5 years...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrB3Z5XGZcc
@Shiryu patience grasshopper 😏 ✈️
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