After Burner II
After Burner II — frequently asked questions
- What platforms is After Burner II on?
- After Burner II was released on Arcade, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Sega 32X, Sega Master System/Mark III, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST/STE, Commodore C64/128/MAX, ZX Spectrum, MSX, Amiga, FM Towns, Nintendo Entertainment System, Sharp X68000, DOS, Video Challenger, PC Engine, Sega Saturn, PC (Microsoft Windows).
- When did After Burner II release?
- After Burner II was first released on October 1, 1987.
About After Burner II
After Burner II is an arcade-style flight game released by Sega in 1987. It is the second game in the After Burner series. In the game, players fly a F-14 Tomcat jet fighter, gunning down enemies while avoiding incoming fire. Like OutRun, another Sega arcade game, After Burner II came in several versions, the most famous being a large, servo actuated, sit-down cabinet which resembled a cockpit and moved according to the motion of the plane onscreen. The cockpit would bank in the same direction the on-screen aircraft was banking. There was also a more basic upright cabinet version.
Summary via IGDB.
Game details
- Platforms
- Arcade, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Sega 32X, Sega Master System/Mark III, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST/STE, Commodore C64/128/MAX, ZX Spectrum, MSX, Amiga, FM Towns, Nintendo Entertainment System, Sharp X68000, DOS, Video Challenger, PC Engine, Sega Saturn, PC (Microsoft Windows)
- Developer
- Sega AM2
- Publisher
- Sega
- Game modes
- Single player
Details via IGDB.
Reception
Every version compared
Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release
| Platform | Year | Loose | Complete | Sealed | Period reviews | Fake risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sega GenesisDetails ↓ | 1990 | $11 | $25 | $314 | 8 reviews | Low |
| Sega 32XDetails ↓ | 1995 | $52 | $87 | $113 | 3 reviews | Medium |
The cheapest way to own it loose is the Sega Genesis version ($11).
Also released on: Arcade · Sega Mega Drive/Genesis · Sega Master System/Mark III · Amstrad CPC · Atari ST/STE · Commodore C64/128/MAX · ZX Spectrum · MSX · Amiga · FM Towns · Nintendo Entertainment System · Sharp X68000 · DOS · Video Challenger · PC Engine · Sega Saturn · PC (Microsoft Windows). We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.
Prices are per version and are not interchangeable, and neither are the reviews: conversions in this era were often built by a different studio than the original, so a score earned on one machine says nothing about how another plays.
Collector value & authenticity
Sega Genesis · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-29
Other releases and variants
| Release | Loose | Complete | Sealed |
|---|---|---|---|
| European (PAL) release | $11 | $22 | — |
| Japanese release | $9 | $28 | — |
How often it sells
- Loose: about once a week
- Complete: about once a week
- Sealed: about once a year
Prices marked “few sales” rest on about one recorded sale a year, so treat them as a rough guide: the next copy could sell well above or below. Expect to wait for one to come up.
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-29.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $1.32 in Oct 2007, $11.96 five years ago, and $10.73 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2008 | $2.88 | — |
| Jan 2009 | $1.88 | — |
| Jan 2010 | $1.50 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $2.98 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $0.95 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $1.97 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $5.99 | $4.45 |
| Jan 2015 | $6.48 | $11.00 |
| Jan 2016 | $6.97 | $12.14 |
| Jan 2017 | $7.47 | $14.00 |
| Jan 2018 | $8.95 | $15.38 |
| Jan 2019 | $10.76 | $15.46 |
| Jan 2020 | $8.66 | $16.98 |
| Jan 2021 | $11.49 | $20 |
| Jan 2022 | $15.00 | $21 |
| Jan 2023 | $12.95 | $27 |
| Jan 2024 | $11.99 | $23 |
| Jan 2025 | $9.38 | $23 |
| Jan 2026 | $8.40 | $24 |
| Oct 2026 | $10.73 | $25 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Product number | Barcode |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America | July 1990 | — | 010086011043 |
| Europe / PAL | 1990 | — | 4974365611040 |
| Japan | 23 March 1990 | T-17013 | 4961997000250 |
- Region
- NA+EU+JP
- Released
- 1990
- Authenticity
- Low
The Sega Genesis version
A faithful but repetitive Genesis conversion of Sega's hydraulic-cabinet arcade flight shooter, and a cheap cart in every region.
This is the Genesis / Mega Drive version of After Burner II, the follow-up to Sega's 1987 arcade combat flight game in which you fly an American F-14 Tomcat. Dempa Micomsoft is credited as developer. It reached Japan in March 1990 and North America in July 1990, with a European release the same year.
Sega Pro called it a very accurate portrayal of the hydraulic coin-op, but thought it a bit easy, and said it suffers from too much repetition. Mega magazine placed the Mega Drive version at number 38 in its list of the top Mega Drive games of all time.
What the press said at the time
| MegaTech Issue 1 | December 1991 | MEGATECH RATING 90% |
| MegaTech Issue 17 | May 1993 | 72% |
| Sega Pro Issue 20 | June 1993 | 66% |
| Sega Pro Issue 28 | February 1994 | 62% |
| Sega Pro Issue 35 | August 1994 | 62% |
| Sega Pro Issue 36 | September 1994 | 62% |
| Sega Pro Issue 41 | February 1995 | 60% |
| Sega Pro Issue 43 | April 1995 | 60% |
“If you're an Afterburner fan, this is the best conversion you're ever likely to play.”
“All the thrills and spills of the original machine have been included as you fly your fighter through 23 missions of arcazingly smooth and fast 3D action. … If you're an Afterburner fan, this is the best conversion you're ever likely to play.”
“If you're an Afterburner fan, this is the best conversion you're ever likely to play.”
“-Whizzy graphics and thumping music provide a bit of a buzz. Gameplay is a bit samey all the way through.”
Also on other platforms
Arcade · Master System · 32X · Amstrad CPC · Atari ST · Commodore 64 · ZX Spectrum · MSX · Amiga · FM Towns · NES · X68000 · MS-DOS · Video Challenger · PC Engine · Sega Saturn · Windows
| Arcade | Studio 128 |
- Sega Master System. The Master System version gives the player unlimited missiles, unlike the arcade game's limited supply of heat-seekers.
How the other versions reviewed
| Windows | Computer Gaming World | 4.5/5 |
| Sega Master System | Computer Gaming World | Positive |
| ZX Spectrum | Crash | 86% |
| Arcade | Computer and Video Games | Positive |
| Sega Master System | Computer and Video Games | 9/10 |
| ZX Spectrum | Sinclair User | 90% |
| Arcade | The Games Machine | Positive |
| Arcade | Sinclair User | 8/10 |
| Arcade | Your Sinclair | Positive |
| Commodore 64 | Zzap!64 | 17% |
| Sega Master System | Console XS | 85% |
| Arcade | Top Score | Positive |
These are the other versions’ scores, not this one’s. Ports of this era were frequently built by different studios, so they do not transfer.
Before you buy
Among US carts it sits below the middle. The European cart usually costs about the same loose and a little less complete. The Japanese cart usually costs a little less loose and a little more complete, and it is a different cartridge shape, so check a Western console can take it. A complete US copy means the case, cartridge and manual.
Collector value & authenticity
Sega 32X · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-11-02
Other releases and variants
| Release | Loose | Complete | Sealed |
|---|---|---|---|
| European (PAL) release (After Burner Complete) | $81 | $113 | — |
| Japanese release (After Burner Complete) | — | $65 | — |
How often it sells
- Loose: about once a week
- Complete: about once a week
- Sealed: about 2 times a year
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-11-02.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $9.00 in Apr 2008, $55 five years ago, and $52 as of Nov 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2009 | $2.44 | — |
| Jan 2010 | $5.28 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $8.50 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $9.99 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $16.99 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $14.97 | $25 |
| Jan 2015 | $17.44 | $30 |
| Jan 2016 | $22 | $31 |
| Jan 2017 | $26 | $32 |
| Jan 2018 | $30 | $41 |
| Jan 2019 | $36 | $48 |
| Jan 2020 | $35 | $55 |
| Jan 2021 | $42 | $57 |
| Jan 2022 | $49 | $105 |
| Jan 2023 | $49 | $100 |
| Jan 2024 | $44 | $89 |
| Jan 2025 | $41 | $71 |
| Jan 2026 | $50 | $100 |
| Nov 2026 | $52 | $87 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Nov 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Product number | Barcode | Known board | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North America | January 1995 | 84507 | 010086845075 | 171-6884A | — |
| Europe / PAL | January 1995 | 84507-50 | — | — | — |
| Japan | 13 January 1995 | GM-4006 | — | 171-6884A | ¥4,980 |
- Region
- NA+EU+JP
- Released
- 1995
- Authenticity
- Med
The Sega 32X version
A near-faithful 32X take on Sega's flight shooter that mostly rewards players who have never met the Genesis version.
This is the 32X version, known as After Burner Complete in Japan and Europe and developed by Rutubo Games. It converts After Burner II, Sega's arcade combat flight game.
GamePro was not sold on the upgrade. Its reviewer found the graphics, sound and gameplay all great, but said the only difference from the Genesis version of After Burner II was some minor graphical and audio enhancement, which made it worthwhile mainly for someone who had never played an After Burner game.
How it was made
Rutubo Games developed the 32X port.
What the press said at the time
| Next Generation Issue 2 | February 1995 | *** |
| GameFan | 232/300 | |
| GamePro | 15.5/20 |
“But for a taste of nostalgia, Afterburner comes up with the (albeit ludicrously overpriced) goods.”
Undated scores are from the review table in the game's Wikipedia article, limited to reviews of the 32X version.
Also on other platforms
Genesis · Arcade · Master System · Amstrad CPC · Atari ST · Commodore 64 · ZX Spectrum · MSX · Amiga · FM Towns · NES · X68000 · MS-DOS · Video Challenger · PC Engine · Sega Saturn · Windows
How the other versions reviewed
| Windows | Computer Gaming World | 4.5/5 |
| Sega Master System | Computer Gaming World | Positive |
| ZX Spectrum | Crash | 86% |
| Arcade | Computer and Video Games | Positive |
| Sega Master System | Computer and Video Games | 9/10 |
| ZX Spectrum | Sinclair User | 90% |
| Arcade | The Games Machine | Positive |
| Arcade | Sinclair User | 8/10 |
| Arcade | Your Sinclair | Positive |
| Commodore 64 | Zzap!64 | 17% |
| Sega Master System | Console XS | 85% |
| Arcade | Top Score | Positive |
These are the other versions’ scores, not this one’s. Ports of this era were frequently built by different studios, so they do not transfer.
Before you buy
This is one of the pricier US 32X carts, above the middle of the pack, so ask for a photo of the label and of the board before you pay. The European cartridge usually costs noticeably more than the US one, loose and complete, while a complete Japanese copy usually costs somewhat less than a complete US one.
After Burner II screenshots
Watch on YouTube
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