Air Buster
Air Buster — frequently asked questions
- What platforms is Air Buster on?
- Air Buster was released on Arcade, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, PC (Microsoft Windows), TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine.
- When did Air Buster release?
- Air Buster was first released on March 31, 1990.
About Air Buster
Air Buster has its roots in such scrolling shoots as R-Type, Gradius and Truxton. Its two-player simultaneous action is a relatively unique twist on the genre.
Summary via IGDB.
Game details
- Platforms
- Arcade, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, PC (Microsoft Windows), TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine
- Developer
- Kaneko
- Publisher
- Kaneko
- Game modes
- Single player, Co-operative
- Themes
- Action, Science fiction
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 Genesis | 1991 | $39 | $102 | $159 | 3 reviews | Medium |
Also released on: Arcade · Sega Mega Drive/Genesis · PC (Microsoft Windows) · TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.
Collector value & authenticity
Sega Genesis · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-29
Other releases and variants
| Release | Loose | Complete | Sealed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese release (Aero Blasters) | $74 | $147 | — |
How often it sells
- Loose: about once a week
- Complete: about 2 times a month
- 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 $4.99 in Oct 2007, $50 five years ago, and $39 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2008 | $5.50 | — |
| Jan 2009 | $9.19 | — |
| Jan 2010 | $9.95 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $16.15 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $16.50 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $17.00 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $15.00 | $45 |
| Jan 2015 | $19.99 | $41 |
| Jan 2016 | $26 | $55 |
| Jan 2017 | $35 | $90 |
| Jan 2018 | $30 | $57 |
| Jan 2019 | $31 | $66 |
| Jan 2020 | $36 | $94 |
| Jan 2021 | $39 | $90 |
| Jan 2022 | $58 | $133 |
| Jan 2023 | $52 | $165 |
| Jan 2024 | $40 | $110 |
| Jan 2025 | $43 | $115 |
| Jan 2026 | $32 | $118 |
| Oct 2026 | $39 | $102 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Product number | Barcode | Known board |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North America | February 1991 | T-33026 | 021996000027 | 171-5703 · MPR-13681 S98 |
| Japan | 31 January 1991 | T-33013 | 4992410000038 | — |
- Region
- JP+NA
- Released
- 1991
- Authenticity
- Med
A fast Genesis shooter with a sturdy reputation, and a cart that sits well above the typical price.
This is the Genesis version of Air Buster, a horizontally scrolling shooter that began in the arcade and was ported by Kaneko. In Japan the Mega Drive game was called Aero Blasters. It came out in Japan on 31 January 1991 and in North America the next month.
The home port runs fullscreen, adds more detailed graphics, keeps most of the arcade game's parallax scrolling and has better sound effects. Mega ranked it 13th 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 78% |
| Sega Pro Issue 20 | June 1993 | 62% |
| Sega Pro Issue 28 | February 1994 | 62% |
“Aeroblasters is mainly standard stuff, but there are a lew new features. such as the megalasl tunnel sequence Unfortunately it's a lad easy, so I's best lor greenhorn”
“The graphics, sound and playability are all oalen, Go that low challenge factor means it can only be recommended to shoot ‘em up novices.”
“The graphics, sound and playability are all excellent, but that low challenge factor means it can only be recommended to shoot ‘em up novices.”
“Too short and easy. Just another shoot-'em-up. Simultaneous two-player is fun, but there are better games in the genre.”
How the Sega Genesis version differs
MegaTech gave the Mega Drive game 78%, praising its graphics, sound and playability but criticizing the low challenge; Mean Machines gave it 80% but said it could not compete with Hellfire.
Also on other platforms
Arcade · TurboGrafx-16
| Arcade | Kaneko |
- TurboGrafx-16. The TurboGrafx-16 port has a slightly expanded ending and a unique track on stage 2, and was renamed Aero Blasters for international releases.
- Arcade. The arcade original was published by Namco in Japan and by Sharp Image Electronics in North America.
Before you buy
Among US carts it sits above the middle, so it is one of the dearer US carts. The Japanese Aero Blasters cart usually costs more than the US one and has a different cartridge shape. It is valuable enough to check carefully: compare the board in a photo with the board listed on this page, and check the shell for a flat Western style rather than a notched one.
Air Buster screenshots
Watch on YouTube
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