Air Buster: Version Differences

This is a Sub Page of Air Buster: Trouble Specialty Raid Unit

This sub page covers the differences between the Arcade, PC-Engine, and Mega Drive versions.

Difficulty
Out of all the versions, the PC-Engine version is by far the most difficult. The enemy AI is more aggressive and relentless than the arcade and Mega Drive versions. The Mega Drive version while still not as hard as the PC-Engine, might irritate some players because of the funky hitboxes of the Blaster Fighters.

Loading
This only happens in the Mega Drive version, which is an oddity to the Mega Drive since most of the games in the console don't have loading times. An explanation to the loading times is that Kaneko used a decompression method in the game. The PC-Engine version on the other hand is definitely loading free.

Presentation
The original arcade attract mode starts with a "Kaneko Presents" screen, then it fades into the Red Blaster Fighter with all of it's side weaponry. Finally it flashes and fades to the title screen and then the High Score screen. If you inserted a coin, it shows a small cutscene with the Blaster Fighters ready to take off on top of the carrier which is absent in both the PC-Engine and Mega Drive version. Both of the Blaster Fighters show up in the introduction in the PC-Engine version, the Mega Drive version goes straight to the title screen after the Sega Logo. An extending ending only exists in the PC-Engine where the Blaster Fighters escape the collapsing fortress and peacefully returns to Earth, whereas the arcade and mega drive versions just cuts to the staff roll.