Burning Rangers
From Sega Retro
Burning Rangers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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System(s): Sega Saturn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Publisher: Sega | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Developer: Sega CS3 (Sonic Team) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Supporting companies: Kyokuichi Tokyo Movie (animation), Sega Digital Media[1] (audio, visual materials) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Distributor: Ozisoft (AU), Tec Toy (BR) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sound driver: SCSP (1/3Track) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Peripherals supported: 3D Control Pad | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Genre: Action[2][3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Number of players: 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Burning Rangers (バーニングレンジャー) is a Sega Saturn firefighting action game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega. First released in Japan in February 1998, players take on the role of a new recruit in a futuristic firefighting organization, and are tasked with rescuing survivors and extinguishing fires in a variety of unique levels. Boasting high production values and an emphasis on characterization, Burning Rangers is one of the more fondly remembered of Sonic Team's original games, and one of few that have not been ported to any other platform.
Contents
Story
“ |
Prime Directives: Save human life It is the near future. The world has changed; the people are the same. Humanity still survives on dreams and hope. But the dreams are being forgotten, the hope is fading. It is the Burning Rangers' task to face the man-made terrors of the new age, entering the most dangerous areas to save the lives of those trapped by disaster. Their task is not only to rescue people, it is to rescue hope from the dark path the world has taken. |
„ |
— US manual [12] |
The game is set in a futuristic society in which fire is one of the few major hazards remaining. The Burning Rangers are an elite group of firefighters who are dispatched to emergency incidents to fight fires and rescue people in danger.
Gameplay
The game is a 3D action platformer with a third-person perspective played in the corridors of burning buildings and space ships. Each mission has an objective for completion, and the Rangers must also locate and rescue stranded civilians by collecting energy crystals dropped from extinguished fires. Rangers occasionally encounter hostile robots during their missions. Each stage ends with a boss battle, which include fire-breathing flowers and robotic fish. The player assumes control of one of two apprentice Rangers, Shou or Tillis. Since there is no in-game map, the Rangers rely on a voice navigation system to find their way. The player can move the camera by holding and moving the D-Pad. The player can also swivel the viewing angle 90 degrees left with and 90 degrees right with , which can be used to look around corners while running through them.
Rangers are moved with the D-Pad (or the analogue stick when using a 3D Control Pad). Rangers are equipped with a jet pack, which is activated with or . The jet pack thrusts the Ranger into the air. The Ranger can get an additional boost when in the air by pressing or again; holding the button engages the thrusters for longer. The player can perform rolls and somersaults by pressing in a direction after boosting. Rangers automatically jump over small gaps while running over them. They also grab automatically grab ledges if they fall short of clearing a jump. Sometimes a wall or floor explodes; explosions are preceded by whistling sound, and the Ranger can backflip to avoid the explosion by holding . Rangers can also swim underwater, rising with or and diving with .
Rangers are equipped with laser guns for putting out fires. They fire a pulse with . The intensity of a fire can be determined by its color: red flames are weak and generally extinguished in one shot, while blue flames are strong and require multiple shots. Green flames belch fireballs at the Rangers. Fires leave crystals when they are extinguished, which can be collected by moving the Ranger near them. Red crystals are worth one crystal energy unit, and green crystals are worth five crystal energy units. Additionally, the Rangers can charge a powerful laser blast by holding and fire by releasing. These blasts are the only way to damage enemy robots and bosses; the Ranger automatically aims at the nearest enemy. They are also more effective at extinguishing fires than standard pulses, able to extinguish regular fires in fewer hits as well as able to extinguish larger fires that pulses cannot, but fires put out with laser blasts do not leave crystals.
Crystals function similarly to rings in the Sonic the Hedgehog games: possessing at least one crystal allows the Ranger to survive damage from an enemy or fire. Taking damage scatters the Ranger's crystals, which can be collected again, and renders the Ranger vulnerable to death. In addition to finding crystals after extinguishing fires, crystals can be found preplaced in levels. Rangers are equipped with remote transportation devices and use crystals to transport survivors after locating them. Survivors are automatically transported when a Ranger walks near one, at the cost of five crystals. The player receives a continue for transporting a survivor with ten crystals. Rangers are revived at the last rescued survivor after dying (as long as the player has continues remaining).
Players are guided through each mission by Chris, the team navigator. She provides directions to survivors as well as helpful information about nearby hazards and objectives. The player can radio back to Chris at any time with or .
Environments contain several doors. Blue-striped doors can be passed through, and yellow-striped doors are locked. Doors with red stripes on the other side cannot be re-entered after they close. Rangers can unlock doors by finding consoles and activating them with when standing in front of them. Sometimes the Rangers must obtain an ID card to proceed.
The Danger Limit Readout System acts as a timer for each mission. It increases gradually as the mission progresses. For every 20% that the limit increases, the surrounding area is engulfed in flames and explosions for a few seconds. If it reaches 100%, the area is constantly bombarded with explosions. The meter is reduced by extinguishing fires and rescuing survivors but cannot be lowered past the last 20% threshold. A bar at the top of the screen visually indicates how close the limit is to the next 20% increment.
At the end of each stage, the player receives a rank, with S being the highest and D being the lowest. The rank is based on the number of survivors rescued, the number of crystals at the end of the mission (including crystals used to transport survivors), the time taken to defeat the boss, and the limit percentage at the end of the mission. Once the game is completed, a random generator mode is unlocked that mixes up the order of corridors in the game's missions, with a potential total of 3,125 unique routes, as well as the locations of switches and survivors. The player can replay completed stages to earn higher ranks and to find more survivors. There are 108 total survivors in the game.
Every survivor has a name and sends mail to the player after being rescued (which can be accessed from the main menu). Sonic Team members make cameos as survivors, including Yuji Naka and Naoto Ohshima. Claris and Elliot from NiGHTS into Dreams also appear as survivors. Sonic Team members send secret passwords and bonus pictures when rescued, including passwords that allow playing as the other Rangers on each mission. The game uses the Saturn's internal memory or a backup cartridge for saving, but the password feature unlocks after completing the game for replaying the same randomly generated missions or accessing bonus content. Passwords are given after completion of a mission.
Characters
Shou Amabane (ショウ・アマパネ) | |
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Sex: Male Age: 21 Hometown: Japan Area | |
Shou is a new recruit to the Burning Rangers. When he was eleven, he was rescued by an unknown Ranger, who died in the attempt. Shou decided his destiny was to become a Ranger and repay his debt. He is energetic and eager to prove himself. | |
Tillis (ティリス) | |
Sex: Female Age: 19 Hometown: Unknown | |
Tillis is a new recruit and the youngest member of the Burning Rangers. She is an orphan who lost her parents in a fire and decided to dedicate her life to saving others from similar loss. She is cheerful and upbeat. | |
Lead Phoenix (リード・フェニックス) | |
Sex: Male Age: 22 Hometown: Europe Area | |
Lead is the field leader of the Burning Rangers. He joined firefighting after graduating high school for the experience rather than the desire to help people but quickly gained an appreciation for the job. He is cool-headed and circumspect. His name is pronounced as "Reed" in-game. | |
Big Landman (ビッグ・ランドマン) | |
Sex: Male Age: 35 Hometown: Africa Area | |
Big is the oldest and most experienced member of the Burning Ranger. He was badly injured in an accident early in his career but, determined to continue his service, had his body rebuilt with mechanical implants. He is the strongest member of the team and possesses an iron will. | |
Chris Partn (クリス・パートン) | |
Sex: Female Age: 24 Hometown: America Area | |
Chris' father was a Burning Ranger who died when she was young. Out of admiration for him, she decided to continue his legacy. She is the team leader and trains new recruits. As the team navigator, she stays on the ship and directs the other Rangers. She is cool-headed and astute even in the heat of the moment. |
Missions
Training Space | |
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Chris and Lead guide the new recruits, Shou and Tillis, through the basics and teach the player the controls and game mechanics. | |
Fallen Memory | |
The core reactor of the power plant has been breached, and the Rangers must save the workers and shut down the reactor before the plant explodes. | |
Silent Blue | |
An accident has occurred at an undersea marine research laboratory, and the Rangers must rescue the trapped researchers and the park visitors. The Rangers devise a plan to rescue all the visitors by destroying the joints connecting the lab to the park. | |
Gravity Zero | |
Flames are spreading through a space colony, fueled by its oxygen reserves. The Rangers must rescue any survivors and determine and eliminate the cause of the incident. | |
Winged Cradle | |
The Rangers are introduced to Iria Klein, a girl placed in suspended animation and sent into space after contracting an incurable disease. Iria informs the Rangers that her ship is set to crash into Earth, causing complete devastation, so the Rangers devise a plan to stop the ship and rescue Iria. There is only one person to rescue on this mission, Iria. She provides directions instead of Chris on this mission. |
History
Development
The concept originated with the idea of rescuing people as opposed to killing them, which was an element that producer Yuji Naka felt was too common in contemporary video games. The team chose firefighters because they felt that fire was an effective way to create a suspenseful atmosphere.
“ | We wanted to create a game where you could rescue people. Nowadays, there are so many games where you just kill people. Instead we decided to make a rescue game. In addition, right from the start, it seemed that fire was the most appropriate way to create that sensation of fear and tension. So in the end we combined these two elements. | „ |
The game's characters were designed by Naoto Ohshima. The cover art was drawn by anime artist Hiroyuki Ochi. Yuji Naka has stated in interviews that Sonic Team wanted the silhouette of a Burning Ranger wearing a jet pack to resemble that of an angel.
Release
The game was one of the last Saturn games released in Western markets, followed only by Shining Force III and Magic Knight Rayearth in North America and by Shining Force III and Deep Fear in Europe.
Legacy
A downloadable mission making many references to Burning Rangers was created for Sonic Team's Phantasy Star Online. A race track based on the game, Burning Depths, was featured in Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed.
Production credits
- Main article: Burning Rangers/Production credits.
Magazine articles
- Main article: Burning Rangers/Magazine articles.
Promotional material
also published in:
- Świat Gier Komputerowych (PL) #59: "11/1997" (1997-xx-xx)[14]
- Gry Komputerowe (PL) #41: "12/1997" (1997-xx-xx)[15]
- Świat Gier Komputerowych (PL) #60: "12/1997" (1997-xx-xx)[16]
- Neo (PL) #2: "Grudzień 1997" (1997-xx-xx)[17]
- Świat Gier Komputerowych (PL) #61: "1/1998" (1997-xx-xx)[18]
- Secret Service (PL) #53: "Styczeń 1998" (1998-xx-xx)[19]
Artwork
Physical scans
Sega Retro Average | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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81 | |
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Based on 28 reviews |
Saturn, JP |
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Saturn, PT |
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Technical information
- Main article: Burning Rangers/Technical information.
ROM dump status
System | Hash | Size | Build Date | Source | Comments | |||||||||
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✔ |
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374,704,176 | CD-ROM (EU) | MK81803-50 V1.001 | ||||||||||
✔ |
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388,098,816 | 1998-01-27 | CD-ROM (JP) | GS-9174 V1.003 | |||||||||
? |
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136,446,576 | Audio-CD (JP) | GS-9174 (Disc 2) | ||||||||||
? |
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375,388,608 | CD-ROM (US) | 81803 V1.001 | ||||||||||
? |
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1998-01-03 | CD-R | Page | ||||||||||
? |
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1997-12-01 | CD-R | Page |
Track list
Game disc
1. Data track |
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2. CD Warning message (special) (0:09) |
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Audio disc
1. Burning Hearts: Honoo no Angel (4:01) |
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Burning Hearts ~炎のAngel~ |
Vocals: Takenobu Mitsuyoshi |
2. We are Burning Rangers (4:37) |
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Vocals: Takenobu Mitsuyoshi |
3. I Just Smile (4:15) |
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Vocals: Tomoko Sasaki |
Extra content
This game has extra content which can be viewed when accessing the disc on a PC.
Folder / File | Type | Size | description |
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\EXTRA\LARGE | Folder | 11,803,128 | It contains 9 wallpaper images of XGA size. |
\EXTRA\SMALL | Folder | 4,614,648 | It contains 9 wallpaper images of VGA size. |
\EXTRA\WAV | Folder | 9,187,150 | It contains 43 extra voices. |
\EXTRA\READ_ME.TXT | TXT | 58 | Warning message about extra files. |
BR_ABS.TXT | TXT (Abstract) | 1 | No message |
BR_BIB.TXT | TXT (Bibliographiced) | 1 | No message |
BR_CPY.TXT | TXT (Copyright) | 42 | Copyright |
Save data
The game makes use of the Saturn's internal battery back-up as well as the Saturn Backup Memory to save progress through the game as either playable character. You can save up to three saves on either the internal back-up or the RAM Cart.
Name | Comment | Blocks | Description |
---|---|---|---|
B_RANGERS__ | BR data | 30 |
References
- ↑ http://www.wave-master.com/wm/works/index.html (Wayback Machine: 2004-05-19 20:54)
- ↑ File:BurnRang sat jp back cover.jpg
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 https://sega.jp/history/hard/segasaturn/software.html (Wayback Machine: 2020-03-04 08:13)
- ↑ http://riehlspot.simplenet.com/vgame/new/saturn.html (Wayback Machine: 1999-02-21 17:22)
- ↑ http://www.cyberdrive.net/%7Egskalba/Releases1998.htm (Wayback Machine: 1998-12-06 05:03)
- ↑ https://groups.google.com/g/rec.games.video.sega/c/BTF3A6viv_c/m/QdKfusl77BwJ
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 GamePro, "August 1998" (US; 1998-xx-xx), page 110
- ↑ Computer Trade Weekly, "" (UK; 1998-06-08), page 23
- ↑ Digitiser (UK) (1998-06-13)
- ↑ Computer & Video Games, "July 1998" (UK; 1998-06-10), page 44
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Computer & Video Games, "May 1998" (UK; 1998-04-15), page 64
- ↑ File:Burningrangers sat us manual.pdf, page 4
- ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "May 1998" (UK; 1998-04-15), page 50
- ↑ Świat Gier Komputerowych, "11/1997" (PL; 1997-xx-xx), page 40
- ↑ Gry Komputerowe, "12/1997" (PL; 1997-xx-xx), page 12
- ↑ Świat Gier Komputerowych, "12/1997" (PL; 1997-xx-xx), page 24
- ↑ Neo, "Grudzień 1997" (PL; 1997-xx-xx), page 2
- ↑ Świat Gier Komputerowych, "1/1998" (PL; 1997-xx-xx), page 80
- ↑ Secret Service, "Styczeń 1998" (PL; 1998-xx-xx), page 14
- ↑ Ação Games, "Junho 1998" (BR; 1998-xx-xx), page 37
- ↑ Consoles +, "Avril 1998" (FR; 1998-0x-xx), page 136
- ↑ Consoles +, "Juin 1998" (FR; 1998-0x-xx), page 116
- ↑ Edge, "April 1998" (UK; 1998-03-25), page 94
- ↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly, "July 1998" (US; 1998-0x-xx), page 143
- ↑ Famitsu, "1998-03-06" (JP; 1998-02-20), page 1
- ↑ Freak, "3/98" (IL; 1998-xx-xx), page 1
- ↑ Fun Generation, "04/98" (DE; 1998-03-06), page 79
- ↑ Game Buyer, "August 1998" (US; 1998-0x-xx), page 24
- ↑ Game Informer, "August 1998" (US; 1998-0x-xx), page 60
- ↑ Gamers' Republic, "June 1998" (US; 1998-05-xx), page 64
- ↑ MAN!AC, "07/98" (DE; 1998-06-03), page 72
- ↑ Mega Console, "Aprile 1998" (IT; 1998-xx-xx), page 64
- ↑ Mega Force, "Avril/Mai/Juin 1998" (FR; 1998-0x-xx), page 22
- ↑ Mega Fun, "07/98" (DE; 1998-06-03), page 94
- ↑ Neo Plus, "Wrzesień 1998" (PL; 1998-xx-xx), page 59
- ↑ Next Generation, "August 1998" (US; 1998-07-21), page 94
- ↑ neXt Level, "Mai 1998" (DE; 1998-04-17), page 66
- ↑ Saturn Fan, "1998 No. 4" (JP; 1998-02-13), page 144
- ↑ Saturn Fan, "1998 No. 8" (JP; 1998-04-10), page 116
- ↑ Sega Magazin, "Mai 1998" (DE; 1998-04-01), page 12
- ↑ SuperGamePower, "Maio 1998" (BR; 1998-xx-xx), page 60
- ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "May 1998" (UK; 1998-04-15), page 56
- ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "1998-06 extra (1998-03-06ex)" (JP; 1998-02-20), page 187
- ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "Readers rating final data" (JP; 2000-03), page 11
- ↑ Super Power, "9 1998" (FI; 1998-0x-xx), page 46
Burning Rangers | |
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Main page | Comparisons | Credits | Hidden content | Magazine articles | Reception
Music: Burning Rangers Sound Track (1998) | We Are Burning Rangers (1999)
Demos: Burning Rangers Taikenban (1998) |
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