Burning Rangers
1998 · Action · Sega Saturn
Overview
Burning Rangers (1998) is Sonic Team's Saturn firefighting game, in which jetpack-equipped rescuers put out fires and save civilians, guided only by a voice on the radio.
Deep Dive
In a future where fire is the only remaining threat to human life, the Burning Rangers fight blazes and rescue trapped civilians across four missions. Energy crystals, which work like the rings in Sonic the Hedgehog, protect the player from a hit and are spent to teleport civilians to safety — five crystals per rescue. There is no map: instead, a navigator gives spoken directions through the building. The player can jet-pack, swim and dive, each stage ends with a boss and a grade from S to D, and finishing the game unlocks a mode that randomises the routes through the levels.
Developer Story
Directed by Naoto Ohshima and produced by Yuji Naka, the game was made by a team of 31 over about a year and a half, starting after Christmas NiGHTS in late 1996. It was released in Japan in early 1998, in North America on 28 May and in Europe on 19 June.
Did You Know?
- Producer Yuji Naka wanted to make a game about rescuing people rather than killing them.
- It uses the same engine as NiGHTS into Dreams.
Sources & further reading
- Burning Rangers — Wikipedia
