Aero Fighters 3 / Sonic Wings 3
| Developer | Video Systems |
| Meg Count | 154 |
| NGH # | 097 |
| Release | Neo Geo MVS - 10/12/1995 Neo Geo Home - 11/17/1995 Neo Geo CD - 12/08/1995 |
| Director(s) | |
| Producer(s) | |
| Designer(s) | A. Ōkawara A. Sakamura Count IKuei |
| Programmer(s) | |
| Artist(s) | |
| Composer(s) | Hiroyuki Itou Norie Aoki Soshi Hosoi |
| Genre(s) | Shooter |
Aero Fighters 3 is a vertical-scrolling shoot 'em up arcade game released in 1995 by Video System. The Neo Geo home version was not released outside of Japan, but the Neo Geo MVS and Neo Geo CD versions were released in North America.
Gameplay
Ten different planes are available for selection by default, some of whom return from previous Aero Fighters games. An additional two secret characters from previous Video System games can be accessed by entering a code. Various characters can carry different numbers of power-ups (P) and bombs (B) before reaching a full stock; picking either of these up while fully stocked grants the player 2,000 points, while a full-power (F) grants 10,000.
Destroying large enemies on the ground, as well as buildings and other prominent bits of scenery, will frequently reveal any of the above powerups as well as currency icons, which change depending upon the nationality of the player's character. Currency icons are worth anywhere between 10,000 and 200 points each; picking the icons up at the very top of the screen nets the maximum, picking them up more than halfway down nets the minimum.
The game contains a total of 18 stages, of which eight will be played in each of the game's two loops using a branching system. After defeating the bosses of certain stages, a plane will appear with two destructible wings; whichever wing is destroyed first determines the next stage that is played. Stages 3 and 6 are always bonus stages; these have no boss, and will either contain enemies which release many power-ups which can be collected for 2,000 points each, or a large number of non-firing ground enemies which release currency.
The game also contains a number of secrets; both of the last bosses will very rarely be replaced by hidden bosses, who also grant hidden endings. Some smaller enemies will sometimes exhibit unusual behaviour; for example, the gun turrets in the USA stage will occasionally turn into a bust of Villiam from Aero Fighters.
In two-player mode, players must use any two planes which are on the same row as each other on the character select screen. During gameplay, if both players' sprites sit exactly on top of each other, a powerful combined shot will be fired as long as neither player uses a bomb.
Story
After their presumed defeat, the evil alien forces launch a surprise attack against the Aero Fighters' base, effectively destroying their aircraft. Unable to counter the attack, they must use old World War II-era warplanes with strange modifications, in a desperate scramble for victory.
Characters
| Country | Player 1 | Player 2 |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Keaton (F4U Corsair) | Blazers (P-61 Black Widow) |
| Japan | Hien (Zero Fighter) | Mao Mao (Seiran) |
| Russia | Chaika & Pooshka (IL2 Sturmovik) | Spanky (Polikarpov I-16) |
| Germany | Malcom (DO335 Pfeil) | Kowful & River (Ju 87 Stuka) |
| United Kingdom | Alex & Pictus (Whirlwind) | Ellen & Cindy (Fairey Swordfish) |
Cartridge/CD Shots
Sonic Wings 3 JPN MVS Kit
Sonic Wings 3 JPN Home
Sonic Wings 3 JPN CD Front
Ports
FAQs
Aero Fighters 3 FAQ v1.1 by Baby Bonnie Hood
Aero Fighters 3 Guide by Chris Kwon
Reviews
Trivia
- This game supports the Neo-Geo’s region detection system. If played on a US-region system, the title screen reads Aero Fighters 3. If it’s anything else, it instead goes by its Japanese title, Sonic Wings 3.
Debug Dip Switch Settings
Soundtrack
Game Connections
- Follows Aero Fighters (arcade)
- Follows Aero Fighters 2 / Sonic Wings 2 (Neo-Geo)
- Followed by Sonic Wings Limited (Arcade / / Video System PSX)
- Followed by Sonic Wings Special (Saturn / Playstation)
- Followed by Aero Fighters Assault (Nintendo 64)