After Burner: Black Falcon doesn't stray that far from the original game's style of play, as gamers fly through each level blasting everything in sight. This may disappoint those looking for something akin to Namco Bandai's deeper Ace Combat franchise, as Black Falcon stays "on rails". This means the player stays on a pre-destined path, with the game limiting their control to on-screen movement. No worries, though -- what the game lacks in free-flowing control, it makes up for with white-knuckle action.

In the game, players choose from three different pilots, each with their own personalities and skills. This team has been assigned to bring down a terrorist organization known as the Black Falcon. These determined criminals steal sixteen prototype jets from a military base, and the government authorizes the pilots to bring them down at all costs before the aircraft can be sold on the black market. Throughout the game's twenty-four levels, gamers encounter each of these planes through boss encounters, eventually leading to a final showdown with Black Falcon's shadowy leader.

Planet Moon does exceptional work with the game play. Players shoot guns and fire off missiles at ground and air targets with ease using clearly marked blue and green targeting icons. Shooting down a group of jets earns a combo bonus, with a parachuted box appearing shortly after their destruction. Upon pick-up, missiles restock, time gets added to the clock or the player enters a temporary slow-down mode. This grants the pilot the chance to concentrate more on targets. They can also execute defensive barrel rolls by pressing the triangle button -- a welcome change of pace from the old style, where the player had to roll back and forth to pull it off quickly.

Throughout the game, players acquire a number of jets, along with customizable skins to slap onto them. It adds to Black Falcon's replay value, letting gamers go back through levels with a fully decked out plane in an attempt to achieve higher scores. Planet Moon also gets bonus points for sprinkling Black Falcon with little doses of humor, such as allowing people to save cute little bunnies.