
	Platform Saturn Genre Action Publisher Sega Developer Sonic Team ETA 1998
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Burning Rangers

Of all the games to come out for the Saturn, one of my favorites to come out for it was Burning Rangers. It certainly carved out a niche for itself in how it portrayed a group of futuristic firefighters putting out blazes, one of the few really threats to civilization in this future world. Sadly, the game never really caught on, so it was relegated to cult status, but it was a rock solid experience for gamers toward the end of the Saturn's life.

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Burning Rangers wasn't a terribly long game, with players having their choice of two rookie members of the Burning Rangers firefighting team to play as. With only four missions at the onset of the game, it didn't take long for one to complete its main portion. These missions ranged from putting out fires near explosive tanks, rescuing people in an underwater installation, and going

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up to a space station to put out a fire. While these didn't take long to finish, the combination of putting out fires and rescuing those trapped in the blazes, all while avoiding danger one's self, proved surprisingly entertaining. Helping to extend the enjoyment of the game was that a random dungeon generator opened up after finishing the main campaign, providing players with a seemingly limitless number of adventures to embark on in Burning Rangers. On top of this, other members of the Burning Rangers team could be unlocked over time, giving players a little more variety in how they chose to deal with these fires.

While the game was met with mixed reviews from critics, Burning Rangers did become a favorite with some of the more hardcore members of the Saturn's player base. Unfortunately, by the time the game came out, the Saturn was in its waning months, so not all that many people were even playing it anymore, and as such, the game did not sell all that well, which may help explain why there was never a sequel for it as well. Since the game's release, though, Sonic Team has on occasion made references to Burning Rangers in their other games, particularly throughout their Phantasy Star Online series.

It's a pity that the game couldn't have gone on to be the start of a great series. Nonetheless, Burning Rangers is by far one of my favorite Saturn games, and one well worth checking out for classic gamers looking for some of Sega's more

obscure offerings.

Mr. Nash
November 28, 2010