It looks like things are looking great for Sony's PlayStation Portable. Having big games released for the  handheld console like God of War: Chains of Olympus and Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G, Planet Moon's Aaron Loeb said in an interview that interest on the PSP is on the rise. Read more on this in the full article.

We can't wait for After Burner: Black Falcon. We know you are all also craving for some flight combat simulation on your PSP. Well, it won't be too long before this title from Planet Moon Studios and Sega comes out, so it isn't that bad: March 20, 2007 is the date to watch.

Anyway, the game is really going to be intense as it features around 30 missions and 19 different fighter planes. Players can compete against their friends via ad hoc in co-op and other multiplayer modes. For those who want to fly solo, there's a single player campaign that can only be described as gripping.

The gist of the game is that the terrorist group Black Falcon has infiltrated a top-secret CIA facility and stolen 13 fighter jets. You, the player, are entrusted with the mission to recover these assets before they are sold to other groups.

See the rest of screenshots after the jump!

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Update: The above article (from March 3, 2007) has images from a press release. Now, here are 18 recent screenshots from March 12, 2007 from WorthPlaying of this arcade-style air combat game for the PSP.

Over a dozen more screenshots - just click on the "Full Article" link below to see them!

Has the world gone mod-mad? First, Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception allowed you to tune some of its exotic jets for the desired effect (usually along the lines of "aerial massacre"). Now, IGN reveals the extent to which Sega and Planet Moon are giving After Burner: Black Falcon players the same option, too.

Has the sky turned into the next territory of conquest for tuner heads? There are three categories to choose from, two of them cosmetic: skin (paint job), bolt-on (akin to body kit pieces in the grounded tuner scene), and functional. Here's the list IGN supplied:

Skins

• Jungle Camo (the name's Snake. Naked Snake.)
• Tiger
• Stock Car
• Jolly Roger (arr...)
  
• Desert Camo
• Hot Rod
• Black Hornet
• Sky Camo
  
• Methane
• Deadly Cute (No, God, NOOOOOOOO!)
• Cobra Stripes
• Sunburn

Bolt-Ons - "four types of additional bolt-on pieces you can attach to your aircraft" to change its physical appearance. Each set is custom-created for each aircraft. Ever wanted a spoiler for your F-15?

Functional - upgrades to Cannon, (ground-attack) Rockets, Missiles, and Afterburner.

Planet Moon Studios, the developers behind PSP titles like After Burner: Black Falcon and Infected, has just announced that they will no longer be a PSP-exclusive developer. Planet Moon chief operating officer Aaron Loeb had noted that their move to the handheld was spurred onward by the studio's need to develop its own set of original IPs, and that the PSP provided them with a platform upon which to pour out their creative talents.

Loeb said he did not see their move to the PSP as a mistake, but the company is now simply expanding its own options with regards to game development. Outside the PSP, Planet Moon may be remembered for their works on titles like Armed and Dangerous (PC) and Giants: Citizen Kabuto (PS2).

"And we're now at the stage in our development where we are looking at again -- okay, we want to be making original IP. What are the best platforms in the industry to be making original IP?" Loeb said in conclusion.

We've been yapping about how fun After Burner: Black Falconwill be, especially with the featured in-depth customization of 19 officially military planes. So how about we finally take a closer look at these planes, eh? And that's exactly what we're bringing you today. But not only will we be shedding some light on some specific flying wonders, we're also throwing in a look at the environments that you'll be cruising through.

So, let's get started.

Ryan Kauffman, Planet Moon producer, gamely provided details on After Burner's aircrafts. According to him, they wanted to use real-world, licensed aircraft. Not only that, they also had to take into consideration the fact that the franchise is strongly associated with the F-14 Tomcat. This is where they had to balance things out, especially with the introduction of a whole new stale of fighters and bombers.

Calling it the holy trinity of the game, he identifies the F-14X Tomcat, the F-15E Strike Eagle, and the F/A-18E Super Hornet. These beauties are assigned to different playable pilot characters, but not without having their compatibilities taken into consideration. Pretty much, you can say that these three are the cream of the crop.

But they wanted to throw in some more flavas, hence the expansion of the club. Bringing in the SR-71 Blackbird (otherwise known as the fastest jet in the world), along with the F-4 Phantom II from the Vietnam-era, the F-22 Raptor, and the F-35 Lightning II, the star-studded aircraft stable is now riding high.

But that ain't all, my friends. They also brought in some "underdeveloped prototypes" such as the X-36 and X-29, as well as created their own mythical "assassin jets". Now, these newbies, so to speak, are equipped with handling characteristics and are found to be among the speediest models.

Now, let's go have a survey of the environments. To get there, just click on the Full Article link.

 

You've seen some vertigo inducing screens and the dizzy trailer of After Burner: Black Falcon. These glimpses of the game just makes us drool for it even more.

Top Gun wannabes would be pleased to know that we have another video of this title from Planet Moon Studios. The official movie features some cool fighter plane action, shooting down enemy planes and going up against ships - ground bogeys are given the same treatment. It's simple really: dodge some enemy missiles, lock on to enemy fighters and catch some crates.

Ready to treat every blip on your radar with extreme prejudice? Click the link below for the video.

Download: [After Burner: Black Falcon Official Movie]

Been drooling over After Burner: Black Falcon? We know you guys have been pining for this title for the longest time - well, since last year at least. Well, this would be coming out in March and we won't have to wait that long.

After Burner: Black Falcon from Planet Moon Studios is an arcade style flight shooter ported to the PSP. It features co-op and multiplayer modes, 19 planes, and around 30 missions in single player campaign. Gameplay's really intense and a bit vertigo inducing but hey, that's how we want them fighter plane games, don't we?

Here's a squadron of screenshots while we wait.

More screens await after the jump!

We know it feels like you've been getting nothing but screenshots for the upcoming arcade-style flight combat PSP title, After Burner: Black Falcon, but with the March 2007 release window, can you really blame us for wanting to show you guys what you can look forward to once you get your hands on the game?

Nope, didn't think so. So anyhoo, just in case it's been to long since you last got a preview of the game, or it has managed to slip your minds, here are some of the features After Burner: Black Falcon will have:

• in-depth customisation of 19 officially licensed military planes
• more than 30 missions in the single-player campaign
• Co-op play as well as multiplayer
• plane of your choice can be controlled using the PSP's analog stick

And that's not even half of it, so if you wanna know more about the game, make sure you check back with us 'coz we'll keeping you posted on the latest news and developments on this Planet Moon Studios-developed game. Meanwhile, check out these burnin' screens we have for you, why don'tcha?

Don't you just love it when your favorite classic games are ported to current-gen consoles? Makes you feel like a kid again, and you can almost smell the scent of adolescent wounds opening up as you recall being beaten up by the neighborhood bully 'coz you beat him in Contra, or say, After Burner.

Oh, funny we should mention After Burner, 'cuz that's exactly what this post is about! (Lame segue, I know.*hides face in embarassment*) As you guys have probably heard, Sega will be bringing this classic 1987 flight combat shooter game to the PSP with the help of Planet Moon Studios -- the same people who brought us Infected. 1up was able to get an exclusive look at the game, as well as details. Here are some of the game features we were able to gather from the 1up exclusive:

• more than 30 missions in the single-player campaign where you'll find objectives and missions that you'll get to replay using different characters
• plane customizations
• Co-op play (!!!), as well as multiplayer - Project lead Ryan Kaufman says, "We wanted the game to be fun for more than just one person, why not make it fun for two people? Or even eight?"

They're still pretty tight-lipped about the co-op and multiplayer modes so we'll have to wait for more info and updates. We wouldn't blame you if you get your hopes up though, seeing as how Infected's multiplayer stint worked out mighty fine on PSP.After Burner: Black Falcon is said to be slated for release Spring next year, but as we said, details remain scarce so we'll have to wait for more info to come out. While waiting for that, check out the screens below, why don'tcha?