Burning Rangers is a video game developed by Sonic Team for the Sega Saturn. The player takes on the role of a new recruit to the futuristic firefighting organization of the title, and must explore locations where various emergencies have taken place, extinguishing fires and rescuing survivors.

The game is set in a futuristic society in which fire is one of the few major hazards remaining. The Burning Rangers are an elite group of firefighters who have been formed to help cope with such emergencies. The core members of the team are Chris Partn, Big Landman and Lead Phoenix (also known as Reed); as well as two new recruits, Shou Amabane and a woman called Tillis. The latter two are the only characters playable initially, although the others may be unlocked through the use of a password feature. Other major characters within the game include Iria Klein and Neal Belmondo, and there are many cameo appearances from Sonic Team staff including Yuji Naka and Naoto Ohshima.

The game is notable for its random level generation system, which is unlocked after completing the game once. To help the player find their way around these unfamilar stages, a navigation system was included - at any time, the player may radio back to Chris, who will provide helpful information about nearby hazards and objectives.

Released in early 1998 to mixed reviews and a dwindling number of Saturn owners, to date the title has not received a sequel. However, a downloadable mission making many references to Burning Rangers was created for Sonic Team's Phantasy Star Online.

The game's characters were designed by Hiroyuki Ochi. Sonic Team have stated in interviews that they intended the silhouette of a Burning Ranger wearing their "Burneer Unit" jet-pack to resemble that of an angel.

Trivia

• The voice cast of the Japanese version is comprised entirely of big name seiyuu - pop stars who are usually adept at both singing and acting.
• The game was possibly influenced by the popular Super Sentai genre.

References

1. "Angel Island Interviews - 08 May 1998" An interview with Sonic Team which first appeared in Sega Saturn Magazine

During a one player quest in Sonic Team's Phantasy Star Online , a song from Burning Rangers plays as the character puts out fires.

External links

• The Burning Rangers page of The GHZ, a general Sonic Team fan site.

1998 computer and video games | Sega Saturn games | Third-person shooters