In Sega’s 1987 arcade game After Burner, the player pilots an F-14 Tomcat.
After Burner is a fast combat-flight arcade game in which the player takes control of the American Grumman F-14 Tomcat. The aircraft launches from an aircraft carrier and engages enemy planes using guns and missiles. The game emphasizes speed, dramatic camera movement and quick target selection rather than realistic flight simulation.
Sega released After Burner in 1987, and deluxe versions used a moving cabinet that tilted and rotated with the action. The F-14 choice connected the game to the aircraft’s strong public profile, which had grown further through popular culture in the 1980s. After Burner is distinct from Sega’s earlier Hang-On: it is an aerial combat game, not a motorcycle racer.