History VideoGame / AirforceDelta

Often referred to as the {{Dueling Game|s}} and Creator/{{Konami}}'s response to the ''VideoGame/AceCombat'' series, it enjoyed success on the UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast, but less so on the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 due to competition with the aforementioned. For the most part, it was considered inferior to the ''Ace Combat'' games due to inferior handling performance of many of its early game aircraft, [[DamnYouMuscleMemory a vastly different default control scheme]] (correctable with the fully customizable control settings), and [[LargeHam hammy]] [[HamAndCheese voice]] [[HamToHamCombat acting]].

There are four games in the series: the original ''Airforce Delta'' on Dreamcast, ''Airforce Delta Storm'' with versions on UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}} and UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance, and ''Airforce Delta Strike'' on [=PS2=]. All three games feature the same basic gameplay but different plots.

One of the launch games of the UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast, ''Airforce Delta'' is mostly notable for being an incredibly blatant ripoff of ''VideoGame/AceCombat2'', featuring identical HUD graphics and gameplay structure, as well as ''very'' similar missions and flight model. However, it's still a fairly fun game on its own, if very unoriginal.

* UsefulNotes/ConsoleWars: The series started on the Dreamcast, then went to Xbox for ''Storm'' and finished on [=PS2=] with ''Strike''.

* CellShading: The enemies and props in the "Where Are We?" level are cell-shaded.

* SamusIsAGirl: The (nameless, [[spoiler:almost-]][[HeroicMime non-speaking]]) protagonist is revealed to be a woman at the very end of the credits. [[spoiler:The opening cutscene of the very first mission, however, contains a miss-if-you-blink hint via a single-word radio call.]]

* PalBonus: The later-released Japanese and PAL versions added several new planes, and the mission "Attack of the Tyrant" was made more polished and difficult:
** In the updated version, the player flies over the Allied Force fleet before it's destroyed in the cutscene.
** There is now a visible timer on-screen indicating the Tyrant's next attack, as well as a robotic voice talking about its charging level. In the original version, there's no indicator of if/when the Tyrant is going to fire beside the squadron leader telling the player that "it's going to fire" one minute before it does.
** The "Tyrant Towers" fire highly damaging laser beams; in the original version, they did nothing except move up and down.

* WeaponOfChoice: Jamie's prop planes.
* WeDoTheImpossible: Delta Squadron.

* RareVehicles: Many proposed, prototype and proof-of-concept aircraft, along with several examples of Chinese variants of Russian aircraft that most other arcade flight sims ignore in favor of the Russian originals.

* AirstrikeImpossible: Strike particularly has this ''[[UpToEleven in spades!]]''

* HighAltitudeBattle: Taken UpToEleven with a pair of back-to-back missions that involve fighting at particularly high altitudes to a) destroy the enemy space elevator that moved reinforcements from space to earth, and b) destroy the falling fragments of said elevator to prevent major damage to the city below.

* StupidSexyFlanders: Most of the male characters have have physiques more in line with professional body-builders or fitness instructors than pilots. It could be MrFanservice turned UpToEleven if not for being able to legitimately ask if [[MostGamersAreMale any women have ever played the game]].

* WorldOfHam: Part of the fun of Strike is that through the entire game, the ham will give ProfessionalWrestling [[UpToEleven a run for its money!]]

* KaizoTrap: Deliberately averted, in opposition to ''Ace Combat 2''. Crashing during the victory fanfare will just make the game skip directly to the victory screen without punishing you for it. Good, too, because the game likes to make your plane do a sort of celebratory flight rather than just gaining altitude after a mission... and sometimes, it can't tell if its intended flight path will cause it to crash into the ground.

There are [[RuleOfThree three]] games in the series: the original ''Airforce Delta'' on Dreamcast, ''Airforce Delta Storm'' on UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}}, and ''Airforce Delta Strike'' on [=PS2=]. All three games feature the same basic gameplay but different plots.

* GuestFighter: ''Airforce Delta Storm'' introduced multiple planes on Konami's many ShootEmUp properties: the original release had the Phosphorus (based on ''VideoGame/{{Gradius}}'''s Vic Viper) and ''VideoGame/{{TwinBee}}'' (under the name "Bee Fatty"), with the later releases adding the jet from ''AJAX'' and the player ship of ''Space Manbow''. Using them would play medleys of their respective games' soundtrack during missions. ''Strike'' went crazy with the shmup cameos, adding the likes of the ''VideoGame/{{Axelay}}'' and the ''Crisis Force'' ship.

** Some of the unlockable special fighters like the Twin Bee are this. The Aura-Wing from ''Crisis Force'' is an example, as it has great air to air abilities and a powerful laser sub-weapon but goes at the speed of molasses.

* BraggingRightsReward: The unlockable special planes after beating the game. Subverted in that you still need to keep playing the game multiple times to earn OneHundredPercent completion.

* SchizoTech: WWII fighters, tornado generators, modern fighter jets and space-battleships in the same game.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: In one mission, where the squadron must operate at high-altitude, Jamie complains about his propeller aircraft not performing well in the thin atmosphere. Later when the squadron takes to space, Jamie is forced to stay behind because his plane cannot fly high enough or fast enough to make the aerial rendezvous with the orbital shuttle.

* ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill: The enemy tries this with the Leupold Battery of huge railguns - a Paris Gun on steroids which can also fire flak rounds that can one-shot a bomber formation.

** Some of the unlockable special fighters like the Twin Bee are this.

* BraggingRightsReward: The unlockable special planes after beating the game.

The story goes as follows: In the somewhat distant future, Earth and the space colonies--banded together under the banner of "Orbital Citizens Community"--are embroiled in a major war and the titular eponymous squadron, a RagtagBunchOfMisfits, is right in the middle of it on Earth's side. The OCC have a substantial technology advantage, but the EDAF have (supposedly) greater numbers and are fighting on home turf. The game opens with the OCC occupying roughly 80% of the land.

* HyperspaceArsenal: Pretty standard for the genre.

* NewGamePlus: Subsequent playthrough will let you keep all the planes you bought previously.

* DamnYouMuscleMemory: For anyone who has played the ''Ace Combat'' games, first, though thankfully the controls can be rebound as you see fit to emulate the ''AC'' controls or any other scheme you'd prefer.

** Averted with Jamie, who begins jet training (offscreen) at an unspecified point in the late game and completes it for his last mission.

* MilitaryMashupMachine: Strike is loaded to the gills with examples from the OCC. Of particular note are the fleet of rolling tires big enough to fly through the center. In game, they're called "Land Battleships."

* AirborneAircraftCarrier: The first mission has the player launching from one.

* BackFromTheBrink: The first mission is either a homage or shameless ripoff of ''VideoGame/{{Ace Combat 04|ShatteredSkies}}''[='=]s opening mission.

* BagOfSharing: Averted, every character has individual money accounts and aircraft selections, no sharing of aircraft.
** Played straight with the bonus planes, which are up for anyone's use.

* CrapsackWorld: Under constant, unrelenting assault by a wide variety of cool and powerful weapons...that all belong to the enemy.

* DamnYouMuscleMemory: For anyone who has played the ''Ace Combat'' games, first.