"After Burner" was acclaimed by critics for its impressive visuals, gameplay and overall presentation, and is seen as being important and influential. It was followed by a series of sequels and ports for many platforms, including the Sega Master System, ZX Spectrum and Nintendo Entertainment System. Sega also produced several successors to the game to capitalize on its success, such as "". "After Burner" has also been referenced in many other Sega video games, such as "Fighters Megamix", "Shenmue" and "Bayonetta".