Hero Coins are the in-game currency in the Airport Hero series.
Description
Hero Coins were first introduced in Airport Hero Narita and have followed in every Airport Hero Game since.
Hero Coins are earned based on the player's rank in a stage. The ranking system goes from D to S (with S being the highest rank you can get). The higher your rank, the more coins you earn.
Hero Coins are also in Airport Hero New Chitose, but they are known as "My Tube Coins".
How To Use
Hero Coins can be used to unlock new camera views, such as the beloved window view, here from a Japan Sky Airbus A320
Many players in the newer games wonder what the purpose of Hero Coins are. Their purpose varies by game, but primarily they are used to access the Camera Stage feature and to unlock new camera views.
Airport Hero Narita
First introduced in this game, Hero Coins do not play a huge role. In Operation Mode, they can be used to unlock and play the bonus stages, #14-20. The price of each stage will go up as the player progresses through them.
Hero Coins can also be used to unlock slots for Camera Stages. The link to the QR codes can be found here, and each stage slot costs 500 Hero Coins.
Airport Hero Osaka-KIX
In AH Osaka-KIX, Hero Coins have a few more uses. They are still used to buy extra stages and camera stage slots, however, now you can buy extra camera views. The new views give the player more control over the airport, since now you can see in different angles.
The player can also use coins to buy the window views, which allow them to see out the plane's windows (left and right), as if they were onboard. This quickly became one of the favorite features of the Airport Hero series.
The issue with this is it becomes difficult to switch between camera views as there are so many. Many players are now only buying the views they need so they can cycle through quicker. This will hopefully be optimized in future games.
Other Games
Hero Coins are present in Airport Hero Narita with ANA, Airport Hero Haneda with JAL, and Airport Hero Naha Premium. They share the same function as in Airport Hero Narita.
For the upcoming Airport Hero New York, Sonic Powered has shared their ideas on what new functions Hero Coins should have. Some ideas include the ability to purchase bonus airlines, new camera views, new gamemodes, extra control channels, new sections of the airport, and more. However, it is unlikely we will see all of these in one game.