Deep Blue (video game)

Last updated
Deep Blue
Deep Blue (video game) (Cover).jpg
Developer(s) Hi-Score Media Work [1]
Publisher(s)
Designer(s) Itsuki Imazaki [2] [3] [4]
Artist(s) Yasuo Torai [5]
Platform(s) TurboGrafx-16
Release
  • JP: 31 March 1989
  • NA: 15 February 1990
Genre(s) Scrolling shooter
Mode(s) Single-player

Deep Blue [a] is horizontally scrolling shooter for the TurboGrafx-16 published in 1989. The player controls a submersible fighter shaped as a freshwater angelfish that must fight through waves of mutated marine life.

Contents

Gameplay

Gameplay screenshot. TG-16 Deep Blue (Dipu Buru - Kaitei Shinwa).png
Gameplay screenshot.

Deep Blue is a basic horizontal scrolling shooter: players collect power-ups and different weapons to fight numerous enemies. [6] The screen scales up and down allowing more vertical space.

The game features a single life; the Angel Fish can take a lot of hits before it is destroyed, and even regenerates over time. Damage levels are represented by the color of the ship's 'eyes': they start out a solid blue, but when damaged, the eyes blink blue until going to green, then yellow, then red.

However, taking any damage will momentarily paralyze the craft, remove any speed power-ups, reset the weapon to the defeat Pulse Bullet, and remove one weapon power level.

Plot

A hostile alien presence has descended upon the Earth's waters. Using their own bacteria, the aliens have infected and mutated numerous deep sea and marine life forms causing them to enlarge and to follow every alien command. The aliens use their infected marine life to attack the shores of the Earth's continents, initiating an invasion from the deep. Alone, players control the Earth's only defense against the attack, the A.N.G.E.L. Fish Attack Sub.

Development and release

Reception

Deep Blue was met with lukewarm reception from critics and reviewers alike since its release.

Notes

  1. ↑ Also known as Deep Blue: Undersea Myth (Japanese: ディープブルー・海底神話, Hepburn: Dīpu Burū: Kaitei Shinwa) in Japan.

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References

  1. ↑ @itsuki_imazaki (21 August 2017). "そうですよ。当時ハイスコア編集部にいたもので。" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 12 February 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2020– via Twitter.
  2. ↑ @itsuki_imazaki (21 August 2017). "出ましたPCエンジンソフト『ディープブルー』のイメージ画。自分はこの自機デザインしかしてないです。中身ノータッチ。色々アイデア出したけどPCエンジンのプログラム初めてだからそんな難しいことできないって却下されました。" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 12 February 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2020– via Twitter.
  3. ↑ @itsuki_imazaki (22 August 2017). "色付け前の真っ黒けっけじゃないディープブルー出てきた。" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 12 February 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2020– via Twitter.
  4. ↑ @itsuki_imazaki (19 October 2017). "いえーい。ディープブルーの企画書も！ほ、ほら、この絵はボクじゃないけど尾翼に攻撃設定あったんですよ本当は！" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 12 February 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2020– via Twitter.
  5. ↑ Torai, Yasuo. "YASUO WORKS - ★１９８９年" (in Japanese). 虎井安夫 -WORKS-. Archived from the original on 12 February 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  6. ↑ Deep Blue manual (TurboGrafx-16, US)
  7. ↑ Harris, Steve; Semrad, Ed; Alessi, Martin; Stockhausen, Jim (March 1990). "Review Crew - TurboGrafx - Deep Blue". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 8. Sendai Publishing. p. 18.
  8. ↑ "NEW GAMES CROSS REVIEW: ディープ・ブルー 海底神話 (PCエンジン)". Famitsu (in Japanese). No. 72. ASCII Corporation. April 14, 1989. p. 14.
  9. ↑ Braun, Peter (August–September 1989). "Konsolen - Schlag ins Wasser". Aktueller Software Markt (in German). No. 34. Tronic Verlag. p. 72.
  10. ↑ Harrison, Phil (June 1989). "Consoles - Deep Blue". The Games Machine . No. 19. Newsfield Publications. p. 22. Archived from the original on 2016-10-10. Retrieved 2020-02-12.
  11. ↑ Golding, Marc (October 27, 2003). "Deep Blue (TurboGrafx-16) review". HonestGamers. Archived from the original on May 23, 2019. Retrieved 2020-02-12.
  12. ↑ Demoly, Jean-Marc (February 1990). "Consoles - Deep Blue (PC Engine)". Joystick (in French). No. 2. Anuman Interactive. p. 37.
  13. ↑ "ディープ・ブルー 海底神話". Marukatsu PC Engine (in Japanese). Kadokawa Shoten.
  14. ↑ Nauert, Donn (February–March 1991). "TurboPlay Rates the Games - Deep Blue". TurboPlay . No. 5. L.F.P., Inc. p. 25.
  15. ↑ "TurboPlay Rates the Games - Volume 2: Deep Blue". TurboPlay . No. 11. L.F.P., Inc. February–March 1992. p. 26.
  16. ↑ Huyghues-Lacour, Alain (March 1990). "Rolling Softs - Deep Blue (PC Engine NEC, carte NEC)". Tilt (in French). No. 76. Editions Mondiales S.A. p. 76.
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