Earth Defense Force (video game)

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Earth Defense Force
Earth Defense Force arcade flyer.jpg
Arcade flyer
Developer Jaleco [a]
Publisher Jaleco
Producer Yuki Arai
Programmer Yuji Takahashi
Artists Nekomasa
Takeshi Shimizu
Composer Tsukasa Tawada
Platforms Arcade, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, iOS
ReleaseArcade
Super NES
  • JP: October 25, 1991
  • NA: January 1992 [2]
  • EU: 1992
Genre Scrolling shooter
Modes Single-player, multiplayer

E.D.F.: Earth Defense Force is a 1991 horizontally scrolling shooter video game developed and published by Jaleco for arcades. [3] It was ported to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as Super Earth Defense Force, dropping the two-player cooperative gaming mode while adding graphics and selectable weapons. [4] The Super NES version was released in Japan on October 25, 1991, and in North America in January 1992. The Super NES version was eventually released on the Wii Virtual Console in Europe on October 29, 2010, and in 2011 for Japan on January 11, and North America on July 14. It was released on the Nintendo Classics service in September 2019.

Contents

Gameplay

Released as a horizontal shooter game in the US in 1991, the object of Earth Defense Force is based on survival of the game's levels, punctuated by the defeat of bosses at the end of each one. [5]

The player normally begins each level with three "shield" points, each able to absorb one enemy attack. The shield points are represented in the upper right corner by green squares under the heading "Shield". Additional shield points can be earned once a predetermined game score is reached. Up to five shield points are represented on screen, but a player can acquire more than five shield points, but they cannot be seen. This is extremely rare though, due to the difficulty of the game and the score intervals at which additional shield points are acquired. Loss of all shields results in the loss of one of three credits, or continues, and loss of all continues results in the player seeing the game over screen.[ citation needed ]

The game uses a unique leveling system, in which the player gains experience from defeated enemies to gain newer, more powerful versions of the weapons the player has access to.[ citation needed ]

Development and release

Subsequent to its release an enhanced version was broadcast via the Super Famicom's Satellaview subsystem to Japanese gamers under the title BS Super Earth Defense Force.

Reception

In Japan, Game Machine listed Earth Defense Force as the eleventh most popular arcade game of April 1991. [19] Power Play said the game offered little excitement and criticized the mediocre background graphics. [20]

Super Earth Defense Force received a 22.12/30 score in a 1993 readers' poll conducted by Super Famicom Magazine, ranking among Super Famicom titles at the number 73 spot. [21] The game also received average reviews from critics. [22] [23] [24] [25]

Notes

  1. ↑ Ported to iOS by Dotemu.

References

  1. 1 2 Akagi, Masumi (October 13, 2006). ジャレコ Jaleco; Jaleco USA; E (in Japanese) (1st ed.). Amusement News Agency  [ ja ]. pp. 33, 121, 151. ISBN   978-4990251215.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  2. ↑ "Super NES Games" (PDF). Nintendo. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 20, 2008. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  3. ↑ "Earth Defense Force". MobyGames. Retrieved November 9, 2013.
  4. ↑ Weiss, Brett Alan. "Super Earth Defense Force". Allgame. Archived from the original on November 17, 2014. Retrieved June 15, 2006.
  5. ↑ "Super NES Games" (PDF). Nintendo of America. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 14, 2011. Retrieved June 23, 2008.
  6. ↑ Whitta, Gary (January 1992). "Consoles Section: Super E.D.F." ACE . No. 52. EMAP. p. 87.
  7. ↑ Rückert, Lars (March 1992). "Konsolen: "Fatal E.D.F."". Aktueller Software Markt (in German). Vol. 7, no. 3. Tronic Verlag. p. 119.
  8. ↑ "NEW GAMES CROSS REVIEW: SUPER E.D.F." Famitsu (in Japanese). No. 150. ASCII Corporation. November 1, 1993. p. 38. (Transcription by Famitsu.com. Archived 2015-08-24 at the Wayback Machine ).
  9. ↑ "Console Connexions: Super EDF". Games-X . No. 31. Europress. November 21–27, 1991. p. 33.
  10. ↑ Morisse, Jean-François (December 1991). "Consoles News: E.D.F. (Super Famicom)". Joystick (in French). No. 22. Sipress. p. 166.
  11. ↑ McFerran, Damien (October 31, 2010). "Super E.D.F. Earth Defense Force (Virtual Console / Super Nintendo) Review". Nintendo Life . Cuttlefish Multimedia. Archived from the original on November 5, 2010. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
  12. ↑ "The Total Guide to... Shoot 'em ups!". Total! . No. 14. Future Publishing. February 1993. pp. 25–29.
  13. ↑ Mandel, Josh (February 1992). "Video-Game Reviews: Super Earth Defense Force". VideoGames & Computer Entertainment . No. 37. Larry Flynt Publications. pp. 46–48.
  14. ↑ Wilson, David (April 1991). "Dosh Eaters: Earth Defence Force". Zero . No. 18. Dennis Publishing. p. 54.
  15. ↑ "The Global Story". Control. No. 6. Maverick Magazines. February 1993. pp. 86–89.
  16. ↑ Lee, Onn (1992). "Games Reviews: Super E.D.F." Electric Brain. No. 24. Space City Publishing. pp. 23–24.
  17. ↑ "Crusty Library". Super Action. No. 5. Europress. February 1993. pp. 104–113.
  18. ↑ "Feature: Shooting Stars". Super Pro. No. 5. Paragon Publishing. April 1993. pp. 40–47.
  19. ↑ "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25: テーブル型TVゲーム機 (Table Videos)" (PDF). Game Machine  [ ja ] (in Japanese). No. 401. Amusement Press, Inc.  [ ja ]. April 15, 1991. p. 25. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 31, 2020. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
  20. ↑ Edgeley, Clare; Gaksch, Martin (May 1991). "Power Tests / Automatenspiele: Satt Action". Power Play  [ de ] (in German). No. 38. Markt & Technik. p. 140.
  21. ↑ Super Famicom Magazine (August 1, 1993). "ゲーム通信簿". 90年11月から'93年6月21日発売までの323本を収録!! スーパーファミコンオールカタログ'93 (special supplement) (in Japanese). Tokuma Shoten. p. 52.
  22. ↑ Boss Music (January 1992). "Super NES Pro Review: Earth Defense Force". GamePro . No. 30. IDG. p. 80.
  23. ↑ Harris, Steve; Semrad, Ed; Alessi, Martin; Williams, Ken (April 1992). "Review Crew: Super E.D.F." Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 33. Sendai Publishing. p. 24.
  24. ↑ McNamara, Andrew; Martinez, Ed; Petzoldt, Rick (Spring 1992). "Only You Can Save the Universe in SNES's Earth Defense Force". Game Informer . No. 4. Sunrise Publications. pp. 26–27.
  25. ↑ Davison, Pete (August 9, 2021). "Blissful Death: the varied blasting of Super Earth Defense Force". Rice Digital. Rice Digital Ltd. Archived from the original on August 9, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
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