Galaxy Force (video game)

Last updated
Galaxy Force
Galaxy Force flyer.jpg
Japanese promotional sales flyer
Developer(s) Sega
Publisher(s) Sega
Composer(s) Koichi Namiki
Katsuhiro Hayashi
SeriesGalaxy Force
Platform(s)
Release
  • JP: May 1988
  • NA: 1988
Genre(s) Rail shooter
Mode(s) Single-player
Arcade system Sega Y Board

Galaxy Force [lower-alpha 1] is a 1988 third-person rail shooter arcade game developed and published by Sega. The player assumes control of a starship named the TRY-Z, as it must prevent the Fourth Empire from taking over the entire galaxy. Gameplay involves shooting down enemies using either a laser shot or a limited supply of heat-seeking missiles, all while avoiding collision with projectiles or obstacles and making sure the ship's energy meter doesn't fully deplete. It ran on the Sega Y Board arcade system.

Contents

Created by the same group of developers that later went on to form Sega AM1, Galaxy Force was developed specifically to show off the capabilities of the Sega Y hardware with its usage of large, detailed backgrounds and massive amount of on-screen sprites. The game is part of Sega's "super scaler" line of arcade cabinets, alongside titles such as Out Run and Space Harrier . It was largely inspired by Star Wars . The soundtrack was composed jointly by Katsuhiro Hayashi and Kouichi Namaki, both of who previously created the music for Thunder Blade . The game came in three different cabinet styles; a standard upright, a "Deluxe" machine, and a "Super Deluxe" version that could twist and turn the player around. Almost immediately after the game's release, Sega published an updated version titled Galaxy Force II which added two new levels and other minor additions.

Galaxy Force was critically-acclaimed, being praised for its graphics, gameplay, presentation, music and hardware capabilities, considered to be visually impressive for the time period. It was ported to several platforms, including the Master System, Sega Genesis and Commodore 64, as well as being released under several different Sega classic game re-release labels such as Sega Ages . A high-definition remake titled Galaxy Force Neo Classic was released for the PlayStation 2 in Galaxy Force II Special Extended Edition, alongside the original, which featured smoothed-out graphics and additional visual effects. With the exception of the Master System version, all home versions of the game are based on Galaxy Force II.

Gameplay

Arcade version screenshot. ARC Galaxy Force (Galaxy Force II).png
Arcade version screenshot.

Galaxy Force is a third-person shooter video game. The player assumes control of a starship named the TRY-Z, in its mission to vanquish the Fourth Empire before they take over the entire galaxy. [1] Gameplay involves maneuvering the TRY-Z through sixth different stages, referred to as "worlds" in-game, all while shooting down incoming enemies and avoiding collision with either them, their projectiles, or an obstacle such as a wall. [2] The TRY-Z is equipped with two weapons to destroy enemies; a standard Vulcan laser shot, and a limited supply of heat-seeking missiles that automatically track down targets. [2] Additional missiles can be found throughout specific portions of levels. [2] A shield is displayed at the bottom left of the screen that will deplete should the TRY-Z collide with an obstacle or projectile. [1] The TRY-Z has an energy meter at the bottom of the screen that depletes as the level progresses; energy is decreased by firing weapons and coming into contact with obstacles or projectiles. When the energy meter is fully depleted, the game will end. [1]

Development and release

Galaxy Force was released into arcades by Sega in May 1988 in Japan and later that year in both North America and Europe. [3] Created as part of Sega's "super scaler" line of arcade games, which also included games such as Out Run and Space Harrier , Galaxy Force was designed specifically to show off the Sega Y Board arcade system with its large scrolling backgrounds and massive amount of on-screen sprites. [1] Development of the game was handled by a group of developers that later went on to form Sega AM1, and was in production alongside Yu Suzuki's Power Drift . [4] Three cabinet versions of the game were produced; a standard upright cabinet, a "Deluxe" machine, and a "Super Deluxe" version that could twist and turn 335 degrees left and right, and move forwards and backwards at 15 degrees. [1] The Super Deluxe version also included a headphone jack. [1] The music in Galaxy Force was composed jointly by Katsuhiro Hayashi and Kouichi Namaki, both of who previously worked on the soundtrack for Thunder Blade . [1] The game was largely inspired by Star Wars , containing several subtle references in-game through its stage design. [1]

Two months after the game was released, Sega published Galaxy Force II as a conversion kit; it is not a sequel, but rather an updated version of the original that adds two new levels, corrects many difficulty balance problems, and allows the player to fire all four missiles at once instead of one at a time. [1] Almost all home releases of Galaxy Force either are or based on Galaxy Force II; [1] the first of these was released in 1990 for the FM Towns, followed by a port for the Sega Genesis; both of these were developed by Japanese company CRI Middleware. [1] A version for the Master System was also released, which was published by Sega in Europe and by Activision in Europe. [1] The Master System port was completely redone to accommodate for the console's technical limitations, bearing a much closer resemblance to Space Harrier, and is the only port not to be based on Galaxy Force II. [1] Galaxy Force was also ported to several home computers, including the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Atari ST and Amstrad. [1]

In 1998, Galaxy Force II was released for the Sega Saturn as part of the Sega Ages series of classic game re-releases, including a brief background on the game's story and the ability to watch a pre-recorded playthrough. [1] A PlayStation 2 version was released in Japan in 2007 under the Sega Ages 2500 brand, developed by M2 and titled Galaxy Force II: Special Extended Edition. It includes the arcade, Master System and Genesis versions of the original, alongside a new "Neo Classic" remake that features smooth, enhanced graphics, transparency effects and visual cues. Special Extended Edition also allows the player to select either the original or FM Towns version soundtracks, gain access to a cheat menu, and arranged music tracks. [1] A version for Japanese mobile phones was published in 2008. [5] [1] The Sega Genesis version was digitally re-released for the Wii Virtual Console in 2009. [6] In 2013, Galaxy Force II was ported to the Nintendo 3DS by M2 under the 3D Classics brand, renamed 3D Galaxy Force II and supporting the system's 3D display. This version was later compiled into Sega 3D Classics Collection in 2016. [7]

According to Sonic the Hedgehog creator Yuji Naka, Michael Jackson was given a Galaxy Force arcade cabinet as a gift during his visit to Sega's offices in Japan. [8] The machine was later sold off in early 2009 when his Neverland Ranch was foreclosed. [9]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
Eurogamer 8/10 [10]
Nintendo Life Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Nintendo World Report9/10 [11]
Sinclair User 10/10 [12]
Commodore User 8/10 [13]
Mean Machines 59% [14]
Sega Saturn Magazine 6/10 [15]
Award
PublicationAward
Sinclair User Shoot'Em Up of the Year [16]

Galaxy Force was critically-acclaimed by several publications, and is seen among Sega's best arcade games of the era. [1] In late 1988, Sinclair User gave the game the "Shoot'em Up of the Year" award for its impressive graphics and hardware. [16] Game Machine magazine listed it as the thirteenth most-popular coin-operated video game of 1989. [17]

Several critics commented on the game's visuals. Commodore User found them to be much more detailed than those in Sega's previous game After Burner , and applauded them for being stunning and impressive. [13] Sinclair User agreed, arguing that it usurps Thunder Blade in its graphics. [12] TheOne magazine also liked the visuals. [18] Reviewing the Nintendo 3DS version, Nintendo World Report commented on the graphics for being impressive for a 2D game, [11] which Nintendo Life and Eurogamer agreed with. [2] [10] Nintendo Life also added that the graphics of Galaxy Force present "a tantalizing glimpse into what interactive entertainment could have looked like had polygons never happened." [2] Mean Machines was critical of the graphics in the Sega Genesis conversion, saying that they only looked good when the player was moving in a straight direction. [14] Mean Machines also disliked the port's "crummy" sound effects and mediocre presentation. [14]

Galaxy Force was widely-praised for its gameplay. While TheOne said that it felt "more of a simulator than a game", they liked its fast-paced action. [18] Both Commodore User and Sinclair User commended the gameplay of Galaxy Force for its focus on speed, [13] [12] with Sinclair User saying that it was "possibly the most mind-blowingly impressive arcade game" of the time. [12] Nintendo Life labeled the 3DS version as "arguably the culmination of M2's 3D Classics range" for its great gameplay and overall challenge, adding that it was a great conversion of the game overall. [2] Nintendo World Report, who felt it was the best of the 3D Classics lineup, agreed and said that its extra features made it the best way to play the game. [11] Mean Machines lampooned the Genesis version further for its gameplay and poor job at converting the arcade version for the system, alongside its sluggish pace and overall lack of any real challenge. [14] Sega Saturn Magazine liked the Sega Saturn version for its great effort at converting the game for the Saturn hardware and was still a fun game, but its lack of any real additional extras made it somewhat of a hard sell for consumers. [15]

Retrospectively, Hardcore Gaming 101 applauded Galaxy Force for its visuals, gameplay and overall presentation. [1] Although they felt the game felt more like an amusement ride than a game, and was too difficult at times, they liked the game for being impressive for its time, writing: "Galaxy Force is still an incredibly impressive feat of programming, a work of art in its own way." [1] In his book The Sega Arcade Revolution, Ken Horowitz commented on the game's graphics, presentation and technological capabilities, saying that Galaxy Force "remains a prime example of the company at its best, combining gameplay and presentation into one of the more memorable arcade experiences." [19]

Notes

  1. ↑ Japanese: ギャラクシーフォース Hepburn: Gyarakushī Fōsu

Related Research Articles

<i>After Burner</i> video game

After Burner is a 1987 combat flight simulator arcade game developed and published by Sega. The player assumes control of an American F-14 Tomcat fighter jet, and must clear each of the game's eighteen unique stages by destroying incoming enemies, using both a machine gun and a limited supply of heat-seeking missiles. It uses a third-person perspective, previously utilized by Sega's earlier games Out Run and Space Harrier, and runs on the Sega X arcade system.

<i>Altered Beast</i> 1988 beat em up arcade game

Altered Beast is a 1988 beat 'em up arcade game developed and manufactured by Sega. The game is set in Ancient Greece, and follows a player character who is resurrected by Zeus to rescue his daughter Athena from the ruler of the underworld, Neff. The player character transforms into beasts with the use of power-ups. After its initial arcade release, it was ported to several home video game consoles and home computers, including the Sega Genesis, for which it was a pack-in game.

<i>Space Harrier</i> 1986 video game

Space Harrier is a third-person rail shooter developed by Sega Enterprises and released in December 1985. Originally conceived as a realistic military-themed game played in the third-person perspective and featuring a player-controlled fighter jet, technical and memory restrictions resulted in Sega developer Yu Suzuki redesigning it around a jet-propelled human character in a fantasy setting. With an analog flight stick and a cockpit-style cabinet that tilted and rolled during play, it was advertised by Sega as a taikan arcade game.

<i>Chase H.Q.</i> 1987 video game

Chase H.Q. is a 1988 arcade racing game, released by Taito. It is sometimes seen as a spiritual successor to Taito's earlier Full Throttle. The player assumes the role of a police officer named Tony Gibson, member of the "Chase Special Investigation Department." Along with his partner, Raymond Broady, he must stop fleeing criminals in high-speed pursuits in a black Porsche 928.

<i>Super Street Fighter II</i> 1993 arcade video game

Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers is a head-to-head fighting game produced by Capcom and originally released as an arcade game in 1993. It is the fourth game in the Street Fighter II sub-series of Street Fighter games, following Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting. In addition to refining and balancing the existing character roster from the previous versions, Super Street Fighter II introduced four new characters. It was also the first game to be developed on Capcom's CP System II hardware, which permitted more sophisticated graphics and audio over the original CP System hardware used in previous versions of Street Fighter II.

<i>Salamander</i> (video game) 1986 shoot em up video game

Salamander, retitled Life Force in North America and in the Japanese arcade re-release, in Europe known as Life Force: Salamander, is a scrolling shooter arcade game by Konami. Released in 1986 as a spin-off of Gradius, Salamander introduced a simplified power-up system, two-player cooperative gameplay and both horizontally and vertically scrolling stages. Some of these later became the norm for future Gradius games.

<i>Fantasy Zone</i> 1986 arcade video game

Fantasy Zone is a 1986 arcade game by Sega, and the first game in the Fantasy Zone series. It was later ported to a wide variety of consoles, including the Master System. The player controls a sentient spaceship named Opa-Opa who fights an enemy invasion in the titular group of planets. The game contains a number of features atypical of the traditional scrolling shooter. The main character, Opa-Opa, is sometimes referred to as Sega's first mascot character.

<i>After Burner II</i> 1990 video game

After Burner II is an arcade-style flight game released by Sega in October 1987. It is the second game in the After Burner series. In the game, players fly a F-14 Tomcat jet fighter, gunning down enemies while avoiding incoming fire. After Burner II came both a standard arcade cabinet and a servo actuated, sit-down version which moved according to the motion of the plane onscreen. The cockpit would bank in the same direction the on-screen aircraft was banking.

<i>Sega Ages</i> Sega video game compilations

Sega Ages is a series of video game ports, remakes, and compilations published by Sega. It consists of Sega arcade games and home console games, typically those for the Sega Genesis and Master System. The series was launched on the Sega Saturn in 1996. Entries were published for the PlayStation 2 as Sega Ages 2500, a reference to its bargain ¥2500 price point. The series later came to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 as Sega Ages Online, and finally to the Nintendo Switch as simply Sega Ages. The name Sega Ages is a palindrome, with "Ages" being "Sega" backwards — this was previously used by Sega in European marketing strategies from the late 1980s to early 1990s.

<i>Bonanza Bros.</i> 1990 video game

Bonanza Bros. is a 1990 3D-style, 2D shooting platform arcade game by Sega. It is one of the earliest arcade games powered by the Sega System 24 arcade system board.

<i>Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse</i> 1990 video game

Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse is a 1990 platform game developed by Sega and released for the Sega Genesis. An 8-bit version of the game was later released for the Master System and Game Gear. The game follows Mickey Mouse on a quest to save Minnie Mouse from the evil witch Mizrabel. It was the first game in Sega's long-running Illusion video game series starring Mickey and was also a part of the second wave of games initially released for the Sega Genesis which helped seal the console's reputation within the period until the release of Sonic the Hedgehog in 1991.

<i>Sonic the Hedgehog 2</i> 1992 Mega Drive video game

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a platform game developed and published by Sega for the Sega Genesis console, released worldwide in November 1992. It is the second main entry in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, and introduced Sonic's sidekick, Miles "Tails" Prower, controllable by a second player. In the story, Sonic and Tails must stop series antagonist Dr. Ivo Robotnik from stealing the Chaos Emeralds to power his space station, the Death Egg.

<i>Thunder Force III</i> 1990 shoot em up video game

Thunder Force III (サンダーフォースIII) is a 1990 scrolling shooter game developed by Technosoft for the Sega Genesis. It is the third chapter in the Thunder Force series. It was then retooled into an arcade game named Thunder Force AC. In 1991, Thunder Force AC was ported to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System under the title Thunder Spirits.

<i>Rolling Thunder 2</i> 1990 video game

Rolling Thunder 2 is a run and gun arcade game developed and released by Namco for the Namco System 2 hardware in 1990. The game is the sequel to 1986's Rolling Thunder, retaining the same gameplay of its predecessor but adding cooperative gameplay for two players and improved graphics. Unlike the original, which was based in 1968, Rolling Thunder 2 features a more contemporary setting to go along with its more futuristic design, as well as an optionally playable female character. A port for the Mega Drive/Genesis was released in 1991. Both the Mega Drive port and the original arcade game were released for the Wii Virtual Console on December 4, 2007 and October 27, 2009 respectively.

<i>King of the Monsters</i> (video game) video game series

King of the Monsters is a fighting game developed by SNK, released for arcades in Japan in 1991, and ported to the Neo Geo AES later that same year. The game features playable giant monsters that are reminiscent of characters from kaiju and tokusatsu films.

<i>TwinBee</i> 1985 shoot em up video game

TwinBee is a cartoon-themed vertical-scrolling shoot 'em up game originally released by Konami as a coin-operated video game in 1985 in Japan. Along with Sega's Fantasy Zone, released a year later, TwinBee is credited as an early archetype of the "cute 'em up" type in its genre. It was the very first game to run on Konami's Bubble System hardware. TwinBee was ported to the Family Computer and MSX in 1986 and has been included in numerous compilations released in later years. The original arcade game was released outside Japan for the first time in the Nintendo DS compilation Konami Classics Series: Arcade Hits. A mobile phone version was released for i-mode Japan phones in 2003 with edited graphics.

<i>Thunder Blade</i> 1987 video game

Thunder Blade is a helicopter-based third-person shooter originally released in arcades in 1987. Players control a helicopter to destroy enemy vehicles. It has similarities to the Blue Thunder film and TV franchise of the early 1980s.

M2 Co., Ltd. is a Japanese video game developer and publisher, best known for handling emulation of re-released games, such as some Sega Ages titles, Virtual Console titles for Nintendo systems and the 3D Classics series for the Nintendo 3DS. M2 has spent much of their recent time working for Konami, creating not only arcade compilations, but also an entirely new set of games for WiiWare under the ReBirth moniker.

<i>World Heroes</i> (video game) 1992 arcade video game

World Heroes is a 1992 fighting arcade game developed and published by Alpha Denshi with the assistance of SNK. It was originally released for the Neo Geo MVS arcade cabinet on July 28, 1992. It is ADK's first game in the fighting game genre, as well as their earliest attempt in the fighting game trend of the '90s that was popularized by Capcom's 1991 arcade-hit Street Fighter II. It was even the last game with the "Alpha" logo labeled within the game before the developer became "ADK"; however, the "Alpha" logo was last used on one of the arcade flyers of its sequel.

3D Classics is a label applied to certain remakes of old games for the Nintendo 3DS, with added stereoscopic 3D functionality and updated features while retaining their original art style and graphics. So far, there are two series: a first-party series of NES/Famicom and arcade games, and a Sega-published, M2-developed set of classic Sega games, mostly from Sega Mega Drive/Genesis and Sega arcade hardware.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Kalata, Kurt (16 August 2017). "Galaxy Force". Hardcore Gaming 101. Archived from the original on 6 August 2019. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 McFerran, Damien (13 December 2013). "3D Galaxy Force II Review (3DS eShop)". Nintendo Life . Archived from the original on 14 February 2019. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  3. ↑ Akagi, Masumi (13 October 2006). アーケードTVゲームリスト国内•海外編(1971-2005) (First ed.). Japan: Amusement News Agency. ISBN   978-4990251215 . Retrieved 16 August 2019.
  4. ↑ DePapier (22 May 2016). "SEGA: 'SEGA 3D Classics Collection Developer's Interview Part 2'". Nintendo Observer. Archived from the original on 15 February 2020. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  5. ↑ "端末を傾けて機体を操作！ 『ギャラクシーフォースII』登場". Dengeki Online. Dengeki. 2 June 2008. Archived from the original on 5 February 2019. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  6. ↑ Hinkle, David (11 May 2009). "VC in Brief: Galaxy Force II (Sega Genesis)". Engadget . AOL. Archived from the original on 16 February 2020. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  7. ↑ Bowling, Steve (22 April 2016). "SEGA 3D Classics Collection Review (3DS)". Nintendo Life . Archived from the original on 30 July 2019. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  8. ↑ Naka, Yuji (25 June 2010). "その時にマイケルは確かギャラクシーフォースのスーパーデラックス筐体を貰って帰ったはずだよ。その当時はどんな家に住んでいるんだろうと思ったけど、ネバーランドバレーの家にはゲームセンター部屋があるので普通に家に設置出来たみたいだよ。". Twitter . Archived from the original on 16 February 2020. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  9. ↑ Fletcher, JC (21 February 2009). "Who's bad? Whoever buys Michael Jackson's arcade collection!". Engadget . AOL. Archived from the original on 16 February 2020. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  10. 1 2 Vítor, Alexandre (27 December 2013). "3D Galaxy Force II - Análise". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on 25 July 2015. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  11. 1 2 3 Veillette, Guillaume (17 December 2013). "3D Galaxy Force II Review Mini". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on 29 July 2019. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  12. 1 2 3 4 "Coinops - Galaxy Force". United Kingdom: EMAP. Sinclair User . September 1988. Archived from the original on 16 September 2019. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  13. 1 2 3 Kelly, Nick (August 1988). "Arcades - Galaxy Force". EMAP. Commodore User . p. 93. Archived from the original on 2 February 2019. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  14. 1 2 3 4 Rad (December 1991). "Review - Galaxy Force" (PDF) (15). United Kingdom. Mean Machines. p. 149. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 January 2020. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  15. 1 2 "SEGA SATURN SOFT REVIEW - SEGA AGES/ギャラクシーフォースII" (PDF) (21). Sega Saturn Magazine . 10 July 1998. p. 206. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 February 2020. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  16. 1 2 "Coinops: SU Awards 1988 - Shoot'em Up of the Year". EMAP. Sinclair User . January 1989. Archived from the original on 16 September 2019. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  17. ↑ "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25" (in Japanese) (348). Amusement Press, Inc. Game Machine. 15 January 1989. pp. 24–25. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  18. 1 2 "Conversions Galore from Mediagenic" (1). EMAP. TheOne. October 1988. pp. 15–16. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  19. ↑ Horowitz, Ken (22 June 2018). The Sega Arcade Revolution: A History in 62 Games. McFarland & Company. pp. 132–134. ISBN   1476672253 . Retrieved 16 February 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.