Guardian (1986 video game)

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Guardian
Guardian arcade flyer.jpg
Developer(s) Toaplan
Publisher(s)
Artist(s) Kōetsu Iwabuchi
Composer(s) Masahiro Yuge
Tatsuya Uemura
Platform(s) Arcade
Release
  • JP: March 1986
  • NA: May 1986
Genre(s) Beat 'em up
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Guardian [lower-alpha 1] is a 1986 side-scrolling beat 'em up arcade video game developed by Toaplan and published in Japan by Taito and North America by Kitkorp. In the game, players assume the role of a robot fighting against a multitude of enemies and bosses across six locations on a futuristic science fiction setting. It is notable for marking the debut of Twin Cobra and Hellfire artist Kōetsu Iwabuchi in the video game industry, serving as its graphic designer.

Contents

Guardian was considered a financial flop in arcades for Toaplan. As of 2019, the rights to the title is owned by Tatsujin, a company founded in 2017 by former Toaplan member Masahiro Yuge and now-affiliate of Japanese arcade manufacturer exA-Arcadia alongside many other IPs from the defunct studio.

Gameplay

Gameplay screenshot ARC Guardian (Get Star).png
Gameplay screenshot

Guardian is a science fiction-themed side-scrolling beat 'em up game reminiscent of Kung-Fu Master , where players assume the role of a robot through six increasingly difficult fictional planets, each with a boss at the end that must be fought before progressing any further as the main objective. [1] [2]

The player controls the robot with a four-way joystick and two attack buttons to punch and kick. The joystick is not only used for crouching, but for jumping as well. Punches and kicks are performed from either a standing, crouching or jumping position. [2] Along the way, there are three types of items that appear as flashing crosses: extra energy stock, invincibility and a long-range laser weapon. [1] [2] On occasions, a red orb spawns on the ground and when picked up, increases the robot's punching power up to three times. [1] [2]

The game hosts hidden bonus secrets to be found, which are crucial for reaching high-scores to obtain extra lives. [1] The title uses a checkpoint system in which a downed single player will start off at the beginning of the checkpoint they managed to reach before dying. Running out of energy will result in losing a live, as well as a penalty of decreasing the robot's power to his original state and once all lives are lost, the game is over unless the players insert more credits into the arcade machine to continue playing. After completing the last stage, the game begins again with the second loop. [2]

Development and release

Guardian's development process and history were recounted between 1990 and 2009 through Japanese publications such as Gamest . [3] [4] Kōetsu Iwabuchi designed the game's graphics in his first video game role prior to Twin Cobra and Hellfire. [3] Former Toaplan composer Tatsuya Uemura stated that the title was developed alongside another project intended for the Sega System 1 that was ultimately scrapped. [4] The music was composed by Masahiro Yuge, although Uemura wrote the boss music. [5] [6]

Guardian was released only in arcades across Japan and North America in March 1986 by Taito and Kitkorp. [7] It was showcased in Japan at the 1986 AOU Show and for the first time in North America during the 1986 ACME show in Chicago before launch. [8] [9] On 25 July 2018, an album containing music from the title, as well as from other Toaplan games was published exclusively in Japan by City Connection under their Clarice Disk label. [6] Japanese company M2 published every game by Toaplan (excluding Mahjong Sisters and Enma Daiō ) for consoles in Japan including Guardian. [10] [11] [12] In 2021, the game was included in the Kyukyoku Tiger-Heli compilation for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 as part of M2's Toaplan Arcade Garage label. [13] Guardian was included as part of the Toaplan Arcade 1 compilation for Evercade in 2022. [14]

Reception and legacy

Ichiro Tezuka of Japanese publication Micom BASIC Magazine regarded Guardian as a fun Spartan X -style game due to the enemy variety and attack patterns on each planet. [8] According to Toaplan, however, the title was a commercial failure in arcades. [3] [15] The official world record for the game is held by Will Czeswinski with 1,058,420 points. [16] Despite its failure, the game served as an influence for titles such as Locomalito's Star Guardian. [17] In more recent years, the rights to the title and many other IPs from Toaplan are now owned by Tatsujin, a company named after Truxton 's Japanese title that was founded in 2017 by former Toaplan employee Masahiro Yuge, who are now affiliated with arcade manufacturer exA-Arcadia. [18] [19] [20] [21] [22]

Notes

  1. ↑ Also known as Get Star (Japanese: ゲットスター, Hepburn: Getto Sutā) in Japan.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toaplan</span> Japanese video game developer 1979-1994

Toaplan Co., Ltd. was a Japanese video game developer based in Tokyo responsible for the creation of a wide array of scrolling shooters and other arcade video games. The company was founded in 1979 but its gaming division was established in 1984 by former Orca and Crux employees, who wanted to make games, after both companies declared bankruptcy. Their first shoot 'em up game, Tiger-Heli (1985) on arcades, was a success and helped establish Toaplan as a leading producer of shooting games throughout the 1980s and 1990s that would continue to characterize their output.

<i>Tiger-Heli</i> 1985 video game

Tiger-Heli is a vertically scrolling shooter game developed by Toaplan and released for arcades in 1985. It was published in Japan by Taito and in North America by Romstar. Controlling the titular attack helicopter, the player must fight endless waves of military vehicles while avoiding collision with their projectiles and other obstacles. The Tiger-Heli has a powerful bomb at its disposal that can clear the screen of enemies when fired. It was the first shoot 'em up game from Toaplan, and their third video game overall.

<i>Twin Cobra</i> 1987 video game

Twin Cobra, known as Kyukyoku Tiger in Japan, is a vertically scrolling shooter developed by Toaplan and released for arcades in 1987 by Taito in Japan and Europe, then in North America by Romstar. It is a sequel to the 1985 arcade game Tiger-Heli. Controlling the titular attack helicopter, the players must fight endless waves of military vehicles while avoiding collision with their projectiles and other obstacles. It was the fourth shoot 'em up game from Toaplan, and their tenth video game overall. It was ported to multiple platforms, with each done by different third-party developers that made several changes or additions.

<i>Out Zone</i> 1990 video game

Out Zone is a run and gun arcade video game developed by Toaplan and published in Japan by Tecmo, North America by Romstar and Europe in August 1990. Set in a future where an alien race from the fictional planet Owagira are threatening to wipe out humanity after multiple failed attempts to defend Earth against their attacks, players assume the role of cyborg mercenaries recruited by the United Nations in a last-ditch effort to overthrow the invaders.

<i>Flying Shark</i> 1987 video game

Flying Shark, known as Sky Shark in North America, is a vertically scrolling shooter arcade video game originally developed by Toaplan and published in 1987 by Taito in Japan, Romstar in North America and Electrocoin in Europe. Controlling the titular biplane, the players must fight endless waves of military vehicles while avoiding collision with their projectiles and other obstacles. The plane has a powerful bomb at its disposal that can clear a portion of the screen of bullets and damage enemies when fired. It was the third shoot 'em up game from Toaplan, and their eighth video game overall.

<i>Truxton</i> (video game) 1988 video game

Truxton is a 1988 vertically scrolling shooter arcade video game originally developed by Toaplan and published in Japan and Europe by Taito, as well as in North America by Midway. Set in a future where the Gidans alien race led by Dogurava invaded the fictional planet Borogo, players assume the role of fighter pilot Tatsuo taking control of the Super Fighter ship on a last-ditch effort to overthrow the alien invaders.

<i>Demons World</i> 1989 Video game

Demon's World is a 1989 run and gun arcade video game originally developed by Toaplan and published in Japan by Taito and in North America by Catalina Games. In the game, players assume the role of two ghost hunters to fight against several ghosts and monsters that were unleashed upon Earth by the titular demon king. Initially launched for the arcades, the title was then ported to the PC Engine Super CD-ROM² by NEC Avenue and published exclusively in Japan on 26 February 1993, featuring various additions and changes compared with the original release.

<i>Teki Paki</i> 1991 video game

Teki Paki is a 1991 puzzle arcade video game developed by Toaplan and published in Japan by Tecmo, Hong Kong by Honest Trading Co. and Taiwan by Spacy Co. Ltd.

<i>Rally Bike</i> 1988 video game

Rally Bike is a racing arcade video game originally developed by Toaplan and published by Taito in May 1988. In Rally Bike, players compete against computer-controlled opponents in races across locations in the United States. Initially released in arcades, the game was ported to the Nintendo Entertainment System and X68000 by different developers.

<i>Hellfire</i> (video game) 1989 video game

Hellfire is a 1989 horizontally scrolling shooter arcade video game originally developed by Toaplan and published in Japan by Taito and North America by U.S.A. Games. The first horizontal shoot 'em up title to be created by Toaplan, the game takes place in the year 2998 where a space matter known as Black Nebula created by robot dictator Super Mech spreads and threatens to engulf human-controlled galaxies, as players assume the role of Space Federation member Captain Lancer taking control of the CNCS1 space fighter craft in a surprise attack to overthrow the enemies with the fighter craft's titular weapon.

<i>Wardner</i> (video game) 1987 video game

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<i>Slap Fight</i> 1986 video game

Slap Fight is a 1986 vertically scrolling shooter arcade video game developed by Toaplan and published by Taito. Set on the colonized fictional planet of Theron in the future, where an alien race led by Gaudy have invaded the human-controlled location, players assume the role of an Allied League of Cosmic Nations (ALCON) fighter pilot taking control of the SW475 space fighter craft in an effort to counterattack the invaders. Initially launched for the arcades, the game was later ported to other microcomputer and console platforms by various third-party developers, with each one featuring several changes or additions compared to the original release.

<i>Grind Stormer</i> 1993 video game

Grind Stormer is a 1993 vertically scrolling shooter arcade video game originally developed and published by Toaplan in Japan and North America. It is considered to be the spiritual successor to Slap Fight. Based around a video game within a video game concept, players assume the role of a young secret agent assigned by the government taking control of the NA-00 space fighter craft in an attempt to defeat the titular virtual reality simulator, rescue the abducted players who lost against it and unveil its true purpose.

<i>Truxton II</i> 1992 video game

Truxton II is a 1992 vertically scrolling shooter arcade video game originally developed and published by Toaplan in Japan and Europe. It is the sequel to Truxton, which was released earlier on arcades in 1988 and later ported to various platforms.

<i>Knuckle Bash</i> 1993 video game

Knuckle Bash is a 1993 side-scrolling beat 'em up arcade video game developed and published by Toaplan in Japan, as well as North America and Europe by Atari Games. It is notable for being one of the few titles by Toaplan that has not received any official port to home consoles as of date.

<i>Ghox</i> 1991 video game

Ghox is an action arcade video game developed by Toaplan and published by Taito in Japan and Europe in November 1991. It is notable for being one of the few titles by Toaplan that has not received any official port to home consoles as of date. Taking place in a fantasy world where the evil magician known as Jagula sealed the goddess Lucia in the netherworld, players assume the role of Axis and Bilious in an effort to defeat both Jagula and the unleashed evil spirits from the netherworld. As of 2019, the rights to the game are owned by Tatsujin, a company founded in 2017 by former Toaplan member Masahiro Yuge and now-affiliate of Japanese arcade manufacturer exA-Arcadia alongside many other IPs from the defunct studio.

<i>Pipi & Bibis</i> 1991 eroge arcade game by Toaplan

Pipi & Bibi's is a 1991 eroge action-platform arcade video game developed and published by Toaplan in Japan and in Europe by Nova Apparate GMBH & Co. It is notable for being one of the few titles by Toaplan that has not received any official port to home consoles as of date. In the game, players assume the role of Pipi and Bibi attempting to place time bombs in buildings filled with enemies who appear from behind closed doors and escape before the location collapses.

<i>Snow Bros. 2: With New Elves</i> 1994 video game

Snow Bros. 2: With New Elves is a 1994 platform arcade video game developed and published by Toaplan under their Hanafram label. One of the last games to be created by Toaplan, it is the sequel to Snow Bros., which was released earlier in 1990 on multiple platforms. In the game, players assume the role of one of the playable characters to rescue a kidnapped princess from captivity.

<i>Enma Daiō</i> 1993 video game

Enma Daiō is a 1993 hybrid quiz/lie detector arcade video game developed by Toaplan and published exclusively in Japan by Taito. In the game, players answer a number of question. As of 2019, the rights to the title is owned by Tatsujin, a company founded in 2017 by former Toaplan member Masahiro Yuge and now-affiliate of Japanese arcade manufacturer exA-Arcadia alongside many other Toaplan IPs.

<i>Mahjong Sisters</i> 1986 video game

Mahjong Sisters is a 1986 eroge mahjong arcade video game developed and published exclusively in Japan by Toaplan. In the game, the players face off against a group of three sisters in a series of mahjong matches. As of 2019, the rights to the title is owned by Tatsujin, a company founded in 2017 by former Toaplan member Masahiro Yuge and now-affiliate of Japanese arcade manufacturer exA-Arcadia alongside many other Toaplan IPs.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Get Star arcade flyer (Taito, JP)
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "GET STAR" (in Japanese). Shooting Star. Archived from the original on 2019-10-21. Retrieved 2019-11-06.
  3. 1 2 3 "東亜プラン". Gamest (in Japanese). No. 49. Shinseisha. September 1990. pp. 68–69. (Translation by Shmuplations. Archived 2019-11-07 at the Wayback Machine ).
  4. 1 2 Iona; VHS; K-HEX (June 2009). "東亜プラン FOREVER". Floor 25 (in Japanese). Vol. 9. pp. 1–70. (Translation by Gamengai. Archived 2020-10-10 at the Wayback Machine ).
  5. ↑ Abeto, Kobatsu (September 1989). "東亜プランインタビュー". PSG (in Japanese). Vol. 10. F.S.G Club. (Translation by Shmuplations. Archived 2017-05-31 at the Wayback Machine ).
  6. 1 2 "CDST-10067 | Toaplan ARCADE SOUND DIGITAL COLLECTION Vol.8". vgmdb.net. VGMdb. Archived from the original on 2019-12-08. Retrieved 2019-12-07.
  7. ↑ Akagi, Masumi (13 October 2006). タイトー (Taito); 東亜プラン (Toa Plan); Sun Corp (Kitkorp - Sunsoft); G (in Japanese) (1st ed.). Amusement News Agency. pp. 43, 50, 136, 154. ISBN   978-4990251215.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  8. 1 2 3 Tezuka, Ichiro (May 1986). "Video Game - AOU 1986 アミューズメント • エキスポ速報!: タイトー - ゲットスター". Micom BASIC Magazine (in Japanese). No. 47. The Dempa Shimbunsha Corporation. p. 241.
  9. ↑ "Dedicated games, merchandisers mark ACME". Play Meter . Vol. 12, no. 5. Skybird Publishing. April 1986. pp. 16–30.
  10. ↑ Wong, Alistair (December 7, 2019). "M2 To Bring Nearly All Toaplan Games To Modern Home Consoles". Siliconera . Curse LLC. Archived from the original on 2019-12-07. Retrieved 2020-07-04.
  11. ↑ Romano, Sal (December 7, 2019). "M2 to release nearly every Toaplan game for console starting 2020 in Japan - Mahjong Sisters and Enma Daiou not included". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 2019-12-07. Retrieved 2020-07-04.
  12. ↑ Muñoz, José David (December 8, 2019). "Snow Bros. Truxton y más juegos de Toaplan llegarán a PS4, Nintendo Switch y Xbox One". Hobby Consolas (in Spanish). Axel Springer SE. Archived from the original on 2019-12-08. Retrieved 2020-07-04.
  13. ↑ Romano, Sal (July 15, 2021). "Toaplan shoot 'em up collection Kyukyoku Tiger-Heli announced for PS4, Switch - Includes various versions of Kyukyoku Tiger and Tiger-Heli". Gematsu. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
  14. ↑ McFerran, Damien (May 31, 2022). "Evercade Is Getting An "EXP" Upgrade, Complete With Irem And Toaplan Collections". Nintendo Life . Nlife Media. Retrieved 2022-05-31.
  15. ↑ Lambie, Ryan (21 June 2018). "Toaplan: the rise and fall of Japan's greatest shooting game company". Den of Geek . Dennis Publishing. Archived from the original on 21 June 2018. Retrieved 2019-11-06.
  16. ↑ "Guardian". arcade-history.com. Archived from the original on 2016-04-09. Retrieved 2019-11-06.
  17. ↑ david (July 2014). "Zona Indie: Star Guardian". RetroManiac (in Spanish). No. 9. RetroManiac Magazine. pp. 268–271.
  18. ↑ "ライセンス事業" (in Japanese). TATSUJIN Co., Ltd. 2019. Archived from the original on 2018-12-25. Retrieved 2019-11-06.
  19. ↑ Bravo, Roberto (12 September 2018). "Nueva compañía "Tatsujin" asegura tener gran parte de las IPs de la extinta Toaplan" (in Spanish). Gamercafe. Archived from the original on 2019-10-21. Retrieved 2019-11-06.
  20. ↑ "Tatsujin". exA-Arcadia. 2019. Archived from the original on 2019-10-21. Retrieved 2019-11-06.
  21. ↑ Bravo, Roberto (25 January 2019). "Tatsujin, los dueños de Toaplan, anuncian que están trabajando para exA-Arcadia" (in Spanish). Gamercafe. Archived from the original on 2019-10-21. Retrieved 2019-11-06.
  22. ↑ "［JAEPO2019］TATSUJINやナツメアタリの参入が発表されたexA-Arcadia。出展コーナーの模様を紹介". 4Gamer.net (in Japanese). Aetas Inc. 26 January 2019. Archived from the original on 2019-10-21. Retrieved 2019-11-06.
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