Prop Cycle

Last updated
Prop Cycle
Prop Cycle arcade game flyer.jpg
Developer(s) Namco
Publisher(s) Namco
Designer(s) Shigeki Toyama
Programmer(s) Naoyuki Koyama
Composer(s) Etsuo Ishii
Platform(s) Arcade
Release
  • JP: June 1996
  • NA: July 1996
Genre(s) Racing
Mode(s) Single-player
Arcade system Namco Super System 22

Prop Cycle [lower-alpha 1] is a 1996 arcade game developed and published by Namco. [1]

Contents

Gameplay

Prop Cycle is a 3D flying simulator in which the player uses a human-powered aircraft to pop hot-air balloons in the city of Solitar to prevent the city from floating away permanently. [2] The cycle is controlled by using pedals to spin the propeller and handlebars to steer left and right and change altitude. [1]

Plot

The story takes place in a world destroyed by a war 200 years earlier. [3] A hyperspace magnetic weapon called the "Tesla Bomb" was used in the war, destroying all civilization and completely changing the world's terrain. The few who survived have abandoned high technology and live a simple but elegant life. The most advanced technology is the steam engine powered by a natural resource called fuel stones. Using improved steam engines with fuel stones, it is possible to fly an airplane. With the world's terrain made up of steep canyons caused by the destruction from the previous war, personal flight technology is necessary for people to live without destroying nature. However flight technology has undergone a high degree of evolution with the new civilization's collection of knowledge and now it's possible to fly freely with only human power. The flying machine is called the "Lapperopter". [3]

In one town an altar stood with where someone touched part of it and fierce lightning struck several villages. Each village was cut into either a sun, moon, and star shape, and taken to a high altitude. People on the ground eventually began to call the floating land a "solita" (isolated island). [3]

At one point, a letter fell from a resident in "Solita". The altar was actually a weapon controller with red energy balls floating around it. If all the balls can be destroyed in a short time, the villages can return to their original positions on the ground. However several have tried and failed to destroy all the energy balls.

To avoid more pilot casualties, a test to collect balloons in a short time is being conducted with the "Lapperopter". [3]

Development and release

Prop Cycle was designed by Shigeki Toyama, an engineer for Namco that worked on games such as Xevious (1983), Final Lap (1987), and Point Blank (1994). [4] [5] Toyama was inspired to create Prop Cycle after he and another Namco employee finished production on a technical demo where the player rode in a human-powered plane and shot down enemies. The demo didn't use 3D polygons, but instead 2D sprites with scaling techniques that created the illusion of a 3D world. [4] While Toyama didn't find the game itself interesting, he thought its sense of flight was intriguing and decided to turn the concept into a full game. [4] He was also inspired by the Studio Ghibli film Kiki's Delivery Service , which stars a young witch flying on a broomstick. [4]

Since Prop Cycle was being made as an arcade game, Toyama wanted the game to be highly interactive and have a reason to be exclusive to arcades. He also wanted the game to be unique and distinct from other arcade games, as he never enjoyed repeating already-existing ideas. [4] [5] Toyama worked to allow players to experience the thrill of flying and feeling the wind, and to make the game itself be more than simply defeating enemies. To get an idea of what Toyama was looking for, the development team went out for a day of hang gliding with a camera attached to the glider's wings. The team spent three to four months developing the flying aspect; programmer Naoyuki Koyama didn't understand what Toyama wanted to convey with "riding the wind", so to demonstrate he attached a weight to an umbrella to give Koyama an idea of what he was trying to create. [4]

Toyama wanted Prop Cycle to have a proper storyline in addition to its unique game concept. [4] [5] Jokingly referring to his role as the project's "movie director", Toyama designed the setting, plotline, and characters, and drew the artwork for the villages and level themes. [4] [5] An intentional design choice was that the player had to make it to the last stage in order to understand the story, a decision he has since come to regret. [4] Toyama considered making a "Sightseeing" mode where players were able to fly anywhere they wanted under a time limit, however the limited development time caused the idea to be scrapped. [4]

Reception

Game Machine claims that Prop Cycle was the second most popular arcade game of August 1996 in Japan. [6] Next Generation stated that "in the final analysis, Prop Cycle's strengths win out over its weaknesses." [2] Retro Gamer described it as being one of the most unique arcade games ever created, and a more accessible title compared to Namco and Sega's other offerings. Staff enjoyed the game's simplicity and originality, writing that there's "no question as to how it has stayed in so many locations after almost two decades." [7]

Notes

  1. Japanese: プロップサイクル, Hepburn: Puroppu Saikuru

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Namco</span> Defunct Japanese video game developer and publisher

Namco Limited was a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company, headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo. It held several international branches, including Namco America in Santa Clara, California, Namco Europe in London, Namco Taiwan in Kaohsiung, and Shanghai Namco in mainland China.

<i>Xevious</i> Vertical scrolling shooter arcade game released in 1983

Xevious is a vertically scrolling shooter video game developed and published by Namco for arcades in 1982. It was released in Japan and Europe by Namco and in North America by Atari, Inc. Controlling the Solvalou starship, the player attacks Xevious forces before they destroy all of mankind. The Solvalou has two weapons at its disposal: a zapper to destroy flying craft, and a blaster to bomb ground installations and enemies. It runs on the Namco Galaga arcade system.

<i>Bosconian</i> 1981 video game

Bosconian is a multidirectional scrolling shooter arcade game which was developed and released by Namco in Japan in 1981. In North America, it was manufactured and distributed by Midway Games. The goal of the game is to earn as many points as possible by destroying enemy missiles and bases using a ship which shoots from both the front and back. Bosconian became the first shoot 'em up game to feature diagonal movement.

<i>Galaga 88</i> 1987 video game

Galaga '88 is a 1987 fixed shooter arcade video game by Namco. It is the third sequel for Galaxian. It features significantly improved graphics over the previous games in the series, including detailed backgrounds, larger enemies and greater ship details. The game runs on Namco System 1 hardware.

<i>Galaxian3: Project Dragoon</i> 1990 video game

Galaxian3: Project Dragoon is a 3D rail shooter video game developed and published by Namco. It was originally a theme park attraction designed for the International Garden and Greenery Exposition in Japan, and was later released as an arcade game in 1992. The game involves players controlling a starship named the Dragoon in its mission to destroy Cannon Seed, a superweapon set to destroy what is left of the human race.

<i>RayForce</i> 1993 video game

RayForce is a vertically scrolling shooter by Taito for the Taito F3 arcade hardware and released in 1994. It was ported to the Sega Saturn in 1995, Microsoft Windows in 1997, then rereleased for iOS in 2012 and Android in 2017.

<i>Grobda</i> 1984 video game

Grobda is a 1984 multidirectional shooter arcade video game developed and published by Namco. It is a spin-off from Xevious, as the player's tank first appeared in that game as an enemy. It runs on Namco Super Pac-Man hardware but with a video system like that used in Mappy and The Tower of Druaga, and it also uses a DAC for the "Get Ready" speech sample at the start of each round.

<i>Tinkle Pit</i> 1994 video game

Tinkle Pit is a maze arcade game that was released by Namco in 1994 in Japan. It features many of the characters from the company's earlier games.

<i>Namco Classic Collection Vol. 2</i> 1996 video game

Namco Classic Collection Vol. 2 is a 1996 compilation arcade game developed and published by Namco. It is a collection of four of Namco's popular games: Pac-Man (1980), Rally-X (1980), New Rally-X (1981) and Dig Dug (1982). Alongside the original games, three new "Arrangement" games based on each game are included.

<i>Solvalou</i> 1991 video game

Solvalou is a 1991 first-person rail shooter arcade game developed and published in Japan by Namco. The sixth entry in the Xevious series, the player takes control of the Solvalou starship from a first-person perspective as it must destroy the Xevious forces before they take control of Earth. The Solvalou has two weapon types: an air zapper to destroy air-based enemies, and a blaster bomb to destroy ground-stationed enemies. It runs on the Namco System 21 arcade board.

<i>Xevious 3D/G</i> 1997 video game

Xevious 3D/G is a 1996 vertically scrolling shooter arcade game developed and published by Namco. The eighth entry in the Xevious series, it combines 2D-based gameplay with 3D gouraud-shaded polygon graphics. Players control the Solvalou starship in its mission to destroy a rogue supercomputer named GAMP and the Xevian Forces, using two basic weapon types - an air zapper to destroy air targets, and a blaster bomb to destroy ground targets. The game also features destructive power-ups, new bosses, and two player simultaneous play.

<i>Gee Bee</i> (video game) 1978 video game

Gee Bee is a block breaker/video pinball hybrid arcade game developed and published by Namco in 1978. The player controls a set of paddles with a rotary knob, with the objective being to score as many points as possible by deflecting a ball against bricks, pop bumpers and other objects in the playfield. It was developed by Toru Iwatani, known as the creator of Pac-Man and Pole Position. Outside Japan, it was published by Gremlin Industries.

<i>Steel Gunner</i> 1990 first-person shooter arcade game

Steel Gunner is a 1990 first-person shooter arcade game developed and published by Namco. Players take control of Garcia and Cliff, a duo of police officers that are part of the Neo Arc police force, as they must use their powerful Gargoyle mecha suits to destroy the STURM terrorist organization, who have taken captive scientists Dr. Ryan and Dr. Ellis to create a world-ending superweapon. Gameplay revolves around using a crosshair to shoot down enemies and avoid harming civilians. It runs on the Namco System 2 Plus arcade hardware.

<i>Ace Driver</i> 1994 arcade game

Ace Driver is a 1994 racing arcade game developed and published by Namco. The player controls a Formula One racer, with the objective being to complete three laps of a race course and to avoid a collision with opponents and other obstacles. Three difficulty levels are available, as is a mode to enable a gear shift. Similar to Namco's own Final Lap series, the arcade cabinet can be linked together with another unit to enable eight-person multiplayer. It ran on the Namco System 22 arcade hardware.

<i>Super Xevious: GAMP no Nazo</i> 1986 video game

Super Xevious: GAMP no Nazo is a 1986 vertical-scrolling shooter video game developed and published by Namco for the Family Computer in Japan. It is the sequel to Xevious, a popular arcade game from 1983, and the fourth installment in the Xevious franchise overall. The player controls a spaceship named the Solvalou in its mission to destroy a powerful supercomputer named GAMP, which took over Earth during an ice age. GAMP no Nazo features a heavy focus on puzzle-solving, with each of the game's 21 levels posing a puzzle that must be solved to progress.

<i>Tokyo Wars</i> 1996 video game

Tokyo Wars is a 1996 first-person shooter arcade game developed and published by Namco.

<i>Dancing Eyes</i> 1996 puzzle arcade game

Dancing Eyes is a 1996 puzzle arcade video game developed and published in Japan by Namco. It features gameplay reminiscent of arcade games like Qix — players control a monkey named Urusu-San as he must complete each level by destroying all of the tiles off the grid of a 3D object. Most levels revolve around the player slowly removing the clothing off of women, alongside destroying cobras, UFOs, and cardboard boxes. There are enemies that must be avoided, and there are also power-ups that grant different abilities. The game runs on the Namco System 11 hardware.

<i>Thunder Ceptor</i> 1986 video game

Thunder Ceptor is a 3D rail shooter arcade game that was released by Namco in 1986. It usurped both Libble Rabble and Toy Pop as the company's most powerful 8-bit arcade games, was the first game from them to use an analogue (360-degree) joystick. A stereoscopic 3-D sequel, 3-D Thunder Ceptor II, was released towards the end of the year.

<i>Quester</i> 0000 video game

Quester is a 1987 block breaker arcade game developed and published in Japan by Namco. Controlling a paddle-like craft, the player is tasked with clearing each stage by deflecting a ball towards a formation of bricks towards the top of the screen. Power-up items are hidden in some blocks, which can increase the size of the player's paddle, a barrier that prevents the ball from moving off the screen, and a forcefield that will release eight other balls when touched.

References

  1. 1 2 Prop Cycle at the Killer List of Videogames
  2. 1 2 3 "Finals". Next Generation . No. 22. Imagine Media. October 1996. p. 190.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Prop Cycle Story". Official Nours Archives. Namco. January 1, 1996. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Shigeki Toyama and Namco Arcade Machines". Shmuplations. 2016. Archived from the original on September 14, 2019. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Zeku (December 6, 2014). 遠山茂樹作品集・アートワークス編 (in Japanese). Mitsubayashisha.
  6. "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - 完成品夕イプのTVゲーム機 (Dedicated Videos)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 524. Amusement Press, Inc. 15 August 1996. p. 21.
  7. Retro Gamer Staff (17 October 2014). "Prop Cycle". Retro Gamer . Imagine Publishing. Archived from the original on November 1, 2015. Retrieved September 29, 2020.