Return Fire

Last updated • 5 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
Return Fire
3DO Return Fire cover art.jpg
Original 3DO cover art
Developer(s) Silent Software
Publisher(s) 3DO
PlayStation
Windows
Producer(s) Alexis Kasperavičius
Designer(s) Reichart Kurt von Wolfsheild
Programmer(s) William A. Ware
Artist(s) Van Arno
Platform(s) 3DO
Microsoft Windows
PlayStation
Release3DO
PlayStation
Windows
Genre(s) Action, shooter
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Return Fire is a 1995 video game developed by Silent Software, Inc. for 3DO and ported to the Microsoft Windows and PlayStation in 1996. It is a sequel to Fire Power (1987) and was followed by Return Fire 2 (1998). An expansion pack, Return Fire: Maps O' Death, was released for the 3DO in 1995. [3] Return Fire is a vehicular shooter from a 3D bird's eye view, in which the player's goal is to capture the enemy flag and return with it to their base. It was met with critical acclaim for its unusual gameplay concept, enjoyable multiplayer mode, and classical soundtrack, and is remembered as one of the 3DO's "best games" in its Home of the Underdogs entry.

Contents

Gameplay

Return Fire has four specialized vehicles, each one with unique abilities. Each vehicle can carry a limited amount of fuel and ammo (which can be refilled at ammo tents and fuel depots) and can withstand different amounts of damage. If a land vehicle runs out of fuel it stops and the driver jumps out and runs away.

The helicopter is rather fragile and cannot resupply itself with fuel and ammunition unless it returns to base, but can strafe at an angle and destroy mines and bridges. The tank (M60) has a 360° rotating turret. The Armoured Support Vehicle (ASV — M270 MLRS) is the most durable vehicle, but the slowest moving. It has the ability to lay mines which can instantly destroy any land vehicle. The jeep (M151 MUTT or HMMWV on PlayStation) is the fastest land vehicle and solely possesses the strategic ability to pick, move, and drop flags. Jeeps have the ability to over-inflate their tires and travel across deep water. They are the weakest vehicles, requiring only one hit to destroy.

Only rotating missile turrets and drones are a regular threat to the player in the single player mode. If the player exceeds the boundaries of the map, a submarine emerges and fires a heat-seeking missile against the player.

Production

Audio

The game soundtrack consists exclusively of public domain music such as Richard Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries when using the helicopter (in homage to Apocalypse Now [ citation needed ]), Flight of the Bumblebee when driving the jeep, Holst's Mars from The Planets when driving the tank or the William Tell Overture by Gioacchino Rossini when riding with the flag. When driving in the Armored Support Vehicle, Edvard Grieg's In the Hall of the Mountain King plays. During the opening title screen Verdi's "Dies Irae" plays as the "Return Fire" logo appears, engulfed in flame. At the completion of each level, a sequence of unrelated vintage black and white short clips greets the player.

Video sequences

When a level is completed in the 3DO, PC or PlayStation version a short video clip is shown. One of these is a clip featuring Lou Gehrig's famous Luckiest Man on the Face of the Earth speech.

Release

A version for the Sega Saturn was developed and completed but never released, though a complete build of the port was leaked online in 2007. [4] [5] Reviews for the Saturn version were published shortly before its targeted release date of May 1997; most reviewers described it as an unacceptably poor conversion of an outstanding game, suffering from a much lower frame rate than the 3DO and PlayStation versions. [6] [7] Another version of the game was also in development by Alexandria Inc. for the Atari Jaguar CD, but development on the port was terminated sometime in 1995 and it was never released for unknown reasons. [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]

The PlayStation release of Return Fire was the final game release by Time Warner Interactive before it was absorbed into Williams Entertainment (later became Midway Home Entertainment) by its new owners WMS Industries.

Reception

GamePro gave the 3DO version a positive review, describing it as "a combination of the best parts of playing Capture the flag, Desert Strike , and Micro Machines ." The reviewer complimented the easy-to-master controls, the graphics, and the strong sense of humor. [17] The review team of Electronic Gaming Monthly gave it their "Game of the Month" award, applauding the two-player mode, classical soundtrack, graphics, and general fun of the game. Ed Semrad summarized that "In an industry flooded with sports and fighting carts, this comes as a breath of fresh air." [14] A reviewer for Next Generation also praised the classical soundtrack and the two-player mode, though he added that with its huge number of levels, the game is great fun to play even in single-player mode. He further stated that the graphics and sound effects make causing destruction in the game more fun. [15]

A different reviewer for GamePro covered the PlayStation version, calling it "a brilliantly conceived thrill-a-minute war sim" and "an unprecedented blend of action and strategy". He cited the easy-to-learn controls and game mechanics, frenzied and enduring multiplayer action, and high level of visual detail. He made special note of the game's classical soundtrack, saying that "Never before has sound been so instrumental to a game's success". [18] Next Generation described it as a near-identical conversion of the 3DO game, and offered it similar praises. [16]

The Return Fire: Maps O' Death expansion pack was also well received. Maximum gave it 4 out of 5 stars, saying that for an exceptionally low price tag, the player is treated to "horribly difficult theatres of war with less vehicles available and some decidedly odd scenery (such as the chessboard and SOS levels), all of which makes the Return Fire sequel an excellent 3DO addition." [19] GamePro stated that it "breathes new life into the year-old game, offering more than 100 fresh levels filled with the carnage and insanity Fire fans love." [20]

Accolades

In 1997 Electronic Gaming Monthly ranked the 3DO version number 63 on their "100 Best Games of All Time", citing its high replayability and the way it "capture[s] the frenetic feeling of combat" to an extent that few games do. They said they chose the 3DO version specifically because the gameplay was tighter than that of the PlayStation version and unreleased Saturn version. [21]

The game was awarded the 3DO Two-Player Game of the Year. [22] In 1996, GamesMaster rated the 3DO version number 1 on their "The GamesMaster 3DO Top 10." [23] In the same issue, they also ranked the 3DO version 51st in their "Top 100 Games of All Time." [24]

Legacy

Return Fire Is featured in the opening scene of Pauly Shore's In the Army Now.

Related Research Articles

<i>Zoop</i> 1995 video game

Zoop is a puzzle video game originally developed by Hookstone and published by Viacom New Media in 1995 for the Genesis, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, MS-DOS, Macintosh, PlayStation, Game Gear, and Game Boy, then in 1996 for the Saturn and Jaguar. Zoop has similarities to Taito's 1989 arcade video game Plotting, but Zoop runs in real-time instead. Players are tasked with eliminating pieces that spawn from one of the sides of the screen before they reach the center of the playfield. By pointing at a piece and shooting it, the player can either swap it with the current player color and thus arrange the same color pieces in a row or column, or match the color.

<i>Theme Park</i> (video game) 1994 video game

Theme Park is a construction and management simulation video game developed by Bullfrog Productions and published by Electronic Arts in 1994. The player designs and operates an amusement park, with the goal of making money and creating theme parks worldwide. The game is the first instalment in Bullfrog's Theme series and their Designer Series.

<i>Revolution X</i> 1994 video game

Revolution X is a shooting gallery video game developed by Midway and released in arcades in 1994. The gameplay is similar to Midway's earlier Terminator 2: Judgment Day, but is themed around the band Aerosmith. The oppressive New Order Nation regime and their leader Helga have abducted Aerosmith, and players use a mounted gun to control onscreen crosshairs and shoot enemies. The members of Aerosmith are hidden throughout the game's international locales and must be found in order to receive the game's true ending.

<i>Primal Rage</i> 1994 arcade video game

Primal Rage is a fighting game developed and released by Atari Games for arcades in 1994. The game takes place on a post-apocalyptic version of Earth called "Urth". Players control one of seven prehistoric beasts, that battle each other to determine the planet's fate. Matches feature many of the conventions of fighting games from the era, including special moves and gory finishing maneuvers. Ports were released for home video game consoles and personal computers. Efforts to perfectly emulate the arcade original have been unsuccessful due to the use of an unusual copy protection method. Toys, comics, a novel and other merchandise tie-ins were produced. More than 1.5 million copies of the game were sold.

<i>Magic Carpet</i> (video game) 1994 video game

Magic Carpet is a 3D flying video game developed by Bullfrog Productions and published by Electronic Arts in 1994 for MS-DOS, PlayStation, and Sega Saturn platforms. Its graphics and gameplay were considered innovative and technically impressive at the time of its release.

<i>Batman Forever: The Arcade Game</i> 1996 video game

Batman Forever: The Arcade Game is a beat 'em up video game based on the movie Batman Forever. The subtitle is used to differentiate it from Batman Forever, another beat 'em up published by Acclaim at around the same time. One or two players, playing as Batman and Robin, fight Two-Face, the Riddler, and numerous henchmen.

<i>Crime Patrol</i> (video game) 1993 live-action video game

Crime Patrol is a live-action LaserDisc video game released by American Laser Games in 1993. American Laser Games released a sequel, Crime Patrol 2: Drug Wars later that year.

<i>MechWarrior 2: 31st Century Combat</i> 1995 video game

MechWarrior 2: 31st Century Combat is a vehicle simulation game developed and published by Activision, released in 1995 as part of the MechWarrior series of video games in the BattleTech franchise. The game is set in 3057, and is played as a tactical simulation that incorporates aspects of real-time first-person combat and the physical simulation of the player's mech. It is a game recreation of the "Refusal War." The player can join one of the clans, Clan Jade Falcon or Clan Wolf while engaging in up to 32 missions.

<i>Demolition Man</i> (video game) 1994 video game

Demolition Man is a pair of action video games based on the film of the same name. Acclaim Entertainment published the 16-bit version, which features run and gun gameplay, for the Super NES, Sega Genesis and Sega CD. Virgin Interactive released a completely different game for the 3DO that combined several distinct gameplay styles. In both games, the player controls John Spartan, the main character from the film, as he attempts to find and defeat his nemesis, Simon Phoenix.

<i>Waterworld</i> (video game) 1995 video game

Waterworld is a series of video games released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Virtual Boy, MS-DOS, Microsoft Windows and Game Boy, based on the film of the same name, along with unpublished versions for the Mega Drive/Genesis, Sega Saturn, Atari Jaguar, 3DO and PlayStation. These games were produced by Ocean Software. The SNES and Game Boy games were released only in Europe in 1995 and the Virtual Boy game was released exclusively in North America in November 1995. It was released for PC in 1997. The game received widespread negative reviews and the version released for the Virtual Boy is generally considered to be the worst game of its 22 releases.

<i>The Need for Speed</i> 1994 video game

The Need for Speed is a 1994 racing game developed by EA Canada, originally known as Pioneer Productions, and published by Electronic Arts for 3DO. It was later ported to other platforms with additional tracks and cars, including to MS-DOS, PlayStation, Sega Saturn, and Microsoft Windows in 1996, on which it was subtitled SE.

<i>Worms</i> (1995 video game) 1995 video game

Worms is a 2D artillery tactical video game developed by Team17 and released in 1995. It is the first game in the Worms series of video games. It is a turn based game where a player controls a team of worms against other teams of worms that are controlled by a computer or human opponent. The aim is to use various weapons to kill the worms on the other teams and have the last surviving worm(s).

<i>Frank Thomas Big Hurt Baseball</i> 1995 baseball video game

Frank Thomas Big Hurt Baseball is a multiplatform baseball simulation game that was licensed by the Major League Baseball Players Association, featuring the likeness, motion captured movements, and "Big Hurt" branding of player Frank Thomas.

<i>Creature Shock</i> 1994 video game

Creature Shock is a 1994 sci-fi game released for MS-DOS and 3DO. It was developed by Argonaut Software and published by Virgin Interactive Entertainment. The game was later ported to the CD-i, Sega Saturn and PlayStation video game systems.

<i>Gex</i> (video game) 1995 platform video game

Gex is a platform game developed by Crystal Dynamics. It was originally released for the 3DO in 1995; ports of the game for the PlayStation and Sega Saturn were later developed by Beam Software, and a Windows version was released by Microsoft. It was a pack-in game for Panasonic models of the 3DO later in the console's life. It is the first in the Gex series of video games, and introduces players to the title character, a wisecracking, television-obsessed gecko voiced by comedian Dana Gould, who must venture through the "Media Dimension" and defeat Rez, the overlord of the dimension who wants to make Gex into his new network mascot.

<i>Off-World Interceptor</i> 1994 video game

Off-World Interceptor is a 1994 third-person vehicular combat video game, developed and published by Crystal Dynamics and originally released on 3DO. An alternate version of the game was later released for the Sega Saturn and PlayStation consoles, named Off-World Interceptor Extreme. The two versions of the game have identical core gameplay elements, though the Extreme version is tweaked to feel more like the arcade mode in the original Off-World Interceptor.

<i>Shockwave Assault</i> 1994 video game

Shockwave Assault is a science fiction combat flight simulation video game developed by Advanced Technology Group and published by Electronic Arts for various home video game consoles and PCs. The player takes control of a futuristic fighter plane to defeat extraterrestrial ships and tripods.

<i>FIFA Soccer 96</i> 1995 video game

FIFA Soccer 96 is a football simulation video game developed by Extended Play Productions and released by Electronic Arts in 1995. It was released for the Mega Drive/Genesis, Sega Saturn, Sega 32X, Game Gear, PlayStation, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and MS-DOS compatible operating systems.

<i>Road Rash</i> (1994 video game) 1994 racing video game

Road Rash is a 1994 racing and vehicular combat video game originally published by Electronic Arts (EA) for the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer. A version for the Sega CD was developed simultaneously and released in 1995 to act as a "bridge" between the 3DO version and the Sega Genesis title Road Rash 3, and the game was subsequently ported to the PlayStation, Sega Saturn, and Microsoft Windows in 1996. The game is the third installment in the Road Rash series, and is centered around a series of motorcycle races throughout California that the player must win to advance to higher-difficulty races, while engaging in unarmed and armed combat to hinder the other racers.

References

  1. ↑ "3DO Soft > 1995" (in Japanese). GAME Data Room. Archived from the original on 2018-08-16. Retrieved 2018-09-22.
  2. ↑ "Online Gaming Review". 1998-02-10. Archived from the original on 1998-02-10. Retrieved 2023-04-16.
  3. ↑ "Return Fire: Only the Hardest Can Survive the Maps O' Death!". Maximum: The Video Game Magazine. No. 3. Emap International Limited. January 1996. pp. 60–62.
  4. ↑ "Return Fire (never released)". sega-saturn.net. Archived from the original on 2018-09-22. Retrieved 2018-09-22.
  5. ↑ "RETURN FIRE™ - SEGA Saturn's Lost Games Recovery Program Vol. 1". sega-saturn.net. Archived from the original on 2018-09-22. Retrieved 2018-09-22.
  6. ↑ Mortlock, Dean; Price, James (June 1997). "Review: Return Fire". Saturn Power . No. 1. p. 72.
  7. ↑ Nutter, Lee (May 1997). "Review: Return Fire". Sega Saturn Magazine . No. 19. Emap International Limited. pp. 68–69. Archived from the original on 2018-11-15. Retrieved 2018-11-15.
  8. ↑ "Jaguar Tackboard - AEO Development List 2.06 - Titles in Development". Atari Explorer Online. Vol. 4, no. 5. Subspace Publishers. July 20, 1995. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2019-03-27.
  9. ↑ Vendel, Curt (August 26, 1995). "Payment Schedule for Jaguar games to Developers" (PDF). atarimuseum.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-12-11. Retrieved 2018-09-22.
  10. ↑ "Special Feature: Editors' Choice Awards 1995". GamePro . No. 79. IDG. February 1996. p. 26.
  11. ↑ Dragon, Lost (July 5, 2017). "The Ultimate Jaguar Unreleased/Beta/Source/Dev Master List! - Page 5". atari.io. Archived from the original on 4 November 2018. Retrieved 2018-09-22.
  12. ↑ "Scott Rogers". LinkedIn . Retrieved 2018-09-22.
  13. ↑ Sackenheim, Shawn. "Return Fire (3DO) Review". Allgame. Archived from the original on November 16, 2014. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  14. 1 2 "Review Crew: Return Fire". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 67. Ziff Davis. February 1995. p. 30.
  15. 1 2 "Blast". Next Generation . No. 4. April 1995. p. 88.
  16. 1 2 "Return Fire". Next Generation . No. 19. July 1996. p. 76.
  17. ↑ Manny LaMancha (April 1995). "ProReview: Return Fire". GamePro . No. 79. IDG. p. 88.
  18. ↑ Johnny Ballgame (April 1996). "ProReview: Return Fire". GamePro . No. 91. IDG. p. 68.
  19. ↑ "Maximum Reviews: Return Fire: Maps O' Death". Maximum: The Video Game Magazine. No. 3. Emap International Limited. January 1996. p. 160.
  20. ↑ "ProReview: Return Fire: Maps O' Death". GamePro . No. 92. IDG. May 1996. p. 68.
  21. ↑ "100 Best Games of All Time". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 100. Ziff Davis. November 1997. p. 120. Note: Contrary to the title, the intro to the article explicitly states that the list covers console video games only, meaning PC games and arcade games were not eligible.
  22. ↑ "And The Winner Is... 3DO Awards Honor Best of the Best for 1995; Electronic Arts' Road-Ripping Need for Speed Named "Game of the Year"". Business Wire . December 19, 1995. Archived from the original on February 4, 2014. Retrieved August 13, 2021– via The Free Dictionary.
  23. ↑ "The GameMasters 3DO Top 10" (PDF). GamesMaster (44): 75. July 1996.
  24. ↑ "Top 100 Games of All Time" (PDF). GamesMaster (44): 76. July 1996.
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.