Zero Wing

Last updated

Zero Wing
Zero Wing arcade flyer.jpg
Developer(s) Toaplan
Publisher(s)
Producer(s) Toshiaki Ōta
Designer(s) Sanae Nitō
Yuko Tataka
Programmer(s) Hiroaki Furukawa
Tatsuya Uemura
Artist(s) Miho Hayashi
Naoki Ogiwara
Shintarō Nakaoka
Composer(s) Masahiro Yuge
Tatsuya Uemura
Toshiaki Tomizawa
Engine Hellfire
Platform(s) Arcade, Sega Mega Drive, PC Engine CD-ROM²
ReleaseArcade
Sega Mega Drive
  • JP: 31 May 1991
  • EU: July 1991
  • NA: 2020
PC Engine CD-ROM²
  • JP: 18 September 1992
Genre(s) Side-scrolling shooter
Mode(s)

Zero Wing [lower-alpha 1] is a 1989 side-scrolling shooter arcade video game developed by Toaplan and originally published in Japan by Namco and in North America by Williams Electronics. [2] Controlling the ZIG space fighter craft, players assume the role of protagonist Trent in a last-ditch effort to overthrow the alien cyborg CATS. It was the eighth shoot 'em up game from Toaplan, and their fourteenth video game overall.

Contents

Headed by development chief Toshiaki Ōta, Zero Wing was created by most of the same team that previously worked on several projects at Toaplan, initially starting as a project not intended for commercial release but to train new recruits before being ultimately released to the market. Although first launched in arcades, the game was later ported to other platforms, each one featuring several changes or additions compared with the original version.

Zero Wing enjoyed a degree of success in arcades and its home conversions were met with mostly positive reception from critics. The European Mega Drive version later gained renewed popularity due to the "All your base are belong to us" internet meme, which plays off the badly translated introductory cutscene. The rights to the title are owned by Tatsujin, a Japanese company formed by Masahiro Yuge. The Mega Drive version was later released in North America by independent publisher Retro-Bit in 2020.

Gameplay

Arcade screenshot ARC Zero Wing.png
Arcade screenshot

Zero Wing is a science fiction-themed side-scrolling shooter similar to Hellfire , where players assume the role of Trent taking control of the ZIG space fighter craft through eight increasingly difficult levels, each with a boss at the end that must be fought before progressing any further, in a last-ditch effort to overthrow the alien cyborg CATS as the main objective. [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] As far as side-scrolling shooters go, the title initially appears to be very standard, as players control their craft over a constantly scrolling background and the scenery never stops moving until the stage boss is reached. [5] [7]

A unique gameplay feature is the "Seizer Beam" system; [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] During gameplay, players can grab certain enemies and hold them as shield against enemy fire or launch them against enemies. There are three types of weapons in the game that can be switched between after destroying incoming carriers by picking up a color-changing item ranging from the "Red Cannon" shot, the "Blue Laser" and the "Green Homing" missiles. [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] Each weapon can be upgraded by picking up an item of the same color. [4] Other items can also be grabbed along the way such as speed increasers, 1UPs and a bomb module capable of obliterating any enemy caught within its blast radius that can also be triggered after taking enemy hits. [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

Depending on the settings in the arcade version, the title uses either a checkpoint system in which a downed single player will start off at the beginning of the checkpoint they managed to reach before dying, or a respawn system where their ship immediately starts at the location where they died. [7] Getting hit by enemy fire or colliding against solid stage obstacles will result in losing a life, as well as a penalty of decreasing the ship's firepower and speed 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. The game loops back to the first stage after completing the last stage as with previous titles from Toaplan, with each one increasing the difficulty and enemies fire denser bullet patterns as well as spawning extra bullets when destroyed.

Synopsis

The backstory of Zero Wing varies between each version, [5] [6] [7] [8] but the plot within the game itself remains consistent. Set in 2101, the game follows the signing of a peace treaty between the United Nations (also translated as the Milky Way Federation) and CATS, an alien cyborg who is described either as a dictator or a space pirate depending on the translation. However, CATS breaks the covenant and takes control of the Japanese/Federation space colonies. The protagonist Trent leads a ZIG space craft, which had managed to escape from the mothership destroyed by CATS, with the aim to defeat enemy forces, avenge the mothership and its crew and liberate the Earth.

Development

Zero Wing was created by most of the same team that previously worked on several projects at Toaplan, with members of the development staff recounting its history through various Japanese publications. Toshiaki Ōta was at the helm as development chief and also served as programmer alongside Hiroaki Furukawa and Tatsuya Uemura. [9] [10] Uemura also acted as composer along with Masahiro Yuge and Toshiaki Tomizawa. [9] [10] [11] [12] Artists Miho Hayashi, Naoki Ogiwara and Shintarō Nakaoka created the artwork while Sanae Nitō and Yuko Tataka served as character designers. [10] [13]

Uemura stated that Zero Wing originally started as a project not intended for commercial launch to train new recruits at Toaplan, handling training for new hires while using his work and engine from Hellfire before ultimately deciding with releasing the game to the market, which made it a more practical learning experience for the new developers. [9] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] However, Uemura felt that both stage design and characters were "cobbled together", leading the game's world being "kind of a mess" and he also stated the project turned into a "battle royale", as staff from both Hellfire and Truxton were mixed with the new recruits. [9] [15] Sound also proved to be very divisive as Uemura, Yuge and Tomizawa wrote several songs for the game with their own individual styles, though Uemura claimed this was due to dividing the work, while Yuge stated he would go to rest and drink after being stuck when composing for the title during work hours. [9] [11] [12] [15] Due to being a training project, Uemura stated the team had freedom to "just fool around" and several features were integrated into the title such as warps, which was taken from Slap Fight . [15] Uemura also revealed that the reason for enemies spawning suicide bullets during loops of higher difficulty was in response to hardware limitations regarding sprites. [15] Both the single-player and co-op versions were also planned from the beginning of development due to pressure to make two-player games at the time. [15] The alien Pipiru was designed by Ogiwara, though Uemura claimed such character was not planned. [15]

The Sega Mega Drive version of Zero Wing was created by the same staff from the original arcade release, with Uemura overseeing development in-house. [10] [13] [14] [16] [19] Both Uemura and Tataka have stated that working with the Mega Drive proved to be difficult due to several restrictions imposed by the hardware. [13] [16] According to both Uemura and Yuge, the poor English translation in the Mega Drive version was handled by a then-member of Toaplan in charge of export and overseas business, whose English was "really terrible". [12] [20] The Mega Drive port features arranged music by Noriyuki Iwadare. [16] [21] The PC Engine CD-ROM² version was outsourced by an "acquaintance" from defunct developer Orca, with Uemura handling sound. [14]

Release

Zero Wing was first released in arcades on July 1, 1989 [1] by Namco in Japan, and then by Williams Electronics for North America in April 1990. [2] [3] In 1989, an album containing music from the title was co-published exclusively in Japan by Scitron and Pony Canyon. [9]

Zero Wing was first ported to the Sega Mega Drive by Toaplan and was first published in Japan on 31 May 1991 [22] and later in Europe by Sega in July 1991. [23] The game was later converted to the PC Engine CD-ROM² add-on and was published exclusively in Japan by Naxat Soft on 18 September 1992. [24] The Japanese release is able to play fine on American Sega Genesis consoles. Like most early titles it had no region protection, nor had the European release been PAL-optimized.[ citation needed ] To expand the plot, the Mega Drive version added an introductory sequence to the game. [7] This introduction does not appear in the arcade original nor in the PC Engine CD-ROM² versions; rather, a different intro takes place with a blue-windowed ZIG. [7] The PC Engine CD-ROM² added two new levels — 5th (Deeva) and 10th (Vacura).[ citation needed ]

The Mega Drive port was later released in North America by independent publisher Retro-Bit in 2020. [25] Zero Wing was included as part of the Toaplan Arcade 1 compilation for Evercade, released on December 15, 2022. [26] On June 30, 2022, Zero Wing was re-released on the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack. [27]

On August 18, 2022, Bitwave Games and Toaplan jointly announced that Zero Wing would be releasing onto Steam as a standalone title in 2022, and will also be available in a game bundle along with Twin Cobra , Truxton , and Out Zone . The Steam release will include a "range of quality-of-life enhancements, such as stunning pixel-perfect graphics, rewind, achievements, online leaderboards, sidebar indicators, and a brand new Very Easy mode". [28] Following a delay, it was released on Steam and GOG.com on February 14, 2023. [29]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScores
Sega Mega Drive PC Engine CD-ROM²
Beep! Mega Drive 32/40 [30] —
Computer and Video Games 93% [23] —
Famitsu 28/40 [31] 21/40 [32]
Games-X 92% [33] —
Gekkan PC Engine —78/100 [34]
Génération 4 81% [35] —
Hippon Super! 60/100 [36] —
Hobby Consolas 86/100 [37] —
HonestGamersStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [38] —
Joypad 90% [39] 68% [40]
Joystick 86% [41] 78% [42]
Marukatsu PC Engine —25/40 [43]
Mean Machines 91% [44] —
Mega 70% [45] —
Mega Drive Advanced Gaming 72% [46] —
Mega Drive Fan 19.70/30 [47] —
Mega Force 80% [48] —
MegaTech 82% [49] —
PC Engine Fan —19.72/30 [50]
Play Time 68% [51] —
Player One 79% [52] —
Power Play 67% [53] —
Sega Force 86% [54] —
Sega Power Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [55]
88% [56] 		—
Sega Pro 78% [57] —
Supersonic 85% [58] —
Tilt 16/20 [59] —
Video Games 67% [60] —

In Japan, Game Machine listed Zero Wing on their 15 November 1989 issue as being the fourth most-successful table arcade unit of the month, outperforming titles such as Jitsuryoku!! Pro Yakyū and U.N. Squadron . [61]

The game received a positive critical reception upon release. [62] [63] [64] Computer and Video Games scored it 93%, including ratings of 92% for graphics, 93% for sound, 90% for playability, and 89% for lastability. They praised "the great intro sequence", "super-smooth gameplay, beautifully defined graphics, rocking sound track, amazing explosions and incredible end-of-level bosses", concluding that it is "the game which breaths ( sic ) new life into shoot 'em ups on the Megadrive". [23] Mean Machines scored it 91%, including ratings of 92% for presentation and graphics, 88% for sound, 90% for playability, and 89% for lastability. They praised the "ace" opening sequence, "detailed" graphics, "real good" music, and skill-based gameplay, concluding that it is one of "the best Megadrive blasts in ages." [44] Sega Force scored it 86%, including ratings of 84% for presentation, 89% for visuals, 83% for sound, 89% for playability, and 82% for lastability. They praised the "animated intro" sequence, "smart" graphics, "up-beat Jap tune" music, and the accessible but "highly involved" gameplay, concluding that it is "almost as good as Hellfire " but "not quite." [54]

Complex ranked Zero Wing 98th on their "The 100 Best Sega Genesis Games." [65]

Legacy

Zero Wing was the last side-scrolling shoot 'em up title to be developed by Toaplan, as the company did not know how to make a side-scrolling shooter interesting, despite positive reception from players. [16] In 1999, the introduction cutscene for the Sega Mega Drive version of Zero Wing was re-discovered, culminating in the wildly popular "All your base are belong to us" Internet meme. [17] [66] [67] In more recent years, the rights to Zero Wing 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. [68] [69] [70] [71] [72]

Notes

  1. ↑ Japanese: ゼロウィング, Hepburn: Zero Wingu

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 1987 vertically scrolling shooter arcade video game originally developed by Toaplan and published 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 the screen of 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>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

Wardner is a side-scrolling platform game developed by Toaplan and published in arcades worldwide by Taito in 1987.

<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>Fire Shark</i> 1989 video game

Fire Shark is a 1989 vertically scrolling shooter arcade video game developed and published by Toaplan in Japan and Europe, and by Romstar in North America. It is the sequel to Flying Shark, a game released in 1987 on multiple platforms. Set in the year 1991, the game focuses on a mysterious armada launching a worldwide attack from a small island in the Mediterranean Sea. Players take control of the titular biplane to counterattack the enemy forces.

<i>Twin Hawk</i> 1989 video game

Twin Hawk is a 1989 vertically scrolling shooter arcade video game originally developed by Toaplan and published by Taito. Taking place at the end of an alternative World War II setting, where general Giovanni and his army plots to take over the fictional country Gorongo, players assume the role of a wing commander from the Daisenpū squadron taking control of a Flying Fortress fighter aircraft in an effort to overthrow the enemy.

<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>Dogyuun</i> 1992 video game

Dogyuun is a 1992 vertically scrolling shooter arcade video game developed and published by Toaplan. Set on the colonized fictional planet of Dino in the future, where an alien race of metallic robots have invaded a police communication center and held its inhabitants as hostages, players assume the role of two fighter pilots taking control of the Sylfers bomber space fighter crafts in an revenge attempt to overthrow the invaders and free the surviving colonists after one of their comrades is killed by one of them during a reconnaissance assignment.

<i>Guardian</i> (1986 video game) 1986 video game

Guardian 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.

<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.

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  53. ↑ Forster, Winfried (September 1991). "Videospiele / Tests: Baller Again - Zero Wing (Mega Drive)". Power Play (in German). No. 42. Future Verlag. p. 146.
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