Batsugun, the Video Game by Toaplan Co., Ltd. [Tokyo, Japan]

Type of the machine : Video Game
Batsugun © 1993 Toaplan.

A vertically scrolling shoot'em up game.

Game ID : TP-030

Main CPU : 68000 (@ 16 Mhz)
Sound Chips : YM2151 (@ 3.375 Mhz), OKI6295 (@ 24.242 Khz)

Screen orientation : Vertical
Video resolution : 240 x 320 pixels
Screen refresh : 60.00 Hz
Palette colors : 2048

Players : 2
Control : 8-way joystick
Buttons : 2
=> [A] Shot, [B] Bomb

Released in February 1993.

The title of this game translates from Japanese as 'Distinguished'.

Licensed to Taito for world distribution and to Unite Trading for Korea.

This is the last shoot'em up and the first 'non-endless' game by Toaplan. A special version of Batsugun existed, originally it was only for the AOU show (Arcade Operators Union, an arcade game show held in Japan every year) and not for sale. After the Toaplan bankruptcy, the board started to appear on the second hand market.

Heralded by some as the first 'maniac shooter', Batsugun involved employees who would go on to form and work at Cave and continue to work in this subgenre. Batsugun saw an evolution in the use of complex bullet and enemy patterns and player fire power and hit-box.

The scoring trick on the fourth boss (destroy the two giant laser cannons, let the tanks appearing from the hangars fill the ramps and become red, bomb for 59,630 points a tank) was one source of inspiration for "Battle Garegga"'s gameplay.

Pony Canyon released a limited-edition soundtrack album for this game (Batsugun - PCCB-00151) on 18/03/1994.

In the special version :
* Differents colours for all stages.
* Some sprites have different colors.
* The title screen/demo & the ship selection screen have different colors.
* The 4-lap end is different.
* The power-ups are different.
* The collision detection area is tighter than the original.
* The smart-bombs are bigger and nicer looking. They also do more dammage.
* You get 8 credits instead of 4 to complete the game.
So basically the 'Special ver.' is an easier version.

* Hidden Functions : If the 'Invulnerability dip switch' is enabled, you are invulnerable but you may also 'Pause' the game with P2 Start and restart with P1 Start.

Excecutive producer : Yuko Tataka
Programmers : Suki! Suki! Kohchan No-Make, Sigue Hayasato, Tsuneki Ikeda (Ikeda In Naeba), Yoshitatsu Sakai (the 3rd)
Graphic design : Yuko Tataka, Takeshi Kamamoto, Junya Inoue (Joker Jun)
Characters designed by : Junya Inoue (Joker Jun)
Musics composed by : Yoshitatsu Sakai (the 3rd)

Consoles :

Sega Saturn (1996) : including normal and special version.

Game's rom.