Accepted [+] [X] Galaxian [Model NGX-4500] Update submitted by Barbara
Galaxian (c) 1984 Namcot (Namco ltd label for home releases).
A portage of the first coin-op game using full color TV set, released in October 1979.
- TECHNICAL -
CART ID: NGX-4500
Players: up to 2 (alternate)
Controls: d-pad 2 ways (left and right)
Buttons: 1
[A] or [B] = fire
- TRIVIA -
Galaxian for Famicom was released on September 7, 1984 in Japan.
The 1979 copyright year is a reference to the coin-op original, published in October 1979.
All the levels are the same.
The HUD will show 5 flags up to stage 5. After that, one flag will show up and the stage will be written in numbers.
- SCORING -
* Red alien: 50 points (when static; 100 when flying)
* Lavender alien: 40 points (when static; 80 when flying)
* Bottle-green alien: 30 points (when static; 60 when flying)
* Flagship: 60 points (when static; 150 when destroyed alone; 200 when destroyed with 1 alien, 300 when destroyed alien first then flagship, 800 when destroyed with 2 aliens)
- STAFF -
By: Haruhisa Udagawa
- PORTS -
* CONSOLES:
Philips CD-I [EU] (1996) "Arcade Classics"
- SOURCES -
Game's ROM.
Accepted [+] [X] Zippy Race [Model IF-01] Update submitted by Barbara
ジッピーレース (c) 1985 Irem Corp.
(Zippy Race)
1985 conversion of the arcade game made by the original maker - Irem corporation.
- TECHNICAL -
GAME ID: IF-01
Players: up to 2 (alternate)
Controls: d-pad 2 ways (left and right) - tilt the bike in the desired direction
Buttons: 2
=> [A] = accelerate, [B] = brake (down to 059 km/h)
The cartridge features a red LED that lights up when the machine is switched on.
- TRIVIA -
Released on July 18, 1985 in Japan. Zippy Race was the very first Famicom game by Irem (IF-01).
The 1983 copyright year is a reference to coin-op release of Traverse USA (title changeable via dip switches) published in June 1983.
This port contains 5 engine classes: 250 cc reaching 180 km/h, 500 cc - 240 km/h, 750 cc - 300 km/h, 1000 cc - 360 km/h and 1200 cc - 420 km/h.
This is an incomplete port - desert stages end up in the middle of progress bar.
- SCORING -
Overtaken car: 500 points.
Wheelie (asphalt stages only): 500 points.
Jump (desert rides only): 500 points.
'100' and '200' (on desert stages): 100 and 200 points respectively.
Bonus fuel: 100 points per fuel line based on stage end positions.
Stage end position 1: 20000 points.
Stage end position 2: 14000 points.
Stage end position 3: 12000 points.
Stage end position 4: 10000 points.
Stage end position 5: 8000 points.
Stage end position 6: 6000 points.
Stage end positions 7~10: 3000 points.
Stage end positions 11~15: 2400 points.
Stage end positions 16~20: 2200 points.
Stage end positions 21~30: 2000 points.
Stage end positions 31~40: 1800 points.
Stage end positions 41~50: 1600 points.
Stage end positions 51~60: 1400 points.
Stage end positions 61~70: 1200 points.
Stage end positions 71~80: 1000 points.
Stage end positions 81~90: 800 points.
Stage end positions 91~98: 600 points.
Stage end position 99: 0 points.
- TIPS AND TRICKS -
* You'll not finish 1st on 250 cc engine class as the NPC spawn system is broken there. But you can reach that position after 250 cc.
* You can control the speed during a jump or wheelie, but not the bike itself.
* Don't perform a wheelie on 4-lane roads of stages #3 and #5 - the tape is put on the far right side which will lead you to a crash.
- SOURCES -
Game's screenshot.
Game's ROM.
Accepted [+] [X] Battle City [Model NAM-NBC-4500] Update submitted by Barbara
Battle City (c) 1985 NAMCOT [Namco, Ltd. label for home].
- TECHNICAL -
Game ID: NAM-NBC-4500
Players: up to 2 (simultaneous)
Controls: d-pad 4 directions
Buttons: 1
=> [A] or [B] = fire
- TRIVIA -
Battle City was released on September 09, 1985 in Japan. The 1980 copyright year from the title screen is a reference to Tank Battalion, released in October 1980 for coin-op machines.
Some of the stages represent characters from Namco games:
Stage 4: Ribble Rubble Hoblin.
Stage 10: Mappy mouse.
Stage 21: Dig Dug Pooka.
Stage 30: Underground Pooka.
Stage 35: Galaxian insect.
The game was originally meant to have a pistol power-up, but was removed. It reappears in a pirate version of this game, "Tank 1990", published by Yanshan software in February 1990.
This game can be ended in 2 ways: loss of all lives (method 1) or destruction of the base marked as an eagle, independent on the number of lives (method 2). It's another reference to Tank Battalion.
Ryouiti Ookubo is known as 'Open-Reach' and Noriko Ikegawa simply as 'Noriko' on the Easter egg screen.
- SCORING -
* Slow tank, slow shot: 100 points.
* Fast tank: 200 points.
* Slow tank, fast shot: 300 points.
* Armored tank: 400 points.
* Every power-up: 500 points.
- TIPS AND TRICKS -
* Taking a grenade power-up will destroy all the enemy tanks on the screen, but is awarded only with 500 points. The automatically destroyed tanks aren't scored on the post-stage screen.
* Reach tank level 4 by taking 3 star power-ups and you'll be able to shoot white armor out.
* The construction stage is disposable.
* Don't enforce a game over by shooting the eagle at stage 36: the game will load the same levels, but with harder enemies. The loop ends after stage 70.
* Watch out for ice: it affects your tank's handling, but enemies don't slide on it.
* Up to 4 enemy tanks can be present at one screen during a single-player game. Double-player game makes even 6 enemy tanks litter the screen.
* Don't shoot your co-player's tank: it'll be frozen for 5 seconds. When an enemy is shooting from behind or any side, you'll not be able to move resulting in a life loss.
* All armored tanks require 4 shots to be taken down.
* When you didn't collect a power-up, it'll disappear when another flashing tank is about to appear on the screen.
* Access secret screen:
At the title screen, select 'construction' on the menu. Press Start on controller #1 to enter the mode, then press it again to return back to the title screen. Repeat this 7 times. After the seventh enter-and-exit sequence, hold d-pad down on controller #1 and press 'A' 8 times on controller #2. Finally, hold d-pad right on controller #1 and press 'B' 12 times on controller #2. After all of this, press Start on controller #1 to activate a secret message from a programmer with a little animation - small drop heading from the top of the screen.
- SERIES -
1. Tank Battalion (1980, AC)
2. Battle City [Model NAM-NBC-4500] (1985, FC)
3. Tank Force (1991, AC)
- STAFF -
By: Ryouiti Ookubo (Open-Reach), Takefumi Hyoudou, Junko Ozawa
- SOURCES -
Game's ROM.
Accepted [+] [X] Strategy X Update submitted by Barbara
Strategy X (c) 1981 Konami.
Advance to the base and destroy Emmortalian.
Even Patton would spend all his quarters attempting to advance through the four attack levels (and base) of Strategy X, Konami's latest tank attack video game. The tank commander's life isn't an easy one.
Part 1: Defend yourself against rotating cannons.
Part 2: Watch out for attacking Jeeps.
Part 3: Careful! Here come attacking and shooting tanks.
Part 4: Rotating cannons again, but this time against a moving background.
Part BASE: Destroy bricks, watch out for colored bombs, don't disregard rotating cannons either and move until you reach an octagonal mine. Destroy it.
Aside from an on-going battle, he has to watch out for obstacles and rough terrain. Brick walls destroy tanks, although they can be shot away. TNT, rather nasty stuff... explodes when shot, but destroys all objects in the area. Stay off pink backgrounds. If an alien base is found and destroyed, advance to the next level of difficulty.
Strategy X. There's never been a war game like it. It blows minds, and quarters.
- TECHNICAL -
Game ID: GX306
Main CPU: Zilog Z80 (@ 3.072 Mhz)
Sound CPU: Zilog Z80 (@ 1.78975 Mhz)
Sound Chips: (2x) General Instrument AY8910 (@ 1.78975 Mhz)
Screen orientation: horizontal
Screen resolution: 256x224
Players: up to 2 (alternate)
Control: 8-way joystick
Buttons: 3
=> [A] = fire, [B] = rotate turret left, [C] = rotate turret right
- TRIVIA -
Strategy X was released in October 1981.
Licensed to Stern for US manufacture and distribution (December 1981).
A silent engine sound taken from Scramble is played during part 4.
'Emmortalian' is spelled as 'Immortalian' on Japanese flyer of Strategy X. Mine is written as 'Mein' also on Japanese flyer.
You can continue a game: just press fire (discharge) button after you inserted an additional coin.
All the scores are anonymous.
A bootleg of this game is known as "Strong X" and is labeled as 1982 release.
- SCORING -
* 1 second of play: 10 points.
* Fuel dock (only when refueling): 100; 200 or 300 points (always randomly).
* TNT: 50 points.
* Cannon: 80 points.
* Jeep: 100 points.
* Tank: 100 points.
* Base (Immortalian): 999 points.
- TIPS AND TRICKS -
* Extra life is earned at 10000 points (the only point threshold), other extra life is earned after destruction of base at flag 1.
* Rotate the turret: required to destroy a cannon (or anything else) when you're hidden behind the walls.
* Don't drive into any mine: doing so causes a tank destruction and life loss. Beware of them when you're on a slip zone (ice).
* Watch the fuel: when you hear a signal, stop at a fuel dock and refuel, even if the meter is barely filled. Always refuel to the upper limits independently on the tank's content.
* TNT packages in part 'base' are multi-color. These packages are timed bombs. Don't come too close when a bomb is flashing fast - this means the bomb is about to explode.
* Destroy the base from the outside - inside destruction will cause a life loss.
- PORTS -
* CONSOLES:
[US] Atari 2600 (1981) [Model RC-101-X 02]
- SOURCES -
Game's ROM.
Machine's picture.
Japanese flyer.
Stern electronics' flyer.
Accepted [+] [X] Road Fighter [Model RC801] Update submitted by Barbara
Road Fighter (c) 1985 Konami Industry Company, Limited.
- TECHNICAL -
GAME ID: RC801
Players: 1
Controls: 2-way joystick, left and right = steer
Buttons: 2
=> [B] = low gear, [A] = high gear
- TRIVIA -
Road Fighter for Famicom was released on July 11, 1985 in Japan.
The game was probably supposed to have a double-player mode (just like coin-op original), which is shown on the right panel ('1p' above score), but the game remained single-player.
Due to cartridge rom size, the stages are moderately altered and 2 are removed, ending the loop after course 4. You don't fight for position 1 in this port. Time isn't measured, the distance is shown by a generic progress bar located on the left side of the screen.
- SCORING -
Overtaken car: 50 points.
Konami man: 1000 points (doesn't occur at course 2).
Fuel car: 1000 points (constant number).
Unused fuel units: 30 points per unit (awarded after stage).
- TIPS AND TRICKS -
* Don't press the [A] button when you're accelerating from 0 km/h. You'll need to wait way more than you'd start with [B] button and then 'shift' at 190 km/h.
* Don't crash at any course (except #2) to encounter Konami man for 1000 point bonus.
* Pick all the bonus fuel cars - you may need them even if you have much fuel. You'll not get a bonus increment though.
- SOURCES -
Game's ROM.
Accepted [+] [X] Space Cruiser Update submitted by Barbara
Space Cruiser (c) 1981 Taito corporation.
An excellent and varied space shoot'm up game. Locate the coordinates of attack on the interstellar map, the UFO attack is coming!
Forwards! The Earth's future is on your shoulders! Blast off the Space Cruiser for a new survival adventure!
Stages:
1. UFO's found! Attack and destroy!
2. Danger! Asteroids!
3. Space station!
4. Alien's found! Attack and destroy!
5. Enemy bases in range!
- TECHNICAL -
Runs on the "Taito SJ System" hardware.
Prom Stickers: CG
Screen resolution: 224x256 (vertical)
Players: up to 2 (alternate)
Control: 2-way joystick (left and right)
Buttons: 2
=> A = fire, B = continue
- TRIVIA -
Released in September 1981.
A few seconds of 'Night on Bald mountain' from 'Fantasia' are played during most stages.
The game features digitized speech during countdown before blastoff, but the quality isn't high.
High score allows to put up to 10 letters.
'Forward!' is misspelled as 'Foward!'.
The game has punctuation mistakes - an unnecessary space is placed before almost all exclamation marks (except 'Danger! Asteroids!', 'Asteroids point! and 'Alien's found!' - there's no space before exclamation marks).
Also available as a cocktail model. In Japan, the cocktail version is known as "T.T. Space Cruiser".
- SCORING -
Enemy's ufo on 'UFOs found' stage: 50 points
Mothership on 'UFOs found' stage: 1000 points
Miniature asteroid on 'Danger! Asteroids' stage: 10 points
Huge asteroid on 'Danger! Asteroids' stage: 20 points
Bonus for full distance traveled with no crash on 'Danger! Asteroids' stage: 2480 points
Docking on 'Space station' stage: 2000 points (without any shots into it) and extra life
Ufo on 'Space station' stage: 100 points
Shot into docking spot: (-50) points per shot, taken away from bonus score
Alien on 'Aliens found' stage: 30 points
Ufo on 'Enemy bases in range' stage: 100 points
Crater damage on 'Enemy bases in range' stage: 200 points
Crater destroyed on 'Enemy bases in range' stage: 200 points
Rocket on 'Enemy bases in range' stage: 1 point
Base destroyed: 3000 points
- TIPS AND TRICKS -
* You can randomly get a protective ufo on either half of the 'UFOs found' stage. This ufo protects you from rockets fired from enemy's ships.
* Avoid the red maneuvering laser from mothership on 'UFOs found' stage.
* Shoot all possible asteroids on 'Danger! Asteroids' stage.
* Watch out on 'Danger! Asteroids' stage: it has a slip zone; you'll be warned before you enter it.
* Dock successfully on 'Space station' stage to increase firepower. This is required to get 3000 point bonus for destruction of the red base.
* Shoot the green alien in the first half of the stage to kill the remaining yellow ones. Do the same on the second half, but this time cyan aliens will be dead.
* You have 21 ufos to shoot out on 'Enemy bases in range' stage before you proceed to destruction of 3 craters and the base itself.
* Watch out for red ufos: they release a yellow beam freezing you for 2 seconds.
* Don't let red ufos land on the bottom of the screen: you'll lose a life when you let them.
* You don't have much time to destroy 3 craters on 'Enemy bases in range' stage. When the base moves away, you'll need to start the game from the beginning.
- PORTS -
* COMPUTERS:
[JP] FM-7 (1983)
[JP] NEC PC-8801 (1983)
- SOURCES -
Game's ROM.
Game's picture.
Accepted [+] [X] Lunar Ball [Model PNF-LB] Update submitted by Barbara
ルナーボール (c) 1985 Pony Canyon, Incorporated.
(Lunar Ball)
Portage of the PC-88 game; "Lunar Ball [Model M58C-5079]".
- TECHNICAL -
GAME ID: R49V5902 (PNF-LB)
Players: 2 (either vs NPC or human player) or 1.
Controls: d-pad left and right = aim, d-pad up = zoom the crosshair in, d-pad down = zoom down, [A] = shoot the ball.
- TRIVIA -
Released by PonyCa in Japan on December 05, 1985.
Exported into the USA as "Lunar Pool".
Stages #05 and #18 resemble a 'Z' letter, #32 and #60 - 'LB' letters (game's initials), #13 and #45 - tailless arrow facing right, #26 and #50 - tailed arrow facing left.
The game initially awards 1990 points for Perfect stage clear, but reminds itself to add the remaining 10 just after the screen 'Stage X start'.
- SCORING -
Scoring is calculated by the following formulae: (10 x ball number) x rate.
Perfect!: +2000 points, +3 to multiplier and another extra ball.
Stage complete without perfect: 1 extra ball.
- TIPS AND TRICKS -
* Don't touch the friction: when you set the friction to 000, the balls will stop after a long time, just as if they were on an ice rink. BUT if you set the friction to 255, you'll not be able to complete the game - the balls will barely move, as if they were super-glued to the table. The best option is to keep the default 032 friction.
* Try to pocket 2 balls on one shot. This will increase the rate (multiplier) by 4 (by 1 after the 1st pocket and +3 after the 2nd landing).
* Pocket all the balls without letting the shot lamps go off (see scoring).
* Don't let all 3 shot lamps go off - you'll lose a life when you let them. Just as if you pocketed the cue ball.
- STAFF -
Produced by AII. Designed by Compile.
Program: Jemini
Art design: Teramoto
Music: Miyamoto
Game design: Yunoki
Director: Niitani
- SOURCES -
Game's ROM.
Accepted [+] [X] Konami RF2 - Red Fighter [Model GX561] Update submitted by Barbara
Konami RF2 - Red Fighter (c) 1985 Konami industry co ltd.
Drive your car through 6 courses, avoiding other cars and motorcycles. Drive through fuel bubbles to gain more fuel. Run out of fuel and it's game over.
- TECHNICAL -
Game ID: GX561
Runs on Nemesis/Gradius hardware
Main CPU: Motorola 68000 (@ 9.216 Mhz)
Sound CPU: Zilog Z80 (@ 3.579545 Mhz)
Sound Chips: (2x) General Instrument AY8910 (@ 1.789772 Mhz), K005289 (@ 1.789772 Mhz), Sanyo VLM5030 (@ 3.579545 Mhz)
Screen orientation: Horizontal
Video resolution: 256 x 224 pixels
Screen refresh: 60.61 Hz
Palette colors: 2048
Players: 1
Control: steering wheel with no lock + 1 pedal (gas, digital) or 2 (gas and brake, both digital), high-low gear shift
Buttons: 0
- TRIVIA -
Konami RF2 - Red Fighter was released in October 1985.
Exported outside Japan as "Konami GT [Model GX561]".
This game has collecting gas bubbles more or less in common with Road Fighter, as well as flights occurring on later stages.
Not all versions of RF2 or Konami GT have a brake pedal.
This game can be converted into Hyper Crash (when Konami GT with or without brake option in dip switches is set there)
Alfa Records released a limited-edition soundtrack album for this game (Konami Game Music Vol.2 - ALC-22904) on September 25, 1986.
- SCORING -
* 5 yards driven: 10 pts
* Gas bubble: 500 pts; 1000 pts and every 500 pts, up to 5000 pts (when not crashed; accident resets to 500 pts per bubble)
* bonus score: 500 pts per fuel unit (awarded after stage) + 3000 when a skull appears.
* biplane flight (on stage 2): 1000 pts
* helicopter flight (on stage 3): 2000 pts
* spaceship flight (on stage 4): 3000 pts
* UFO flight (on stage 5): 5000 pts
* sled flight with reindeer and Santa Claus (on stage 6; doesn't always appear): 5000 pts
- SOURCES -
Game's ROM.
Machine's picture.
Accepted [+] [X] Chequered Flag [Model GX717] Update submitted by Barbara
Chequered Flag (c) 1988 Konami.
Chequered Flag is an overhead-view racing game featuring rotational sprite scaling. The player races over a series of twisting courses, trying to reach the finish line before the timer expires.
The game includes a Pit-stop facility, a feature that had appeared 2 months earlier in Taito's "Continental Circus". Should the player's car sustain too much damage, a pit-stop must be made to implement repairs. A 'damage meter' at the bottom of the screen shows the severity of the damage; highlighting what car components are in need of repair: engine, front tires, rear tires and brakes.
- TECHNICAL -
Game ID: GX717
Main CPU: KONAMI (@ 3 Mhz)
Sound CPU: Zilog Z80 (@ 3.579545 Mhz)
Sound Chips: Yamaha YM2151 (@ 1.789772 Mhz), (2x) K007232 (@ 3.579545 Mhz)
Players: 1
Control: 2 pedals (analog gas pedal and digital brake), limited-range steering wheel and high-low gear shifter
Buttons: 1 > start
- TRIVIA -
Chequered Flag was released in May 1988.
Another title is accessible via dipswitches: Checkered Flag. It doesn't change the speed unit into a mile per hour despite US-only spelling.
Some machines feature only a gas pedal.
Stage 1's circuit is a recreation of Suzuka circuit (east course), stage 2 is driven on a deformed Circuit De La Sarthe (holding 24 Heures Du Mans), where the last stage (#3) is nearly full layout of Suzuka circuit - GP course without Casio triangle.
King Records released a limited-edition soundtrack album for this game (Konami Game Music Collection Vol.1 - K30X7705) on August 5, 1988. This album was reprinted (KCIA-2309) on May 21, 1993.
- UPDATES -
Japanese version has the copyright notice forbidding to play outside Japan; it's shown after a few demo plays.
- TIPS AND TRICKS -
* Stage #3 doesn't require you to refuel, so drive into the pit only when tires, brake or engine are broken.
* Don't drive on dry tires on stage #2: you'll get a warning 'change to rain tires'. Disregarding this warning will make the tires too heavy to turn.
- SOURCES -
Game's ROM.
Accepted [+] [X] F-1 Race [Model HVC-FR-JPN] Update submitted by Barbara
F-1 Race (c) 1984 Nintendo.
Formula 1-styled game divided into 3 skill levels.
- TECHNICAL -
GAME ID: HVC-FR-JPN
Controls: d-pad left and right = steer in desired direction, [d-pad up] = set the gear to low, [d-pad down] = high gear, [A] = accelerate, [B] = brake.
Players = 1.
- TRIVIA -
F1 Race was released on November 02, 1984 in Japan at a retail price of 4500 Yen.
The game may have come out as incomplete - circuit #5 (at any skill level) is still driven even after lap #2.
- TIPS AND TRICKS -
* Reach 496 km/h: first, drive almost onto the right edge of road. Then watch the speedometer. When it reaches 416 km/h, the car will accelerate up to 496 km/h. This can be done only on circuit #1 on skill level 1.
* Skill levels have not only more difficult courses, but also lower thresholds of car's slide (the car handles worse at turns).
* Circuit #5 is bugged at all 3 skill levels - lap #2 doesn't end the course. The only way to end the game is to let the timer run out at this stage.
* Even one crash can lead to a game over. Avoid the barrels and turn signs put by both sides of the road along with opponents' cars at all times.
* You get points only for driving. There are no points for overtaking, finishing the stage fast or anything else.
- SCORING -
10 yards driven: 10 points
- STAFF -
Executive Producer: Hiroshi Yamauchi
Producer: Masayuki Uemura
Program: Yasunari Soejima, Satoru Iwata
Music Composer: Hideki Kanazashi
Music Programmer: Hiroaki Suga
- SOURCES -
Game's ROM.
Accepted [+] [X] Hogan's Alley [Model HVC-HA-JPN] Update submitted by Barbara
Hogan's Alley (c) 1984 Nintendo Co., Ltd.
Test your sharpshooting skills at the FBI's training camp. You've got to respond with split-second accuracy and instinct to protect innocent lives and bring down the bad guys. Do you have what it takes to be an agent?
Modes = A: blank wall with cartons on a conveyor belt in a shooting range.
Modes = B: cartons in town with scenery changing every 2 rounds.
Modes = C: trick shot; shoot the cans to make them land on shelves.
- TECHNICAL -
Game ID: HVC-HA-JPN
Controls: lightgun.
Players: 1.
- TRIVIA -
Hogan's Alley was released on June 12, 1984 in Japan.
Export releases:
[US] "Hogan's Alley [Model NES-HA-USA]"
- SCORING -
Gangster A: 500 pts
Gangster B: 1000 pts
Gangster C: 2000 pts
Shot into the can: 100 pts
Top shelf landing: 300 pts
Middle shelf landing: 800 pts
Bottom shelf landing: 5000 pts
Narrow shelf landing (near the bottom one): 100 pts
- TIPS AND TRICKS -
* See the counter on the top wall on mode A: it tells you how many seconds you have to fire the gun. Note this is the only mode with shown timer.
* Don't shoot the cans on mode C off the screen: you'll get no points for can landing.
* Shooting anyone else than gangsters results in a miss. 10 misses end the game. Don't let the can land on the floor either - you'll score a miss.
* Conveyor belts are faster in mode B after round 2. Gravity in mode C is also faster after round 3.
* To make the can (in mode C) land on the narrow shelf, let it bounce from the wall next to middle or top shelf and shoot the can again.
- SOURCES -
Game's rom.
See Video section.