Accepted [+] [X] Top Landing Update submitted by Andrzej Warszawski
Top Landing (c) 1988 Taito corporation.
A 3D flight simulation game were you can choose destinations like Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo, Osaka, Rio de Janeiro, Sydney, Fukuoka and Washington/Dulles.
- TECHNICAL -
Taito Air System hardware
Prom Stickers: B62
Main CPU: Motorola 68000 (@ 12 Mhz), Zilog Z80 (@ 4 Mhz), TMS32025 (@ 24 Mhz)
Sound Chips: Yamaha YM2610 (@ 8 Mhz)
Mechadrive motor (only in cockpit cabinet)
Players: 1
Control: yoke and throttle (both with lock)
Buttons: 1
=> [A] = door switch (only in cockpit cabinet)
- TRIVIA -
Released in September 1988. Top Landing was Taito's first 3D game!
The runway edge shown before the title screen shows '1988 top landing'.
The 1-3 stage soundtrack was re-used in "Jet de Go! Pocket" on Sony PSP.
Pony Canyon/Scitron released a limited-edition soundtrack album for this game (Kyukyoku Tiger : G.S.M. Taito 2 - D28B0008) on 21/11/1988.
Zuntata Records released a limited-edition soundtrack album for this game (Zuntata History L'ab-normal 1st - ZTTL-0038) on 01/04/1999.
Unlike Midnight Landing, the pilot always responds 'roger' after control tower's boss' 'over' in telling the remaining distance.
Both world and Japanese roms have English speech.
The staff roll features a Chack'N cameo between T. Tsukano and Y. Ohnogi (software section), where the Monsta's sprite appears in the high score entry screen.
You get 'the end' screen even after you complete the game.
- TIPS AND TRICKS -
* When you are out of the course, the announcer and crewman don't say the 'arrive message'.
* You can get a perfect score, unlike in Midnight Landing: you'll get 100 points for a perfect landing. The 100 point landing is shown at: https://youtu.be/_fj3jmmAElc?t=308
* When you land at the Tokyo international airport, you are able to land a second time there. You can't score points for doing this, though.
- UPDATES -
Japanese rom has a territorial warning forbidding you to play Top Landing outside Japan. Other difference is non-English text appearing on the stage choice screen (the stewardess' text is also non-English) and after the stage choice. The introductory stage (takeoff) features instructions not written in English. The point subtraction reasons (shown after landing) aren't in English. Moreover, the yoke and throttle adjustment instructions aren't shown in English.
- SERIES -
1. Midnight Landing (1987)
2. Top Landing (1988)
3. Landing Gear (1996)
4. Landing High Japan (1999)
5. Jet De GO! (2000, Sega Dreamcast)
6. Jet De GO! (2002, Sony PlayStation 2)
7. Jet De GO! Pocket (2005, Sony PSP)
- STAFF -
Chief: A. Iwai
Game design: S. Kawakami, Y. Kasahara
Software: T. Tsukano, Y. Ohnogi
Graphic design: Y. Ohnogi, Y. Kasahara
Character design: S. Kawakami
Hardware: S. Kubota, T. Tanaka, K. Kaneoka, E. Takahashi
Sound: Zuntata
Art design: S. Sekiguchi, N. Yoshida
Mechanic: Y. Hatsuda
- SOURCES -
Game's manual.
Game's picture.
Game's ROMs.
Accepted [+] [X] Enforce Update submitted by Andrzej Warszawski
Enforce (c) 1989 Taito corporation.
A 3-Dimensional tank driving shoot'em up using much the same technology as that of "Continental Circus".
- TECHNICAL -
Taito Z System hardware
Game ID: B58
Main CPU: (2x) Motorola 68000 (@ 12 Mhz)
Sound CPU: Zilog Z80 (@ 4 Mhz)
Sound Chips: Yamaha YM2610 (@ 8 Mhz)
Players: 1
Control: 8-way joystick
Buttons: 2
=> [A] = fire machine gun, [B] = shoot laser
- TRIVIA -
Even if the title screen says 1988, Enforce was released in April 1989 in Japan.
Despite that late release, the high score is anonymous.
Even after you complete the game, you'll get a game over screen after the staff roll, just like in "Continental Circus" or "Chase H.Q.".
World and 2 Japanese roms have non-metric units: foot and inch for length, height and width along with pound for weight. Only the gun is measured in a millimeter. All 3 roms have English speech. The engine in all 3 roms is a diesel 12V turbocharger. It's not known whether it was meant to be a V12 engine (12V means 12 valves; V12 is a type of 12-cylinder engine with pistons shaped in a 'V' letter) or a 12-valve one.
'Special thanks' are misspelled as 'Spacial thanks'. 'Laser cannon' is misspelled as 'laser canon'.
World rom is licensed from U.S. Navy under U.S. Patent 4,021,846.
- UPDATES -
There are 2 Japanese roms. One rom has digital controls (like world release) and the other has analog controls and a high/low gear shift known from driving games. Both roms have non-English text shown after stages. Both Japanese roms have no license from U.S. Navy.
- STAFF -
Produce: Junji Yarita
Software: Hidenori Sasatani, Eiichi Sato, Kenzo Nomura, Tohru Sugawara
Character: Junji Yarita, Akira Saito, Space Creative, Animation 20
Hardware: Yasuhiro Shibuya, Seigo Sakamoto
Electric: Fumio Takeda, Satoru Shimomura, Masatoki Sasaki
Mechanic: Akira Takahashi, Mituyoshi Ishida, Tohru Hirata, Masaharu Hori
Design: Shinobu Sekiguchi, Shin Tamagoshi
Sound - produced by: Zuntata, Hisayoshi Ogura (O.G.R.), Yasuhisa Watanabe (Yack)
Sound - Music composed by: Takami Asano
Sound - Data programmed by: Shizuo Aizawa (Splatter A)
Special thanks (in A.B.C order): Akira Iwai, Genya Kuriki, Hidehiro Fujiwara, Harutoki Kume, Hiroyasu Nagai, Ichiro Fujisue, Mari Iwano, Natsuki Hirosawa, Takaaki Deguchi, Takeshi Ishii, Tetsushi Abe, Tetsuro Kitagawa, Toshiko Shimoda, Toshiyuki Sanada, Tsutomu Yoshikawa, Yasuhiko Tanaka, Yoshinori Aiura, Yoshio Imamura
- SOURCES -
Game's ROMs.
Game's screenshot.
See goodies section.
Accepted [+] [X] Fun World Quiz Update submitted by Andrzej Warszawski
Fun World Quiz (c) 1990 Fun World.
Insertion of ATS 5 (Austrian Schilling coin) yields 1 credit. For 1 credit a player receives 500 points. At each question a player can bet 100, 500 or all points. If a question is answered correctly, the bet is added to the points. If a player reaches more than 2500 points after 5 questions, he gets bonus questions. The game is over after an incorrect answer.
- TECHNICAL -
Screen resolution: 384x200
Screen orientation: horizontal
Refresh frequency: 60.00 Hz
CPU: Rockwell R65C02
Sound: 1 speaker with AY-3-8910A PSG chip running at 2 MHz
Control: joystick 4 ways
Buttons: 0
- TRIVIA -
The latest rom was released in December 1990, even if there's no copyright year or creator on the title screen. The game was released only in Austria.
- TIPS AND TRICKS -
* The game is in German (Austrian variant). The high language proficiency is a necessity in this quiz game. Only the 'high score' frame is in English.
* All the questions in normal game are preceded by a bet (unless the 'Game with betting' switch is set to OFF). You can bet 100; 500 or all the points you have. Betting just 100 points is a safe move (when 'Show question in bet stage' dip switch is set to OFF by the operator), but you'll not reach a bonus round (2500 points are required to enter that round).
* The game is over when you either don't reach the bonus round (by losing all points after placing a full score bet or with no more than 2400 points) or answer any question incorrectly in the bonus round (first wrong answer ends the game there). You'll also end the game when you run out of time after placing a full score bet.
* The game is timed: you have to choose the question category within a few seconds. No reaction will cause the game to accept the decision highlighted with the joystick. The timer in the bonus round is faster while progressing the questions - the farther question you reach, the less time you have to answer. The timer will be that fast you'll not manage to read the question, leading to a game over.
- UPDATES -
The roms from April and November 1990 contained the A, B or C type questions, chosen by joystick pushed vertically and confirmed by pushing to the right. The latest rom has the answers chosen with a 4-way joystick.
- SOURCES -
Game's ROM.
Accepted [+] [X] Stocker - Drive all the way from coast to coast ! Update submitted by Andrzej Warszawski
Stocker - Drive all the way from coast to coast! (c) 1984 Bally Sente.
- TECHNICAL -
Bally / Sente SAC-I hardware
Main CPU: Motorola M6809 (@ 1.25 Mhz)
Sound CPU: Zilog Z80 (@ 4 Mhz)
Sound Chips: (6x) CEM3394 (@ 4 Mhz)
Screen orientation: Horizontal
Video resolution: 256 x 240 pixels
Screen refresh: 60.00 Hz
Palette colors: 1024
Players: 1
Control: steering wheel with unlimited range, high/low gear shift
Buttons: 0
- TRIVIA -
The title screen shows copyright 1984, but it's unknown if this was the proper release year. The only rom in MAME shows the date 3/19/85 (written in mm-dd-yy format). The March 1985 date doesn't tell if this was the release or latest build date.
The flyer's back page tells multiple lies: Stocker's race isn't driven through any city (woods and open fields are true), 'each player' is a total lie (the game is single player only), there's no gas pedal (the car accelerates automatically), the gearbox has only 'high' and 'low' gears (not a 4-speed gear shift!), there are no traffic jams, and the bikers aren't riding in a convoy or a gang.
The states included in this game are: Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California.
A Stocker unit appears in the 1986 movie 'The Color of Money'.
- TIPS AND TRICKS -
* You'll not be racing against any competitor; the CPU drivers you encounter just after beginning the game aren't your opponents. This means there's no fight for the 1st place.
* There's an unknown road labeled as '?' in Florida. Don't go there.
* When you see a gas station, turn there and go back onto the road. Missing a gas station will shorten your game significantly.
* The 'normal' game over (from dip switches) is after you collect 5 tickets awarded by the police.
* You can swim the car through the waters with no risk of drowning, but don't use this technique slowing the car down. Taking shortcuts on the grass, desert or snow isn't better. Don't drive through any buildings even if it doesn't damage the player's car.
- STAFF -
Game designer: Dennis Koble
Art: Gary Johnson
Sound: Jesse Osborne
Additional support: Gary Levenberg, Bil Maher
Additional codes: Lee Actor, Rich Adam
- PORTS -
* COMPUTERS:
Commodore C64 (1988)
PC [MS DOS] (1988, Capcom USA)
- SOURCES -
Game's ROM.
Machine's picture.
Accepted [+] [X] Age of Speed 2 Update submitted by Andrzej Warszawski
Age of Speed 2 (c) 200? Miniclip SA
Master futuristic race tracks in space! This time you'll be racing on 4 planets (Saturn, Mercury, Mars and Uranus) instead of 4 environments known from the first part. Choose your car, go through the 16 courses and become the universe champion!
- TECHNICAL -
Uses Adobe ShockWave
Players: 1
Controls: 4 arrows
Other keys: 2
[Z] = restore vehicle onto the track, [X] = use weapon
- TRIVIA -
Just like its predecessor, Age of Speed 2 uses the race scoring system based on coins collected on the track and average speed measured after the race. The post-race table scoring is completely separate.
'Actual score' is wrong and should have been 'Current score'. This had never been updated.
- SCORING -
Coin: 200 points (race)
1st place completion: 10 points (table)
2nd place completion: 8 points (table)
3rd place completion: 6 points (table)
4th place completion: 4 points (table)
Bonus for average speed: 10 points per km/h (post-race)
- TIPS AND TRICKS -
* Just like in Age of Speed, you have to complete 16 courses. Despite that fact you need to memorize just the first 4 driven on Saturn. But later you'll have to watch out at the edges as tracks after Saturn have no walls protecting you from falling off the course.
* Watch out after jumps: your car always lands randomly, so you may land and continue a fast drive, but the second jump will cause the car to lose speed. Moreover, if a sharp turn occurs after a jump, slow down first. Then you should land on the track instead of out of the edges.
* All 4 cars have the same specifications, so it doesn't matter whether you choose Katamori II, Exeena, Miniclip or Green Ooze.
* Even if you're in the 1st place and have the missile, fire it when you have a shield or lightning bolt power-up in your proximity.
* The weapons are also elements of strategy: use a lightning bolt before the start/finish line, but if you find a shield earlier, use it just a while BEFORE you pick the bolt up. The bolt should stop the opponent from overtaking you when you use it properly, mainly just before the race end (final lap - #3).
* The missiles aren't always effective: they may not reach a competitor far away from you.
* The AI drivers may not only pick the weaponry up, but also coins.
- STAFF -
Created by: Silent Bay Studios
- SERIES -
1. Age of Speed
2. Age of Speed 2
3. Age of Speed - Underworld
- SOURCES -
Game's Pack.
Accepted [+] [X] Super Shifter Update submitted by Arcadehero
Super Shifter (c) 1974 Allied Leisure.
An electro-mechanical racing game that featured a model of a Corvette as the player car. The illusion of a road going into the distance was provided by a mirror, reflecting the conveyor belt road and lights that would move faster as your speed increased.
Your goal is to drive as far as you can before the timer runs out. Simple, but fun.
- TRIVIA -
Released in May 1974.
With an emphasis on realism, Super Shifter used a real steering wheel, 4-speed shifter along with a clutch pedal, functioning tachometers, and a molded seat. This would be the first sit-down driver to use such a seat, a standard that is still in place with arcade games today.
A fire had destroyed most of Allied Leisure's manufacturing facilities in January of '74. The company was able to rally and had production back up in only 90 days, with Super Shifter being one of the first games out to help them recover.
In the April 1977 issue of Replay Magazine, Super Shifter is listed in the top 10 arcade games of "all time."
- STAFF -
Designed by : Jack Pearson
- SOURCES -
Machine's picture.
Game's flyer
The Ultimate History (So far) of Allied Leisure/Centuri - Part 3
Replay Magazine, April 1977
