Vulgus
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| Vulgus | |
|---|---|
 Vulgus title screen |
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| Developer(s) | Capcom |
| Publisher(s) | Capcom |
| Release date(s) | September 10, 1984 |
| Genre(s) | Vertical Scrolling shooter |
| Mode(s) | One or two players, alternating |
| Platform(s) | Arcade, PC Windows In Capcom Generation 3: PlayStation, Sega Saturn In Capcom Classics Collection: PlayStation 2, Xbox |
| Input | 8-way joystick, 2 buttons |
| Arcade CPU(s) | Z80 (@ 4 Mhz) |
| Arcade sound system(s) | Sound CPU: Z80 (@ 3 Mhz) Sound Chips: (2x) AY8910 (@ 1.5 Mhz) |
| Arcade display | Raster, 224 x 256 pixels (Vertical), 256 colors |
Vulgus (J: バルガス), is a simple vertically scrolling shooter released by Capcom in 1984. The game has the distinction of being Capcom's first video or arcade game. The game is also included in Capcom Classics Collection and is now available as freeware.
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[edit] Gameplay
The player controls a spaceship with a single objective: destroy incoming enemies. The vessel has two different weapons: a primary weapon with infinite ammo and a limited supply of bombs. By picking up the "Pow" icons, which sporadically appear throughout the levels, the player can replenish supplies. In contrast to most other titles of this genre, the game does not have distinctive levels. Instead, the background alternates between the surface of a planet and a space field. The game repeats with increased difficulty until the player has lost three lives. Thus the game can be considered, in terms of gameplay, somewhere between a fixed shooter and a scrolling shooter. Because the player's ship is destroyed if hit only once and there are no continues available, it is generally a better strategy to avoid enemies than to try destroying them.
[edit] Ports
Vulgus is available in the compilation title Capcom Generation 3 for the Sony PlayStation and Sega Saturn. The game was also included in the 2005 Capcom Classics Collection for the Sony PlayStation 2 and the Xbox. In 2001, Capcom released Vulgus as freeware for IBM PCs and PDAs. The port was done by Hanaho, makers of the Hotrod joystick.
[edit] Trivia
- Captain Commando duly notes Vulgus' position in gaming history as Capcom's first game in one of his Marvel vs. Capcom win quotes.
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- "Capcom's first game was Vulgus, made in 1984!"
- The Pow icon is re-used in many other Capcom games, like 1941: Counter Attack, Bionic Commando, and Exed Exes. Likewise, the Yashichi enemy has made later appearances in many Capcom games, usually in a more benign role as a power-up.
