Fire Shark
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Fire Shark | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Toaplan |
| Publisher(s) | Dreamworks |
| Platform(s) | Arcade Game Sega Genesis |
| Release date | 1990 |
| Genre(s) | Shoot'em up |
| Mode(s) | 1 Player |
| Input methods | 8-way stick, 2 buttons |
Fire Shark is a vertical scrolling shooter developed for the arcade by Toaplan, and ported to the Sega Mega Drive in 1990 by Dreamworks. It is considered a sequel to Flying Shark (also known as Hishou Zame, or Sky Shark for the Nintendo Entertainment System). The player controls a biplane and builds up a score by shooting a variety of military targets.
[edit] Story
The back-story indicates that the pilot is from another time and place, who appears suddenly when all hope seems lost in a global conflict against a mysterious, evil army. The pilot uses a biplane known as The Tiger Shark modified to use unique weapons to do battle.
[edit] Gameplay
The mission is divided into ten stages, each possessing a different setting. Players must destroy every enemy that crosses their path between kamikaze enemy monoplanes and, land and sea vehicles. Players can increase their bomb count, the speed via pick-ups. Players can hold up to ten bombs and can acquire extra lives from accumulating their score. The game has a checkpoint system that once a player dies, they have to restart at the closest checkpoint they passed.
The weapon pick-ups include the following:
- Wide Shot - the player's standard weapon, symbolized by a blue diamond, which spreads out in a wide V shape.
- Shark Beam - twin, green lasers, symbolized by a green diamond, which fire straight forward in a helix pattern.
- Super Fire - A single column of fire, symbolized by a red diamond, that multiples and spreads out at different angles independently when powered up. Is the only weapon that covers the plane's sides and tail-end.
Once all ten stages are complete, the player is offered a chance to replay the game at a higher difficulty.
[edit] Reception
The Sega Genesis version was well-received when it was released, earning a rating of 8.25 in Electronic Gaming Monthly.
