| Ginga Hyōryū Vifam | |
Promotional art for the "Galactic Drifter Vifam" anime TV series showing the characters and the titular mecha from the show. |
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| 銀河漂流バイファム (Ginga Hyōryū Baifamu) |
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|---|---|
| Genre | Adventure, Comedy, Mecha anime, Real Robot, Military Science Fiction |
| TV anime | |
| Directed by | Takeyuki Kanda |
| Studio | Sunrise |
| Network | MBS-TBS, Animax |
| Original run | 1983-10-21 – 1984-09-08 |
| Episodes | 46 |
| Original video animation | |
| Kachua Kara no Tayori | |
| Directed by | Takeyuki Kanda |
| Studio | Sunrise |
| Released | 1984-10-28 |
| Original video animation | |
| Atsumatta 13-nin | |
| Directed by | Takeyuki Kanda |
| Studio | Sunrise |
| Released | 1984-12-21 |
| Game | |
| Ginga Horyu Vifam | |
| Publisher | Bandai |
| Genre | Action game Space combat simulator |
| Platform | MSX |
| Released | 1984 |
| Original video animation | |
| Kieta 12-nin | |
| Directed by | Takeyuki Kanda |
| Studio | Sunrise |
| Released | 1985-02-25 |
| Original video animation | |
| "Kate no Kioku" Namida no Dakkai Sakusen!! | |
| Directed by | Takeyuki Kanda |
| Studio | Sunrise |
| Released | 1985-09-21 |
| TV anime | |
| Ginga Hyōryū Vifam 13 | |
| Directed by | Toshifumi Kawase |
| Studio | Sunrise |
| Network | MBS, TBS, Animax |
| Original run | 1998-03-21 – 1998-10-03 |
| Episodes | 26 |
Ginga Hyōryū Vifam (銀河漂流バイファム Ginga Hyōryū Baifamu, "Galactic Drifter Vifam" or "Round Vernian Vifam") is an anime television series created by Sunrise in 1983.
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Galactic Drifter Vifam premiered in Japan on Japan News Network's TV stations (including MBS and TBS) between October 21, 1983 and September 8, 1984. The series was conceived by Yoshiyuki Tomino and directed by Takeyuki Kanda. It included mechanical designs by artist Kunio Okawara (who previously designed mecha for the Mobile Suit Gundam anime series) and character designs by the late Toyoo Ashida (famous for his work in Magical Princess Minky Momo).
The show's intro theme, "Hello Vifam", was composed and performed by the Japanese progressive rock band TAO. This theme is one of the first Japanese animation title songs written entirely with English language lyrics.
A sequel television anime, Ginga Hyōryū Vifam 13 (銀河漂流バイファム13 Ginga Hyōryū Baifamu Sātīn), aired on MBS and its affiliated networks between March 21, 1998 and October 3, 1998.
The first series was also later re-run in Japan on Animax on December 23, 2006.
During the year A.D. 2058 hostile forces (collectively known as the "Astrogaters") attack the human colony at Clayad, the third planet of the Ypserlon system which is located 43 light years away from Earth. Because of this the colonists on Clayad are evacuated from the planet. During the confusion some of the human children become stranded from their parents and escape in the training combat space ship, the Janous. With the help of the ship's defense systems (which include the advanced and powerful VIFAM aerospace combat mecha) they manage to arrive at Belwick, the fourth planet of the system where other humans supposedly live. However, upon arriving they discover that the colony at Belwick had already been destroyed by the enemies too. Learning to pilot the VIFAMs and other mecha the 13 children decide to escape to Earth by themselves.
On their way to Earth they discover a damaged alien ship piloted by a friendly Astrogater. From him they learn that one of the children is actually an alien as well and that their parents have been captured and taken to the Astrogater home planet Kukto's artificial satellite, Tuat. After numerous battles with Astrogaters (Kuktonians as they call themselves) and receiving some help from Earth military forces they manage to reach Tuat. One of children is captured and taken prisoner on Tuat where he learns that there is a rebel faction among the Kuktonians and effects an escape with the help of the imprisoned rebels. After liberating the alien prisoners the children learn their parents have been moved planet side to Kukto and make an attempt to rescue them.
There was a video game adaptation,[1] also entitled Ginga Hyoryuu Vifam, released by Bandai for the MSX computer platform in 1984.[2] It was an action game[2] and space combat simulator that uses 3D wire-frame graphics.[1]
The game allowed the player to explore open space while switching between three monitors, each one displaying a different perspective. The first monitor displays a top-down perspective used mainly for navigation, the second monitor displays a first-person perspective which can be used to explore through space or engage enemies in first-person shooter combat, and the third monitor is used for servicing the player's mecha.[1]
The game also implemented an early physics engine where approaching a planet's gravitational field pulls the player towards it; if the player gets caught in a gravity field, they must accelerate out of the gravity field in a close-up view. The game also uses a radar that displays the relative positions of the player and enemies as well as the destination.[1]