Blue Stinger
| Blue Stinger | |
|---|---|
 North American Dreamcast cover art | |
| Developer(s) | Climax Graphics |
| Publisher(s) | |
| Composer(s) | Toshihiko Sahashi |
| Platform(s) | Dreamcast |
| Release date(s) | |
| Genre(s) | Action Survival horror |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
| Distribution | 1 GD-ROM |
Blue Stinger (ブルースティンガー) is an action survival horror game released in 1999 for the Dreamcast game console. It was localized in North America, Europe and Australia by Activision. This game was originally developed by a Japanese video game studio, Climax Graphics, and designed by then Climax CEO, Shinya Nishigaki.
Story
Sixty-five million years ago, a meteorite crashes into the Yucatán Peninsula, subsequently wiping out the dinosaurs and paving the way for humans. Now, in 2000, an island emerges where the meteorite is thought to have landed, and is granted the name "Dinasaur Island." A biotech corporation then takes up shop on the island. In 2018, Eliot Ballade, an elite member of the ESER (Emergency Sea Evacuation and Rescue) forces, is vacationing near Dinasaur Island when something falls from the sky and leaves the island sealed under a mysterious dorme of energy. When a mysterious, ethereal being called Nephilim shows up to chase Ballade, he takes it upon himself to solve the enigma of Dinasaur Island.
Characters
- Eliot G. Ballade
- The game's protagonist. One of the personnel of the Emergency Sea Evacuation and Rescue (ESER) organisation. An energy dome traps his ship on Dinosaur Island. Voiced by Ryan Drummond.
- Dogs Bower
- A teammate Eliot befriends on Dinosaur Island. Dogs captains the HMS Sienna, and is a long-time resident of Dinosaur Island who has his share of friends and rivals there. Dogs' characterization is based loosely on that of Barry Burton of the Resident Evil video game franchise.[citation needed] Voiced by Deem Bristow.
- Janine King
- A member of KISS, Kimra's security team. Janine is a genius who is extremely skilled with computers; she is also an expert markswoman. Voiced by Lani Minella.
- Nephilim
- An alien creature who observes Eliot and Dogs' progress. A formless being who manifests in the likeness of a fictional goddess.
Gameplay
The environments in Blue Stinger are entirely 3D,.[1] Players heal themselves in real-time using food and drinks bought from vending machines, forcing players to heal only when it was safe. Combat consists of purchasing weapons and ammunition in the same manner, including swords, rocket launchers, Napalm launchers and triple-barreled shotguns. Eliot starts out with a pistol while Dogs starts with a crossbow. Besides shooter game elements, the game also uses beat 'em up elements when weapons are not equipped.[2]
Reception
The North American port of the game removed the original cinematic style camera system, instead using a fixed, behind-the-player third-person view, such as that of Tomb Raider.[1] This revamped camera style was met with both critical acclaim and criticism. Some argued that the change took away from the dramatic tension for which the Japanese version had become famous.[citation needed] However, others celebrated the new camera style as a feature that gave the game an edge over survival horror games that utilized fixed angles, such as Resident Evil.[citation needed]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Bartholow, Peter. Blue Stinger review for DreamCast at GameSpot. GameSpot. Accessed July 17, 2005.
- ↑ "Blue Stinger - Dreamcast". Spong. Retrieved 2011-05-09.
External links
- Blue Stinger at MobyGames
- English game audio samples at AudioAtrocities.com
- Blue Stinger at Game Rankings
- Blue Stinger at GameFAQs