Galaxy Force (video game)

Galaxy Force
Japanese arcade flyer of Galaxy Force
Developer(s)	Sega AM1[1] M2 (3DS)[2]
Publisher(s)	Sega
Composer(s)	Koichi Namiki Katsuhiro Hayashi
Platform(s)	Arcade, Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, Sega Master System, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, FM Towns, Sega Saturn, PlayStation 2, Virtual Console, PC, ZX Spectrum, Cloud (OnLive), Nintendo 3DS
Release	Arcade JP: May 1988[3] NA: 1988[4] EU: 1988[5] Mega Drive/Genesis JP: 1990[6] NA: August 12, 1991
Genre(s)	Rail Shooter
Mode(s)	Single-player
Arcade system	Sega Y Board

Galaxy Force (ギャラクシーフォース) is a sprite-scaling rail shooter arcade game, released by Sega in 1988 and built upon the Sega Y Board. The game is in the tradition of Sega's Space Harrier series. The game was ported to numerous consoles including the Sega Master System, the Atari ST, the Sega Saturn, and the Playstation 2.

The game spawned a sequel, Galaxy Force II, which first appeared on the Mega Drive in 1990, followed later by an arcade version and ports for the Virtual Console and the Nintendo 3DS.^[7][8]

Plot

The evil Fourth Empire, ruled by Halcyon, begins a campaign of galactic conquest having lain waste to almost all of the star systems in the galaxy. An interstellar organization, known as the Space Federation, launches Galaxy Force, an elite starfighter corps specializing in space combat to free the galaxy from the oppressive rule of Halcyon and the Fourth Empire. A lone fighter wages a one-man war against Halcyon and his forces.

Gameplay

The player takes control of the TRY-Z spaceship, navigating through several missions on different planets, shooting lasers and missiles at enemies and obstacles. The ship's protective shield decreases with each collision. The ship has a limited quantity of energy; when this energy is fully depleted, the game is over. The game has only a single type of power-up, which increases the number of missiles a player may shoot in a single volley.

At the start of the game, the player may select any one of five planets:

• Megaleon (Man-Made world): This is default start level. The first half consists of combat in open space, slowly approaching a fortress inside the planet. Enemies include fighter ships, with the only obstacle being an orbital construction site.
• Ashutar (Volcanic world): Here, the player must traverse through two fortresses.
• Malkland (Plant world): Obstacles here include a fast growing plant which entangles your ship. Like Ashutar, two fortresses must be traversed.
• Sara (Desert world): The player here must avoid tornadoes and surface-to-air fire.
• Orthea (Cloud world): This stage contains large formations of enemy fighters. Two fortresses must be traversed.

A sixth and final planet may be accessed only once the other five have been overcome:

• Hyperspace (Final): This is the stronghold of the enemy forces.

Reception

Reception
Review scores Publication Score CVG 91% (Master System)[9] Eurogamer 8/10 (3DS)[10] Nintendo Life (3DS)[2] Nintendo World Report 9/10 (3DS)[11] Sinclair User 10/10 (Arcade)[12] Commodore User 8/10 (Arcade)[5] Mean Machines 59% (Mega Drive)[13] Mega 31% (Mega Drive)[14]
Award Publication Award Sinclair User Shoot 'Em Up of the Year (1988)[15]

Reviewing the Nintendo 3DS version, NintendoLife commented that even though Galaxy Force II doesn't contain a single polygon, the impression of rushing through space, avoiding collisions with asteroids and dodging incoming enemy fire is so intense that it puts many modern 3D titles to shame. They deemed the game as "arguably the culmination of M2's 3D Classics range".^[2]

References

External links

Galaxy Force

• Galaxy Force at the Killer List of Videogames
• Galaxy Force at arcade-history

Galaxy Force II

• Galaxy Force at the Killer List of Videogames
• Galaxy Force II (Deluxe model) at arcade-history
  • Galaxy Force II (Super Deluxe model) at arcade-history

3D Galaxy Force II

• 3D Galaxy Force II at SEGA's official site