Batsugun , Arcade Video game by Toaplan Co., Ltd. (1993)

Arcade Video game published 31 years ago by Toaplan Co., Ltd.

Listed in MAME

Batsugun © 1993 Toaplan.

A vertically scrolling shoot'em up game. As is the standard with most arcade shooters, the player controls their ship with a joystick and two buttons. One button (Fire) shoots the main guns, and the other button (Bomb) releases a smart bomb that spreads huge energy balls all around the player's ship.

As enemies are destroyed, the player gains experience points that are separate from the score. For every 288 experience points gained, the main gun will 'level up', becoming much stronger. This is analogous to experience points and leveling up in role playing games. The weapon can only level up twice, so after it has achieved its maximum level, 288 experience points will grant the player an extra bomb.

The player can also grab P icons to increase the power of the current level gun. A maximum of five "P"s can be collected per experience level; getting more after this gives extra points instead.

Collecting B icons increases the number of bombs, to a maximum of 7.

Apart from destroying enemies, points can be gained from collecting golden V-shaped medals. After the level is finished, 3000 points are awarded for every small one, and 5000 points for every large one. If the player's ship is destroyed during a level, all medals collected are lost.

TECHNICAL

Game ID : TP-030

Main CPU : Motorola 68000 (@ 16 Mhz)
Sound Chips : Yamaha YM2151 (@ 3.375 Mhz), OKI6295 (@ 24.242 Khz)

Players : 2
Control : 8-way joystick
Buttons : 2
=> [A] Shot, [B] Bomb

TRIVIA

Batsugun was released in February 1993.

BATSUGUN means 'Preeminence', 'Predominace' or 'By far the best'.
BATSU means 'Dominant', 'Outstanding' or 'Excel'.
GUN is originally 'Group' or 'Brigade', but also means 'Common Level'.
BATSU also means a cross (X) mark, so there's an X under the logo of Batsugun.

Licensed to Taito for world distribution and to Unite Trading for Korea.

This is the last shoot'em up and the first 'non-endless' game by Toaplan. A special version of Batsugun existed, originally it was only for the AOU show (Arcade Operators Union, an arcade game show held in Japan every year) and not for sale. After the Toaplan bankruptcy, the board started to appear on the second hand market.

Heralded by some as the first 'maniac shooter', Batsugun involved employees who would go on to form and work at Cave and continue to work in this subgenre. Batsugun saw an evolution in the use of complex bullet and enemy patterns and player fire power and hit-box.

The scoring trick on the fourth boss (destroy the two giant laser cannons, let the tanks appearing from the hangars fill the ramps and become red, bomb for 59,630 points a tank) was one source of inspiration for "Battle Garegga"'s gameplay.

Pony Canyon released a limited-edition soundtrack album for this game (Batsugun - PCCB-00151) on 18/03/1994.

TIPS AND TRICKS

* Hidden Functions : If the 'Invulnerability dip switch' is enabled, you are invulnerable but you may also 'Pause' the game with P2 Start and restart with P1 Start.

STAFF

Excecutive producer : Yuko Tataka
Programmers : Suki! Suki! Kohchan No-Make, Sigue Hayasato, Tsuneki Ikeda (Ikeda In Naeba), Yoshitatsu Sakai (the 3rd)
Graphic design : Yuko Tataka, Takeshi Kamamoto, Junya Inoue (Joker Jun)
Characters designed by : Junya Inoue (Joker Jun)
Musics composed by : Yoshitatsu Sakai (the 3rd)

PORTS

CONSOLES:
Sega Saturn (1996) "Batsugun [Model T-20605G]"

SOURCES

Game's ROM.