Forgotten Worlds
Encyclopedia
Forgotten Worlds, originally titled in Japan, is a side-scrolling shoot-'em-up game by Capcom
originally released as a coin-operated video game
in . It is notable for being the first title released by Capcom for their CP System arcade game hardware.
The player character is accompanied by a satellite module orbiting near him that will provide backup firepower every time the player fires their gun. Like the main character, the satellite can also be rotated with the roll switch. Rotating the character while firing will only rotate the aim of the satellite, while rotating the character without firing will not only rotate the satellite's aim, it will also move its relative position around the player.
The player can obtain blue-colored coins known as "zennies" from defeating enemies throughout the game. The zennies are used as currency to obtain new power-up items from shops located at certain points in each stage. When the player enters an item shop, they are given a choice of the items available and a limited time to make any purchase they wish. These items consists primarily of new weapons for the satellite module, but also includes a health kit to restore lost vitality, an armor that allows the player to sustain additional damage, and even tips on how to defeat the boss
awaiting at the end of the current stage.
Forgotten Worlds consists of five stages with a total of eight bosses. The player will lose if their vitality gauge runs out, but will be given a chance to continue.
by U.S. Gold
in . Versions were produced for the Amiga
, Atari ST
, Commodore 64
, ZX Spectrum
, Amstrad CPC
, and IBM-compatible PC. These versions of the game were developed by Arc Developments. All the computer versions required a joystick controller in order to be played and could not be played with the keyboard only (with the exception of the IBM PC version, ZX Spectrum, and Amstrad CPC versions). The player rotated the character in these versions by holding the fire button while pushing the joystick left or right.
A Mega Drive/Genesis version, produced by Sega
, was released in Japan on November 18, , with subsequent releases in North America
and the PAL region
in . The Mega Drive version simulated the controls of the arcade version by using A and C buttons to rotate the character in either direction and the B button for shooting. Unlike in the arcade version, both players are equipped with long-ranged automatic rifles. This version provides an auto-fire feature that can be toggle on or off on the game's settings. In , the Mega Drive version was released on the Wii
Virtual Console
in North America on November 17 and in Europe on November 28.
A Master System version was also released by Sega in Europe
and Brazil
. This version is 1-player only and due to the presence of only two buttons on the Master System's standard controller, the buttons are used solely to rotate the character, who shoots automatically. The Megacrush attack is performed in this version by pressing both buttons simultaneously.
The PC Engine
version, produced by NEC Avenue was released in Japan on March 27, . It was released as a Super CD-ROM² title which supported a specialized 3-button controller that NEC released only in Japan. An American version for the TurboGrafx 16 was released by Turbo Technologies Inc. as well. With the 3-button controller, the player can control their character as they would in the Mega Drive version, with two buttons to rotate the character and one to shoot. With the standard TurboGrafx-16 controller, the Run button is used in the place of the third button to rotate the character to the left. The TurboGrafx-16 is one-player only, but allows the player to select between either of the two Unknown Soldiers at the start of the game (with their respective abilities from the arcade version retained).
An emulation of the original arcade version is included in the compilation Capcom Classics Collection Vol.1
for the PlayStation 2
and Xbox
, as well as in s Capcom Classics Collection: Remixed for the PlayStation Portable
. Both, the PS2 and Xbox version, allows the player to use their respective controllers' right analog sticks to control the player character's aim.
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
originally released as a coin-operated video game
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
in . It is notable for being the first title released by Capcom for their CP System arcade game hardware.
Plot
Set in a distant future, an evil god known as Emperor Bios has destroyed most of the Earth, turning it into a desolated wasteland known as the "Dust World". Two nameless super-soldiers are created by the people to defeat Bios and the eight evil gods who serve him.Gameplay
Forgotten Worlds can be played by up to two players simultaneously. The player controls a flying muscle-bound soldier armed with a rifle with unlimited ammo. The Player 1 character is equipped with a long-range automatic rifle, while Player 2 has a short-range wide shot. The controls in the original coin-op version consists of an eight-way joystick for moving the character in the air while flying and a unique rotatable button known as the "roll switch". Rotating the switch left or right allows the player to adjust their character's aim in one of sixteen directions, while pressing it causes the player character to shoot his gun. This allows for the player to move their character anywhere while keeping their aim in one direction. Pressing the switch rapidly will cause the character to perform a "megacrush" attack will destroy all on-screen enemies, but at the expense of a portion of their vitality gauge.The player character is accompanied by a satellite module orbiting near him that will provide backup firepower every time the player fires their gun. Like the main character, the satellite can also be rotated with the roll switch. Rotating the character while firing will only rotate the aim of the satellite, while rotating the character without firing will not only rotate the satellite's aim, it will also move its relative position around the player.
The player can obtain blue-colored coins known as "zennies" from defeating enemies throughout the game. The zennies are used as currency to obtain new power-up items from shops located at certain points in each stage. When the player enters an item shop, they are given a choice of the items available and a limited time to make any purchase they wish. These items consists primarily of new weapons for the satellite module, but also includes a health kit to restore lost vitality, an armor that allows the player to sustain additional damage, and even tips on how to defeat the boss
Boss (video games)
A boss is an enemy-based challenge which is found in video games. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight...
awaiting at the end of the current stage.
Forgotten Worlds consists of five stages with a total of eight bosses. The player will lose if their vitality gauge runs out, but will be given a chance to continue.
Home versions
Forgotten Worlds was first ported to various home computers in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
by U.S. Gold
U.S. Gold
U.S. Gold was a British video game publisher and developer from the early 1980s through the mid-1990s, producing numerous titles on a variety of 8-bit, 16-bit and 32-bit platforms.-History:...
in . Versions were produced for the Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
, Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
, Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
, ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
, Amstrad CPC
Amstrad CPC
The Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,...
, and IBM-compatible PC. These versions of the game were developed by Arc Developments. All the computer versions required a joystick controller in order to be played and could not be played with the keyboard only (with the exception of the IBM PC version, ZX Spectrum, and Amstrad CPC versions). The player rotated the character in these versions by holding the fire button while pushing the joystick left or right.
A Mega Drive/Genesis version, produced by Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
, was released in Japan on November 18, , with subsequent releases in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and the PAL region
PAL region
The PAL region is a television publication territory which covers most of Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and most of Western Europe...
in . The Mega Drive version simulated the controls of the arcade version by using A and C buttons to rotate the character in either direction and the B button for shooting. Unlike in the arcade version, both players are equipped with long-ranged automatic rifles. This version provides an auto-fire feature that can be toggle on or off on the game's settings. In , the Mega Drive version was released on the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
Virtual Console
Virtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
in North America on November 17 and in Europe on November 28.
A Master System version was also released by Sega in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. This version is 1-player only and due to the presence of only two buttons on the Master System's standard controller, the buttons are used solely to rotate the character, who shoots automatically. The Megacrush attack is performed in this version by pressing both buttons simultaneously.
The PC Engine
TurboGrafx-16
TurboGrafx-16, fully titled as TurboGrafx-16 Entertainment SuperSystem and known in Japan as the , is a video game console developed by Hudson Soft and NEC, released in Japan on October 30, 1987, and in North America on August 29, 1989....
version, produced by NEC Avenue was released in Japan on March 27, . It was released as a Super CD-ROM² title which supported a specialized 3-button controller that NEC released only in Japan. An American version for the TurboGrafx 16 was released by Turbo Technologies Inc. as well. With the 3-button controller, the player can control their character as they would in the Mega Drive version, with two buttons to rotate the character and one to shoot. With the standard TurboGrafx-16 controller, the Run button is used in the place of the third button to rotate the character to the left. The TurboGrafx-16 is one-player only, but allows the player to select between either of the two Unknown Soldiers at the start of the game (with their respective abilities from the arcade version retained).
An emulation of the original arcade version is included in the compilation Capcom Classics Collection Vol.1
Capcom Classics Collection
Capcom Classics Collection is a compilation of arcade games released by Capcom for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox on September 27, 2005. It was developed by Digital Eclipse Software . A second volume, Capcom Classics Collection Vol...
for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
and Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
, as well as in s Capcom Classics Collection: Remixed for the PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
. Both, the PS2 and Xbox version, allows the player to use their respective controllers' right analog sticks to control the player character's aim.
Appearances in other games
- The Player 1 character appears in Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super HeroesMarvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroesis the fifth Marvel Comics-licensed fighting game by Capcom and the third game in the Marvel vs. Capcom series. In contrast to X-Men vs. Street Fighter and Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter, the game features characters from numerous Capcom franchises such as Mega Man and Strider, rather than...
as a "helper character" assisting the main fighters, under the name of "Unknown Soldier". Additionally, the Gods of Thunder and Wind and the King of Gods appear in the background of one of the stages. - The two Unknown Soldiers, as well as Sylphie the Shopkeeper, are playable characters in Namco x CapcomNamco x Capcomis an action RPG/tactical RPG hybrid game for the PlayStation 2 console, developed by Monolith Soft and featuring characters from games produced by companies Namco and Capcom.- Storyline :...
(where they were voiced by Akio Ōtsuka, Tesshō GendaTessho Gendais a Japanese voice actor. He is employed by the talent management firm 81 Produce. When he debuted, he used his real name, . as artist name. Because he had experience with ballet, he was known by the nickname "Pirouette Genda."...
, and Rie TanakaRie Tanakais a singer and voice actress . Notable among her numerous roles are Lacus Clyne in Gundam Seed and Gundam Seed Destiny, Chii and Freya in Chobits, Minna-Dietlinde Wilcke in Strike Witches and Suigintou in the anime adaptation of Rozen Maiden.-Personal life:As a child, Tanaka took singing classes...
in order). The soldiers are assisted by the Mobilsuits from Side Arms (who are named "Side Arm α" and "Side Arm β" in the game), while Sylphie uses weapons and items from many different Capcom arcade games, and has the ability to dress up as four other Capcom characters and use their attacks (namely, MakotoMakoto (Street Fighter)is a fictional character from the Street Fighter video game series. She is a Tosan fighter and a Rindōkan karate expert from Japan. She first appeared in Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike, and again in Super Street Fighter IV. She wears a white dougi and a yellow hachimaki around her neck, intended to...
from Street Fighter III 3rd StrikeStreet Fighter IIIis a fighting game in Capcom's Street Fighter series, originally released as coin-operated arcade game in . Street Fighter III was produced for the CD-ROM-based CP System III hardware, which allowed for more elaborate 2D graphics than the CPS II-based Street Fighter Alpha games , while revamping...
, Michelle Heart from Legendary WingsLegendary Wingsis a fantasy-themed shoot-'em-up game released by Capcom as a coin-operated video game in . The player takes control of a young soldier equipped with magical wings who must save the world from a malfunctioning supercomputer. A home version for the Nintendo Entertainment System was released...
, Linn Kurosawa from Alien vs. PredatorAlien vs. Predator (arcade game)Alien vs. Predator is a beat 'em up arcade game released in 1994 by Capcom on the CPS-2, in which the players take control of human and Predator characters in a battle against Aliens...
, and Mai-Ling from Red Earth). Additionally, the Dust Dragon boss appears in two stages as background decoration (which is explained in the game's story as being brought over into these stages by the time-space distortions). The shop theme is also featured in the game. - In SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters ClashSNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters ClashSNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters Clash is a series of SNK Playmore games between 1999 and 2006 for hand-held consoles.This game has a CCG theme, spun off from the popular series of fighting games by SNK and Capcom, and also including references to many other kinds of games from both companies. The...
for the Neo Geo Pocket ColorNeo Geo Pocket ColorThe Neo Geo Pocket Color , is a 16-bit colour handheld game console by SNK. It was the last console they produced in the Neo Geo family...
, there is an amusement center in the game called Lost World. It features a large Dust Dragon statue, numerous weapons from the game behind display cases, and the music from the first stage. Also, a card shop can be accessed on the upper-right corner of the building. The shop keeper is Sylphie, and while browsing her cards it plays the shop theme from Forgotten Worlds. - The War God appears in Guy'sGuy (Final Fight)is a video game character who first appears in the 1989 arcade beat-em-up Final Fight by Capcom. Guy would later reemerge, along with other Final Fight characters, as a fighting game character in Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors' Dreams and its sequels...
ending in Capcom Fighting JamCapcom Fighting Jam, released in North America as Capcom Fighting Evolution, is a head-to-head fighting game from Capcom. It was originally released as a coin-operated arcade game for the Namco System 246 hardware and ported to the PlayStation 2 and Xbox...
.