Ghost Pilots
Encyclopedia
Ghost Pilots is a vertical-scrolling shoot 'em up
arcade game
released in 1991
by SNK
.
The gameplay is straightforward with elements similar to that of Capcom
's 19XX games, but it is incredibly difficult even on the easiest difficulty level. Unlike most scrolling shooters, the vehicle is a seaplane
instead of spaceship
or airplane. As the in-game instructions indicate, move the joystick around to maneuver the seaplane. Press the A Button to fire bullets. The player can also hold the A button for a semi-automatic fire. Press the B Button to launch bombs from the inventory. The player starts with three bombs.
Next the player has to choose the bomb types for the seaplane. In the first and last stage, the player has a choice to start with either the mega bomb or the magnetic warhead. In the sea strike stage, the player also has the gas flame bomb to choose. In the air strike stage, the player also has the air mines to choose. In a two-player game, both players cannot choose the same bomb type.
The player has to battle airplanes, tanks, gunboats, jets and many other units. Along the way Power ups can be collected for stronger and more widespread firepower, star medals can be collected for bonus points and bombs can be added to the inventory for more bomb attacks. A player can have a maximum of nine bombs. Soon the player has to face a big boss, consisting of jumbo bombers, Godzilla-sized tanks and other large war machines. The player needs to aim for weak points to destroy the bosses. Some bosses fire dangerous fireballs that split when shot by the player, making the battle more difficult. The player is destroyed when shot once by enemy fire or rams into an enemy unit, then the player has to continue with the next seaplane left in the inventory. The first stage is two part which means there is no checkpoint in between. When the player reaches a checkpoint, the overall score is boosted. After the first stage the player can choose to do either the sea strike stage or the air strike stage first. The sea strike stage consists of mostly sea and land units while the air strike stage consists of a majority of air units. If the player makes it past both stages, the last stage is two part and then the player must face a tank boss the size of a city to win the game.
Shoot 'em up
Shoot 'em up is a subgenre of shooter video games. In a shoot 'em up, the player controls a lone character, often in a spacecraft or aircraft, shooting large numbers of enemies while dodging their attacks. The genre in turn encompasses various types or subgenres and critics differ on exactly what...
arcade 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...
released in 1991
1991 in video gaming
-Notable releases:*Microprose creates Civilization, Sid Meier's most successful game .*Electronic Arts releases James Pond 2 and Road Rash for Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, starting a series of games that were popular in the 1990s....
by SNK
SNK
SNK is a former name of SNK Playmore, a Japanese video game company . This may also refer to:* SNK European Democrats* SNK Union of Independents* Southeast Airlines ICAO code...
.
Gameplay
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...
's 19XX games, but it is incredibly difficult even on the easiest difficulty level. Unlike most scrolling shooters, the vehicle is a seaplane
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
instead of spaceship
Spacecraft
A spacecraft or spaceship is a craft or machine designed for spaceflight. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, earth observation, meteorology, navigation, planetary exploration and transportation of humans and cargo....
or airplane. As the in-game instructions indicate, move the joystick around to maneuver the seaplane. Press the A Button to fire bullets. The player can also hold the A button for a semi-automatic fire. Press the B Button to launch bombs from the inventory. The player starts with three bombs.
Next the player has to choose the bomb types for the seaplane. In the first and last stage, the player has a choice to start with either the mega bomb or the magnetic warhead. In the sea strike stage, the player also has the gas flame bomb to choose. In the air strike stage, the player also has the air mines to choose. In a two-player game, both players cannot choose the same bomb type.
The player has to battle airplanes, tanks, gunboats, jets and many other units. Along the way Power ups can be collected for stronger and more widespread firepower, star medals can be collected for bonus points and bombs can be added to the inventory for more bomb attacks. A player can have a maximum of nine bombs. Soon the player has to face a big boss, consisting of jumbo bombers, Godzilla-sized tanks and other large war machines. The player needs to aim for weak points to destroy the bosses. Some bosses fire dangerous fireballs that split when shot by the player, making the battle more difficult. The player is destroyed when shot once by enemy fire or rams into an enemy unit, then the player has to continue with the next seaplane left in the inventory. The first stage is two part which means there is no checkpoint in between. When the player reaches a checkpoint, the overall score is boosted. After the first stage the player can choose to do either the sea strike stage or the air strike stage first. The sea strike stage consists of mostly sea and land units while the air strike stage consists of a majority of air units. If the player makes it past both stages, the last stage is two part and then the player must face a tank boss the size of a city to win the game.
External links
- Ghost Pilots at Arcade History
- Ghost Pilots: Summary at GamespotGameSpotGameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...