Gley Lancer
Encyclopedia
is a scrolling shooter game developed by Masaya
. It was released in 1992 for the Sega Mega Drive
game console.
Originally, the game was published only in Japan and South Korea, and because of this was somewhat unknown worldwide. Strangely enough the weapon selection screen at the start of the game is written completely in English with very few language errors.
The game was eventually released outside of Japan with a Virtual Console
release in Europe and North America in 2008. Previously, an unofficial fan-made translation patch was made available, allowing non-Japanese players to understand the story.
-style panel illustrations, similar to Phantasy Star IV
or Gaiares
. The manual of the Virtual Console
version includes translation
of the Japanese
voice and text of the first few narrations.
The story follows Lucia, a 16 year old star fighter pilot in the Earth Federation. A war breaks out between humans and an unknown alien race in the year 2025. Lucia's father, Ken, a high-ranking admiral in the Federation Navy, is captured after his ship is warped out of the combat zone with 4 alien modules which have the ability of teleportation
. Lucia, heart-broken after hearing her father's disappearance, decides to hijack the prototype
fighter CSH-01-XA "Gleylancer" with the help of her friend Teim and go after her father.
The name of the fighter "Gley Lancer" is possibly a pronunciation error, as the Japanese language does not distinguish "R" and "L". The corrected name of the game is most likely to be "GREY LANCER".
During the game, the Gley Lancer can toggle through four different speeds. This is always done in a 1-2-3-4-3-2-repeat order, although the starting point can be chosen in the game options. By shooting silver and blue pods, the player can pick up various weapons which take the form of Gunners:
The player can have up to two Gunners. Both Gunners will always have the same weapon, with subsequent power-ups overwriting them both.
In addition, at the beginning of the game, the player chooses one of seven formations to use for the Movers that the Gunners are mounted on.
Masaya (company)
- the software division of NCS - is a Japanese entertainment company, which develops and publish video games.-Video games:* Langrisser* Cho Aniki* Cho Aniki * Mamono Hunter Yohko: Makai Kara no Tenkosei...
. It was released in 1992 for the Sega Mega Drive
Sega Mega Drive
The Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that...
game console.
Originally, the game was published only in Japan and South Korea, and because of this was somewhat unknown worldwide. Strangely enough the weapon selection screen at the start of the game is written completely in English with very few language errors.
The game was eventually released outside of Japan with a 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...
release in Europe and North America in 2008. Previously, an unofficial fan-made translation patch was made available, allowing non-Japanese players to understand the story.
Plot
The story is narrated through mangaManga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
-style panel illustrations, similar to Phantasy Star IV
Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium
is a console roleplaying game released in 1993 for the Mega Drive in Japan and in 1995 for the Sega Genesis in North America. It is the fourth and final game in the original Phantasy Star series, concluding the story of the Algol Star System...
or Gaiares
Gaiares
is a Japanese style side-scrolling space shooter released in 1990 by Telenet Japan for the Sega Mega Drive System and subsequently for its American counterpart, the Sega Genesis....
. The manual of the 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...
version includes translation
Translation
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. Whereas interpreting undoubtedly antedates writing, translation began only after the appearance of written literature; there exist partial translations of the Sumerian Epic of...
of the Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
voice and text of the first few narrations.
The story follows Lucia, a 16 year old star fighter pilot in the Earth Federation. A war breaks out between humans and an unknown alien race in the year 2025. Lucia's father, Ken, a high-ranking admiral in the Federation Navy, is captured after his ship is warped out of the combat zone with 4 alien modules which have the ability of teleportation
Teleportation
Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
. Lucia, heart-broken after hearing her father's disappearance, decides to hijack the prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
fighter CSH-01-XA "Gleylancer" with the help of her friend Teim and go after her father.
The name of the fighter "Gley Lancer" is possibly a pronunciation error, as the Japanese language does not distinguish "R" and "L". The corrected name of the game is most likely to be "GREY LANCER".
Gameplay
The gameplay in Gley Lancer is similar to most shoot 'em up games on the Mega Drive.During the game, the Gley Lancer can toggle through four different speeds. This is always done in a 1-2-3-4-3-2-repeat order, although the starting point can be chosen in the game options. By shooting silver and blue pods, the player can pick up various weapons which take the form of Gunners:
- Twin Shot: Fires a rapid stream of double blue energy pulses. Basic weapon.
- Laser: Fires thin white lasers. Not quite as powerful as Twin Shot, but pierces enemies and inflicts multiple strikes on large enemies.
- 5-Way: Shoots an arc of five purple energy pulses. Although the range is excellent, it suffers from a low fire rate—only one salvo from each Gunner can be on-screen at once.
- Burner: Shoots moderate-range fireballs that can track along any solid surfaces they strike.
- Spread Bomb: Shoots flickering blue bombs. The bombs have low speed and fire rate, but create secondary explosions upon striking an enemy or solid surface.
- Saber: Generates a continuous, short/mid-range beam of purple energy.
- Bound Shot: Fires a stream of rapid green energy pulses that reflect off of solid surfaces.
The player can have up to two Gunners. Both Gunners will always have the same weapon, with subsequent power-ups overwriting them both.
In addition, at the beginning of the game, the player chooses one of seven formations to use for the Movers that the Gunners are mounted on.
- Normal: The Gunners will face in the same direction the ship is moving. While C is held down, the facing of the Gunners is locked, regardless of how the ship moves.
- Reverse: Like Normal, except that the Gunners will face the opposite direction of the ship's movement.
- Search: The Gunners will automatically aim at the nearest enemy. Tapping C will toggle between the Gunners aiming at same or different targets.
- Multi: Each Gunner is restricted to either the top or bottom 180 degree arc of the ship. Horizontal motion will cause the Gunners to swivel in that direction. Although this prevents concentrated fire in any direction except the horizontals, it permits three-way firing. Holding down C, or only moving vertically, will keep the Gunners aiming in the same directions.
- Multi-R: Like Multi, except the Gunners will swivel in the direction opposite the ship's horizontal motion.
- Shadow: The Gunners imitate every motion of the ship, following a short distance behind. However, they can only fire forward. Holding down C fixes their positions relative to the ship.
- Roll: The Gunners constantly spin around the ship at 180 degrees from each other. Normally, they shoot away from each other, resulting in a kind of spiral fire pattern. Tapping C toggles between this and the Gunners both firing forward.