Golgo 13: Top Secret Episode
Encyclopedia
is an action video game
for the Nintendo Entertainment System
(NES), which was released in 1988.
In this game, based on a popular Japan
ese manga
, the player takes on the role of Golgo 13
(also known as Duke Togo), an assassin whose objective is to destroy the leader of the Drek group. On the way, Golgo 13 must pass through several areas, including East Berlin
, Athens
, and Alexander Island
, which is located off the coast of Antarctica.
The game contains both side-scrolling
and first-person shooter
segments. It is necessary to navigate and shoot through several maze
s in a first-person view
in order to proceed through the game, but one maze is a fake base with no way out. The mazes account for a large amount of the frustration players encounter with this game. The instruction manual contains maps for the mazes. Golgo 13 is also notable for introducing a sniper rifle
, used in unique missions requiring the player to assassinate an enemy agent from a long distance away, using an unsteady sniper scope to line up the target.
High above New York City
a helicopter
explodes. Aboard the craft is the latest biological warfare
weapon which has been secretly developed by the CIA
(Central Intelligence Agency)... Cassandra-G. A vaccine
and plans have been stolen are among the fragments of the helicopter wreckage along with a shell fired from an M16.
The copter was shot down from fire of an expert sharpshooter armed with an M-16. The CIA concludes that the act was the responsibility of the super sniper
, Golgo-13. An official release by the CIA links Golgo-13 to the KGB
(the Soviet intelligence group).
Under these circumstances, The CIA copter incident and the unknown where-abouts of Cassandra-G become entangled. A representative of the secret international organization, FIXER, transmits a message. FIXER believes the affair is the work of the remnants of the DREK Empire and not Golgo-13.
After the dispatch
, the representative disappears. The situation becomes more and more mysterious. A man who calls
himself Condor agrees to help FIXER. In East Berlin
, because Condor has received some information on Cassandra-G, the CIA, KGB, and even DREK are threatening his life
Upon a request from FIXER, Golgo-13 has gone into action. He is to get information on a vaccine from Condor and eliminate the leader of the DREK group...
regime, but this was changed so as to fit the prohibition against political advocacy, racial and or ethnic stereotyping.
Yet, some of the changes were more complete then others. The final boss, Smirk, is clearly a cyborg version of Adolf Hitler
and a file retrieved by Togo during a base infiltration in Greece retains a swastika
on it, which is visible in the player's inventory area. Nintendo required that Golgo had his profession changed to spy rather than assassin, per its prohibition on graphic violence and gore.
Golgo 13 is one of the first NES games to feature sex, drug use
and graphic violence
. It was an unusual release, because at the time Nintendo of America had strict content guidelines preventing the release of such content on its systems. Although the depictions were toned down from the original Japanese counterparts and limited by the 8-bit
technology of the NES, it was not all together clear how this content was released uncensored.
For example, in the maze levels featured in the game, as well as one "sniper mode" mission in East Berlin, enemies are seen briefly bleeding from the head when killed, despite the prohibition on graphic violence and gore.
In the beginning of the mission in Greece, if the player walks to the right several paces and then walks back to the beginning of the level, a pack of cigarette
s is seen on the ground. Golgo 13 is seen smoking if the player walks over the cigarettes, and his health is restored.
The Japanese version even had an alternate sequence (prompting the player to "press the B button and have the kids look away from the screen") which had Cherry remove her top and expose her bare breasts for a few seconds.
In the sequel
, The Mafat Conspiracy
, scenes are even more 'graphic' taking into consideration the technology of the time.
s. The game consists, chronologically, of 13 acts (all named for classic films):
One of the most challenging aspects of the game is that these acts are intended to be played out as though they were a limited number of episodes in a television series, or perhaps as issues in a limited series comic book since the game's title character originates in Japanese manga. The game only lasts fifty-two episodes, meaning the player only gets fifty-two chances to beat the game. Episodes begin at one and are counted upward from the start screen each time the player loses a life. At the end of the fifty-second episode the game resets and begins again from the main title screen. In video game jargon, this is to say that the player has a maximum of fifty-two "lives" to complete all thirteen acts before the game resets.
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
for the Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
(NES), which was released in 1988.
In this game, based on a popular Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese manga
Manga
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...
, the player takes on the role of Golgo 13
Golgo 13
is a manga series written and illustrated by Takao Saito, published in Shogakukan's Big Comic magazine since January 1969. In 1976, the manga won the 21st Shogakukan Manga Award for general manga...
(also known as Duke Togo), an assassin whose objective is to destroy the leader of the Drek group. On the way, Golgo 13 must pass through several areas, including East Berlin
East Berlin
East Berlin was the name given to the eastern part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. It consisted of the Soviet sector of Berlin that was established in 1945. The American, British and French sectors became West Berlin, a part strongly associated with West Germany but a free city...
, Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, and Alexander Island
Alexander Island
Alexander Island or Alexander I Island or Alexander I Land or Alexander Land is the largest island of Antarctica, with an area of lying in the Bellingshausen Sea west of the base of the Antarctic Peninsula, from which it is separated by Marguerite Bay and George VI Sound. Alexander Island lies off...
, which is located off the coast of Antarctica.
The game contains both side-scrolling
Side-scrolling video game
A side-scrolling game or side-scroller is a video game in which the gameplay action is viewed from a side-view camera angle, and the onscreen characters generally move from the left side of the screen to the right. These games make use of scrolling computer display technology...
and first-person shooter
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
segments. It is necessary to navigate and shoot through several maze
Maze
A maze is a tour puzzle in the form of a complex branching passage through which the solver must find a route. In everyday speech, both maze and labyrinth denote a complex and confusing series of pathways, but technically the maze is distinguished from the labyrinth, as the labyrinth has a single...
s in a first-person view
First person (video games)
In video games, first person refers to a graphical perspective rendered from the viewpoint of the player character. In many cases, this may be the viewpoint from the cockpit of a vehicle. Many different genres have made use of first-person perspectives, ranging from adventure games to flight...
in order to proceed through the game, but one maze is a fake base with no way out. The mazes account for a large amount of the frustration players encounter with this game. The instruction manual contains maps for the mazes. Golgo 13 is also notable for introducing a sniper rifle
Sniper rifle
In military and law enforcement terminology, a sniper rifle is a precision-rifle used to ensure more accurate placement of bullets at longer ranges than other small arms. A typical sniper rifle is built for optimal levels of accuracy, fitted with a telescopic sight and chambered for a military...
, used in unique missions requiring the player to assassinate an enemy agent from a long distance away, using an unsteady sniper scope to line up the target.
Background
(as given by Nintendo)High above New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
a helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
explodes. Aboard the craft is the latest biological warfare
Biological warfare
Biological warfare is the use of biological toxins or infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi with intent to kill or incapacitate humans, animals or plants as an act of war...
weapon which has been secretly developed by the CIA
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
(Central Intelligence Agency)... Cassandra-G. A vaccine
Vaccine
A vaccine is a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism, and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe or its toxins...
and plans have been stolen are among the fragments of the helicopter wreckage along with a shell fired from an M16.
The copter was shot down from fire of an expert sharpshooter armed with an M-16. The CIA concludes that the act was the responsibility of the super sniper
Sniper
A sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
, Golgo-13. An official release by the CIA links Golgo-13 to the KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
(the Soviet intelligence group).
Under these circumstances, The CIA copter incident and the unknown where-abouts of Cassandra-G become entangled. A representative of the secret international organization, FIXER, transmits a message. FIXER believes the affair is the work of the remnants of the DREK Empire and not Golgo-13.
After the dispatch
Dispatch (logistics)
Dispatch is a procedure for assigning employees or vehicles to customers. Industries that dispatch include taxicabs, couriers, emergency services, as well as home and commercial services such as maid services, plumbing, HVAC, pest control and electricians.With vehicle dispatching, clients are...
, the representative disappears. The situation becomes more and more mysterious. A man who calls
himself Condor agrees to help FIXER. In East Berlin
East Berlin
East Berlin was the name given to the eastern part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. It consisted of the Soviet sector of Berlin that was established in 1945. The American, British and French sectors became West Berlin, a part strongly associated with West Germany but a free city...
, because Condor has received some information on Cassandra-G, the CIA, KGB, and even DREK are threatening his life
Upon a request from FIXER, Golgo-13 has gone into action. He is to get information on a vaccine from Condor and eliminate the leader of the DREK group...
Nintendo censorship
At the time, Nintendo of America had strict censorship polices concerning what sort of content could be depicted or referenced in any game published for a Nintendo system. In the original Japanese version, the DREK "empire" is actually the resurrected NaziNazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
regime, but this was changed so as to fit the prohibition against political advocacy, racial and or ethnic stereotyping.
Yet, some of the changes were more complete then others. The final boss, Smirk, is clearly a cyborg version of Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
and a file retrieved by Togo during a base infiltration in Greece retains a swastika
Swastika
The swastika is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing form in counter clock motion or its mirrored left-facing form in clock motion. Earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient...
on it, which is visible in the player's inventory area. Nintendo required that Golgo had his profession changed to spy rather than assassin, per its prohibition on graphic violence and gore.
Sexual themes, violence and smoking
Recreational drug use
Recreational drug use is the use of a drug, usually psychoactive, with the intention of creating or enhancing recreational experience. Such use is controversial, however, often being considered to be also drug abuse, and it is often illegal...
and graphic violence
Violence
Violence is the use of physical force to apply a state to others contrary to their wishes. violence, while often a stand-alone issue, is often the culmination of other kinds of conflict, e.g...
. It was an unusual release, because at the time Nintendo of America had strict content guidelines preventing the release of such content on its systems. Although the depictions were toned down from the original Japanese counterparts and limited by the 8-bit
8-bit
The first widely adopted 8-bit microprocessor was the Intel 8080, being used in many hobbyist computers of the late 1970s and early 1980s, often running the CP/M operating system. The Zilog Z80 and the Motorola 6800 were also used in similar computers...
technology of the NES, it was not all together clear how this content was released uncensored.
For example, in the maze levels featured in the game, as well as one "sniper mode" mission in East Berlin, enemies are seen briefly bleeding from the head when killed, despite the prohibition on graphic violence and gore.
In the beginning of the mission in Greece, if the player walks to the right several paces and then walks back to the beginning of the level, a pack of cigarette
Cigarette
A cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...
s is seen on the ground. Golgo 13 is seen smoking if the player walks over the cigarettes, and his health is restored.
The Japanese version even had an alternate sequence (prompting the player to "press the B button and have the kids look away from the screen") which had Cherry remove her top and expose her bare breasts for a few seconds.
In the sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
, The Mafat Conspiracy
The Mafat Conspiracy
is a Nintendo Entertainment System video game released in . It is the sequel to Golgo 13: Top Secret Episode.-Plot:A weapons satellite has been snatched out of orbit, and the world is facing nuclear destruction. Behind this act is a group of terrorist known as the Mafat Conspiracy.The terrorists...
, scenes are even more 'graphic' taking into consideration the technology of the time.
Cast
- Duke Togo (Golgo-13) - Uses a custom-made M-16 regularly, a sharpshooter with 100% accuracy, the ultimate sniper. His details are shrouded in secrecy. Dragged into the scene when a CIA chopper explodes and goes down, he now undertakes to solve the whole mess as requested.
- Cherry Grace - Dispatched from FIXER, she is assigned to assist Golgo-13.
- Condor - Because he has acquired information on Cassandra-G, the CIA, KGB, and DREK are after him.
- Oz Windham He is a FIXER investigator whose whereabouts are currently unknown. He is being held prisoner in the underground base of the DREK group somewhere in East Berlin.
Acts
Golgo 13's energy level starts at 200 and continuously declines. Destroying enemies increases his energy level and bulletBullet
A bullet is a projectile propelled by a firearm, sling, or air gun. Bullets do not normally contain explosives, but damage the intended target by impact and penetration...
s. The game consists, chronologically, of 13 acts (all named for classic films):
- Act 1 — The Iron CurtainThe Iron Curtain (film)The Iron Curtain is a 1948 black-and-white thriller film starring Dana Andrews and Gene Tierney. The film was supposedly based on the memoirs of Igor Gouzenko . The film was directed by William Wellman with photography done on location in Ottawa, Canada by Charles G. Clarke. The film was later...
- Act 2 — The Moving Target
- Act 3 — River of No ReturnRiver of No ReturnRiver of No Return is a 1954 American Western film directed by Otto Preminger and starring Robert Mitchum and Marilyn Monroe. The screenplay by Frank Fenton is based on a story by Louis Lantz, who borrowed his premise from the 1948 Italian film The Bicycle Thief...
- Act 4 — A Farewell to ArmsA Farewell to Arms (1957 film)A Farewell to Arms is a 1957 American drama film directed by Charles Vidor. The screenplay by Ben Hecht, based in part on a 1930 play by Laurence Stallings, was the second feature film adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's 1929 semi-autobiographical novel of the same name. It was the last film produced...
- Act 5 — SpartacusSpartacus (film)Spartacus is a 1960 American epic historical drama film directed by Stanley Kubrick and based on the novel of the same name by Howard Fast...
- Act 6 — The Third ManThe Third ManThe Third Man is a 1949 British film noir, directed by Carol Reed and starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles, and Trevor Howard. Many critics rank it as a masterpiece, particularly remembered for its atmospheric cinematography, performances, and unique musical score...
- Act 7 — Sleeping BeautySleeping Beauty (1959 film)Sleeping Beauty is a 1959 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and based on the fairy tale "La Belle au bois dormant" by Charles Perrault...
- Act 8 — All About EveAll About EveAll About Eve is a 1950 American drama film written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, based on the 1946 short story "The Wisdom of Eve", by Mary Orr.The film stars Bette Davis as Margo Channing, a highly regarded but aging Broadway star...
- Act 9 — Apocalypse NowApocalypse NowApocalypse Now is a 1979 American war film set during the Vietnam War, produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The central character is US Army special operations officer Captain Benjamin L. Willard , of MACV-SOG, an assassin sent to kill the renegade and presumed insane Special Forces...
- Act 10 — From Here to EternityFrom Here to EternityFrom Here to Eternity is a 1953 drama film directed by Fred Zinnemann and based on the novel of the same name by James Jones. It deals with the troubles of soldiers, played by Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Frank Sinatra and Ernest Borgnine stationed on Hawaii in the months leading up to the...
- Act 11 — The GodfatherThe GodfatherThe Godfather is a 1972 American epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the 1969 novel by Mario Puzo. With a screenplay by Puzo, Coppola and an uncredited Robert Towne, the film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard...
- Act 12 — In the TwilightIn the TwilightIn the Twilight is a 1915 American silent short drama film directed by Tom Ricketts. The film stars Perry Banks, Charlotte Burton, Reaves Eason, David Lythgoe, Louise Lester, Vivian Rich, and Harry Van Meter....
- Act 13 — And There Were NoneAnd Then There Were None (1945 film)And Then There Were None is a 1945 film adaption of Agatha Christie's best-selling mystery novel And Then There Were None directed by René Clair....
One of the most challenging aspects of the game is that these acts are intended to be played out as though they were a limited number of episodes in a television series, or perhaps as issues in a limited series comic book since the game's title character originates in Japanese manga. The game only lasts fifty-two episodes, meaning the player only gets fifty-two chances to beat the game. Episodes begin at one and are counted upward from the start screen each time the player loses a life. At the end of the fifty-second episode the game resets and begins again from the main title screen. In video game jargon, this is to say that the player has a maximum of fifty-two "lives" to complete all thirteen acts before the game resets.