Propeller Arena
Encyclopedia
Propeller Arena: Aviation Battle Championship is a video game for the Dreamcast console. It was developed and completed by the development team Sega AM2, but the game was never officially released. The release was cancelled just days after the September 11 attacks, citing both similarities in game packaging and design to the events of that day as well as the Dreamcast's declining market share resulting in projected low sales numbers.
Hopes of a port to another console never materialized. However, a disk image
of the game was eventually leaked
, and became a popular download on many peer-to-peer
networks.
era. From the game's intro:
and former Air Force cadet who was tricked into getting in the tournament.
veteran who was seen as a cheater by his peers for going after enemy planes that had already been damaged by them, and wants to prove his worth as a pilot.
Propeller Arena can be roughly described as "Quake in the skies": it is not a typical flight simulator
, but a series of quick dog fight deathmatches
in rather limited areas, in a way similar to a multiplayer first-person shooter
.
The game has four modes: the main game, Championship, which is a sequence of dogfights; Quick Battle, a single dogfight; Training Arena, a number of training missions and minigames; and Network, the online mode. Beating the game and the training missions unlocks extra characters and levels.
The game also supported the Dreamcast rumble pack.
, was prepared by both "branches" of Sega: a Japanese team had 12 songs composed and produced in-house, while an American team arranged a deal with the Fat Wreck Chords
label to license 9 songs from the bands Consumed, Zero Down
, No Use for a Name
, Mad Caddies
, and Rise Against
.
Hopes of a port to another console never materialized. However, a disk image
Disk image
A disk image is a single file or storage device containing the complete contents and structure representing a data storage medium or device, such as a hard drive, tape drive, floppy disk, CD/DVD/BD, or USB flash drive, although an image of an optical disc may be referred to as an optical disc image...
of the game was eventually leaked
Internet leak
An Internet leak occurs when a party's confidential information is released to the public on the Internet. Various types of information and data can be, and have been, "leaked" to the Internet, the most common being personal information, computer software and source code, and artistic works such...
, and became a popular download on many peer-to-peer
Peer-to-peer
Peer-to-peer computing or networking is a distributed application architecture that partitions tasks or workloads among peers. Peers are equally privileged, equipotent participants in the application...
networks.
Plot
In a near future, there will be an air combat tournament with planes from the WW2World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
era. From the game's intro:
- This is coming to you from Aviation Radio Station. The year is 2045. Who thought of this? I don't know! But it's a crazy tournament of cool battles in the sky. Aviation Battle Championships begin! Proud Warriors of the world's skies gather in hopes of winning the prize!
Eagle Jam
Gary Hamilton is a USAF pilot and leads a team of ancient aircraft restorers. In a time of peace, he wants to try his skill in real combat.Shameless Cats
Emily Williams is an actress who enters the competition to honor her beloved late grandfather, an adventurer and pilot, who taught her to fly at an early age.- Hamilton and Williams fly the P-51 DP-51 MustangThe North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
.
Muscle Brothers
Tim Golden is a bodybuilderBodybuilding
Bodybuilding is a form of body modification involving intensive muscle hypertrophy. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. In competitive and professional bodybuilding, bodybuilders display their physiques to a panel of judges, who assign points based on their...
and former Air Force cadet who was tricked into getting in the tournament.
Pizza Fat
Michael Cantrelle is the heir of a large pizza franchise, a military item collector, and a slouch. He is promised a tank by his father if he wins the prize.- Golden and Cantrelle fly the P-38 JP-38 LightningThe Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
.
Pengo Jets
Rally Miller is an actor, aircraft aficionado, and narcissist, who thinks his fighter will attract women even more than his jet plane.8-Bit Beat
Silver Boy is the mysterious leader of a German techno act. The character may be a parody of Zack from the Dead or Alive series.- Miller and Silver Boy fly the Bf 109 EMesserschmitt Bf 109The Messerschmitt Bf 109, often called Me 109, was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid 1930s...
.
Hex Candy
Lucy Walman is a singer in a girl band, enrolled in the tournament by her manager as a promotional stunt.Golden Knife
Peter Goldsmith is a Gulf WarGulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
veteran who was seen as a cheater by his peers for going after enemy planes that had already been damaged by them, and wants to prove his worth as a pilot.
- Walman and Goldsmith fly the Spitfire Mk. VBSupermarine SpitfireThe Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
.
Gameplay
Flight simulator
A flight simulator is a device that artificially re-creates aircraft flight and various aspects of the flight environment. This includes the equations that govern how aircraft fly, how they react to applications of their controls and other aircraft systems, and how they react to the external...
, but a series of quick dog fight deathmatches
Deathmatch (gaming)
Deathmatch or Player vs All is a widely-used gameplay mode integrated into many shooter and real-time strategy computer games...
in rather limited areas, in a way similar to a multiplayer 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...
.
The game has four modes: the main game, Championship, which is a sequence of dogfights; Quick Battle, a single dogfight; Training Arena, a number of training missions and minigames; and Network, the online mode. Beating the game and the training missions unlocks extra characters and levels.
The game also supported the Dreamcast rumble pack.
Soundtrack
The game's soundtrack, all consisting of punk rockPunk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, was prepared by both "branches" of Sega: a Japanese team had 12 songs composed and produced in-house, while an American team arranged a deal with the Fat Wreck Chords
Fat Wreck Chords
Fat Wreck Chords is a San Francisco, California based independent record label, focused on punk rock. It was started by Fat Mike and his ex-wife, Erin, in 1990....
label to license 9 songs from the bands Consumed, Zero Down
Zero Down
Zero Down was a punk rock trio formed by former Strung Out bassist Jim Cherry, former Down by Law drummer Milo Todesco and former War Called Peace guitarist John McCree...
, No Use for a Name
No Use for a Name
No Use for a Name is a punk rock band from San Jose, California, United States formed in 1987 by Chris Dodge , Steve Papoutsis , Rory Koff and John Meyers...
, Mad Caddies
Mad Caddies
The Mad Caddies are a third wave ska band from Solvang, California. The band formed in 1995 and has released five full-length albums, one live album, and two EPs...
, and Rise Against
Rise Against
Rise Against is an American punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 1999. The band currently consists of Tim McIlrath , Zach Blair , Joe Principe and Brandon Barnes .Rise Against spent its first five years signed to the independent record label Fat Wreck Chords, on which it...
.