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Pulstar (video game)
Encyclopedia
is a shoot 'em up
developed by now defunct Aicom Co. Ltd
and published by SNK
for the Neo Geo
, Neo Geo CD
and arcade
; it is the prequel of Blazing Star
. Pulstar, as well as its sequel, are often regarded as among the best-looking shoot 'em up games for the Neo Geo.
Eight years later, aliens followed the signal to the Solar System and began attacking the human space craft awaiting them along Neptune’s orbit. The battle between the humans and aliens spread throughout the Solar System; within two years of combat Neptune was disintegrated, Jupiter was turned into a star and more than half of Earth's continents sank from rising ocean levels and the planet's changing axis as a result. Kaoru Yamazaki, lone fighter pilot of the Dino246, is one of the few survivors left of the Pulstar attack force founded to save the Solar System from the alien invaders; it is through her that mankind may have a chance to survive the alien menace.
. It is actually believed that some ex-Irem employees left the company to join Aicom, which used to be a subcontractor for various coin-op manufacturers like Jaleco
or SNK.
Despite the familiarities, Pulstar is not without innovations. There is the option of using the weapon power bar, which consists of two halves. The right-hand side of the bar turns blue when the fire button is depressed. When fully charged the ship delivers a devastating emission of energy. The left-hand side turns red when it is continually pressed, shooting out a barrage of smaller, rapid blasts.
The in-game visuals are mostly pre-rendered 3D graphics, which gives the interactive elements a far more realistic appearance. Great care was taken to really place the player into the world of the game, with cinematic style cut scenes and pre-rendered movies.
There is a hefty reliance on strategy and not just blasting everything in sight. Using the charged weapon is key, and requires careful precision. Also, once a power up is obtained, a small orb appears at the posterior end of the ship. This can be used as an advantage by deflecting/absorbing oncoming enemy fire and taking out small enemies that run into it.
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...
developed by now defunct Aicom Co. Ltd
Aicom Co. Ltd
Aicom is a now defunct Japanese video game developer. It is believed that it was founded in 1988 at the latest, possibly by a group that left Jaleco. Despite evidence to support this the Sammy corporate website lists 1990 as the first year and that it was a subsidiary. It was bought by Sega Sammy...
and published by SNK
SNK Playmore
SNK Playmore Corporation is a Japanese video game hardware and software company. SNK is an acronym of , which was SNK's original name. The company's legal and trading name became SNK in 1986....
for the Neo Geo
Neo Geo (console)
The is a cartridge-based arcade and home video game system released on July 1, 1991 by Japanese game company SNK. Being in the Fourth generation of Gaming, it was the first console in the former Neo Geo family, which only lived through the 1990s...
, Neo Geo CD
Neo Geo CD
is a game console from SNK that was released in 1994, four years after its cartridge-based equivalent, in an effort to reduce manufacturing costs. It is the second console of the Neo Geo family. The system was originally priced at US$300 new. The unit's 1X CD-ROM drive was slow, making loading...
and arcade
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...
; it is the prequel of Blazing Star
Blazing Star
is a scrolling shooter video game for the Neo Geo home game system. It is the sequel to the acclaimed Neo Geo shooter Pulstar, which was itself a close cousin to the R-Type franchise...
. Pulstar, as well as its sequel, are often regarded as among the best-looking shoot 'em up games for the Neo Geo.
Story
In the year 2248, the first recorded sign of extraterrestrial life was discovered coming from Mars. The signal emanated from the planet and from it an object travelled through space at light speed out of the Solar System. Earth scientists read the signal, but not knowing the nature of it, warned the world's defenses in case aliens traced the signal and followed it to Earth with the intent to destroy.Eight years later, aliens followed the signal to the Solar System and began attacking the human space craft awaiting them along Neptune’s orbit. The battle between the humans and aliens spread throughout the Solar System; within two years of combat Neptune was disintegrated, Jupiter was turned into a star and more than half of Earth's continents sank from rising ocean levels and the planet's changing axis as a result. Kaoru Yamazaki, lone fighter pilot of the Dino246, is one of the few survivors left of the Pulstar attack force founded to save the Solar System from the alien invaders; it is through her that mankind may have a chance to survive the alien menace.
Gameplay
The basic gameplay is simple: progress through the levels in the spacecraft, collecting powerups and protecting the spacecraft from destruction. The game has very obvious similarities in design and gameplay to R-TypeR-Type
is a side scrolling shoot-em-up arcade game produced by Irem in 1987. The player controls a space fighter named R-9a "Arrowhead" to defend humanity against a mysterious but powerful alien life-form known as "Bydo", which was later discovered to be not entirely alien in origin...
. It is actually believed that some ex-Irem employees left the company to join Aicom, which used to be a subcontractor for various coin-op manufacturers like Jaleco
Jaleco
is a Japanese video game publisher and developer established in 2006.The original Jaleco Ltd was founded in 1974. In 2006, it decided to become a pure holding company by renaming itself Jaleco Holding and splitting its video game operations into a newly created subsdiary that took its former name...
or SNK.
Despite the familiarities, Pulstar is not without innovations. There is the option of using the weapon power bar, which consists of two halves. The right-hand side of the bar turns blue when the fire button is depressed. When fully charged the ship delivers a devastating emission of energy. The left-hand side turns red when it is continually pressed, shooting out a barrage of smaller, rapid blasts.
The in-game visuals are mostly pre-rendered 3D graphics, which gives the interactive elements a far more realistic appearance. Great care was taken to really place the player into the world of the game, with cinematic style cut scenes and pre-rendered movies.
There is a hefty reliance on strategy and not just blasting everything in sight. Using the charged weapon is key, and requires careful precision. Also, once a power up is obtained, a small orb appears at the posterior end of the ship. This can be used as an advantage by deflecting/absorbing oncoming enemy fire and taking out small enemies that run into it.