S.C.A.T.: Special Cybernetic Attack Team
Encyclopedia
S.C.A.T.: Special Cybernetic Attack Team, also known as in Japan
and Action in New York in Europe
and Australia
, is a science fiction
side-view shoot-'em-up produced by Natsume
for the Nintendo Entertainment System
. It was released in Japan in 1990, in North America in 1991, and in the PAL region 1992. It was also later released on the Wii
Virtual Console
in the PAL region on February 4, 2011 and in North America on February 7, 2011.
S.C.A.T. can be played by up to two players simultaneously. During the 1-Player Mode, the player can choose between a male soldier named Arnold, or a female one named Sigourney, while in 2 Players mode, Player 1 controls Arnold while Player 2 controls Sigourney. There's no skill differences between the two characters.
As Arnold or Sigourney, the player flies through the air shooting at enemies with their gun while the screen scrolls automatically horizontally or vertically until reaching the end of each stage (similarly to the Capcom
arcade game Forgotten Worlds
). While the player character can fly in eight directions, he or she can only shoot with their gun left or right. However, the player is surrounded by two satellite modules that will shoot at enemies at the same time player fires their weapon. The satellites will orbit around the player by default, with one orbiting atop the player and the other below him or her. If the satellites are aligned in a position the player wants to maintain, they can keep the position by pressing the A button. The player can toggle back and forth between the two satellite modes.
There are five power-ups items that can be obtained by destroying certain containers, each represented by a letter-based icon. Three of these items are new weapons that will replace the player's default gun (a Laser, a Wide Beam , and a Bomb launcher), while the other two are a speed power-up and a life recovery. There are a total of five stages in the game, along with the usual boss encounters. The player begins the game with a total of six hit points and the game will end if they are all lost. However, the player is given unlimited chances to continue.
The European version, Action in New York, is almost identical to the American version. Besides the title change, the names of the main characters were also changed from Arnold and Sigourney to Silver Man and Sparks respectively. Their respective likeness to their namesakes, actors Arnold Schwarzenegger
and Sigourney Weaver
, was left unchanged. Their team affiliation was also changed from "SCAT" to "SAT" (Special Attack Team).
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...
and Action in New York in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, is a science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
side-view shoot-'em-up produced by Natsume
Natsume
can refer to:* the Jujube fruit* A type of chaki used in Japanese tea ceremony* Natsume , a Japanese video game developer* Natsume Sōseki, a famous 19th century Japanese novelist* Masako Natsume, a Japanese actor...
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...
. It was released in Japan in 1990, in North America in 1991, and in the PAL region 1992. It was also later released on the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
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...
in the PAL region on February 4, 2011 and in North America on February 7, 2011.
Plot
In 2029, an army of alien invaders led by Vile Malmort has planted an "Astrotube" connecting the ruins of New York City with their space station. A team of part-human part-machine soldiers known as the Special Cybernetic Attack Team or "SCAT" has been assembled in order to combat the invasion.Gameplay
As Arnold or Sigourney, the player flies through the air shooting at enemies with their gun while the screen scrolls automatically horizontally or vertically until reaching the end of each stage (similarly to the Capcom
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...
arcade game Forgotten Worlds
Forgotten Worlds
Forgotten Worlds, originally titled in Japan, is a side-scrolling shoot-'em-up game by Capcom originally released as a coin-operated video game in...
). While the player character can fly in eight directions, he or she can only shoot with their gun left or right. However, the player is surrounded by two satellite modules that will shoot at enemies at the same time player fires their weapon. The satellites will orbit around the player by default, with one orbiting atop the player and the other below him or her. If the satellites are aligned in a position the player wants to maintain, they can keep the position by pressing the A button. The player can toggle back and forth between the two satellite modes.
There are five power-ups items that can be obtained by destroying certain containers, each represented by a letter-based icon. Three of these items are new weapons that will replace the player's default gun (a Laser, a Wide Beam , and a Bomb launcher), while the other two are a speed power-up and a life recovery. There are a total of five stages in the game, along with the usual boss encounters. The player begins the game with a total of six hit points and the game will end if they are all lost. However, the player is given unlimited chances to continue.
Version differences
The Japanese version, Final Mission, was released a year before the American version and features a few changes. The game's opening story sequence is completely different, showing the obliteration of various cities before the alien invasion begins. Instead of a selectable male or female main character, both players controlled palette-swapped male soldiers. The game's difficulty was made easier for the American version as well. Instead of six lives, the player begins with only three lives and any upgrade they possess is lost whenever their character is hit. The player's satellites also function differently. Instead of orbiting automatically, they're aligned by the player while moving the character left or right. Their firepower were also weaker. The map shown before each stage in the American version was not in the original Japanese version.The European version, Action in New York, is almost identical to the American version. Besides the title change, the names of the main characters were also changed from Arnold and Sigourney to Silver Man and Sparks respectively. Their respective likeness to their namesakes, actors Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
and Sigourney Weaver
Sigourney Weaver
Sigourney Weaver is an American actress. She is best known for her critically acclaimed role of Ellen Ripley in the four Alien films: Alien, Aliens, Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection, for which she has received worldwide recognition .Other notable roles include Dana...
, was left unchanged. Their team affiliation was also changed from "SCAT" to "SAT" (Special Attack Team).