U.N. Squadron
Encyclopedia
U.N. Squadron is a 1989
side scrolling shooting game released for the CPS arcade
hardware by Capcom
. The game was released in Japan
as and is based on the manga
series of the same name
, featuring the same main characters. Here, their mission is to stop a terrorist group known as Project 4. It was followed by the sequel Carrier Air Wing.
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The game is a typical side scrolling shooter, going against the trend of other Capcom
shooters, such as 1942, and 1943: The Battle of Midway
, which are vertically scrolling shooters. However, like other Capcom
shooters, the player has a life / energy bar that is consumed over the course of a single life as the player sustains damage, a trait highly uncommon among other comparable arcade-style shooters which normally use a system of reserve lives, where one of which is lost upon a single enemy hit.
The player can choose between three mercenary pilots: Shin Kazama, Mickey Simon, and Greg Gates. Each pilot flies a specific plane and has slightly different capabilities.
Depending on the level and which pilot they have chosen, players will encounter two of these eight different weapon enhancements in the weapons shop:
After selecting (or passing up) additional weapons, players are offered one of three defensive enhancements (these are the same on every level):
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The player's main gun has infinite ammunition and can be upgraded by picking up accumulating POW points. POWs, which appear when the player destroys certain red enemies, can be found as green, blue or yellow glowing orbs inside a small box. Each color POW is worth a different amount of points:
The player's current number of POWs and the amount needed for the next gun upgrade is displayed in the upper left corner of the display. Each upgrade generally requires more POWs to get than the last upgrade, and so forth.
Special weapons, on the other hand, are limited in ammunition and have no ability to upgrade in level. The character's plane can take a number of enemy hits before being destroyed and has a brief period of invulnerability after each hit. This makes the game a little less frustrating. However, after this brief period of invulnerability, the planes in the SNES version will temporarily become completely vulnerable.
Like many shooters, the game is very challenging. Levels frequently include large numbers of enemies attacking simultaneously, with subsequent vast amounts of firepower on screen. The player needs quick reflexes to navigate through all this fire while still attacking their enemies. Only a skilled player is capable of finishing the game with few (if any) continues.
in 1991. The principal difference between the SNES version and the arcade version is that in the SNES game each pilot can use a range of planes. All pilots start out with $3000 and the basic F8 Crusader and can buy other aircraft as they progress. Other differences include:
The SNES version also includes more aircrafts than the arcade version:
. Stuttering Craig even placed U.N. Squadron in a tie with Gradius III
for the 17th Best Super Nintendo game ever and dedicated a Top 9 List of the reasons why it's awesome on the games entry in the Video Game Vault. IGN
ranked U.N. Squadron 37th on their "Top 100 Super Nintendo Games" list, which made U.N. Squadron the highest ranking side scroller shooter game on that list.
1989 in video gaming
-Notable releases:* October 3, Brøderbund releases the Prince of Persia game, the first in a series of games, noted for its advancements in animation....
side scrolling shooting game released for the CPS 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...
hardware by 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...
. The game was released in 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...
as and is based on the 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...
series of the same name
Area 88
is a Japanese manga series by Kaoru Shintani serialized between 1979 and 1986. The story is about a young pilot named Shin Kazama and his experiences at Area 88, a mercenary air force base secluded in the desert of a war torn country...
, featuring the same main characters. Here, their mission is to stop a terrorist group known as Project 4. It was followed by the sequel Carrier Air Wing.
Gameplay
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...
shooters, such as 1942, and 1943: The Battle of Midway
1943: The Battle of Midway
1943: The Battle of Midway, known in Japan as , is a vertical scrolling shooter arcade game released by Capcom in June .-Gameplay: The game is set in the Pacific theater of World War II, off the coast of the Midway Atoll...
, which are vertically scrolling shooters. However, like other 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...
shooters, the player has a life / energy bar that is consumed over the course of a single life as the player sustains damage, a trait highly uncommon among other comparable arcade-style shooters which normally use a system of reserve lives, where one of which is lost upon a single enemy hit.
The player can choose between three mercenary pilots: Shin Kazama, Mickey Simon, and Greg Gates. Each pilot flies a specific plane and has slightly different capabilities.
Pilots
- Shin Kazama: Shin flies an F-20 TigersharkF-20 TigersharkThe Northrop F-20 Tigershark was a privately-financed light fighter, designed and built by Northrop. Its development began in 1975 as a further evolution of Northrop's F-5E Tiger II, featuring a new engine that greatly improved overall performance, and a modern avionics suite including a powerful...
; the weapons on his plane fire forward only but at a quick pace. Shin and his plane are the most balanced combination available.
- Mickey Simon: Mickey flies an F-14 TomcatF-14 TomcatThe Grumman F-14 Tomcat is a supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. The Tomcat was developed for the United States Navy's Naval Fighter Experimental program following the collapse of the F-111B project...
; the weapons on his plane also fire forward only, but are also larger (albeit slower), inflicting more damage than Shins plane.
- Greg Gates: Greg flies an A-10 ThunderboltA-10 Thunderbolt IIThe Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is an American single-seat, twin-engine, straight-wing jet aircraft developed by Fairchild-Republic in the early 1970s. The A-10 was designed for a United States Air Force requirement to provide close air support for ground forces by attacking tanks,...
; this plane has smaller forward fire than either Shin or Mickeys planes, but it also fires a second stream downward at a 45° angle from the forward firing stream.
Weapons Shop
In both the arcade and SNES versions of the game, before entering a level, the player has the opportunity to purchase special weapons or added defenses in the shop. The player earns money to buy weapons by destroying enemy planes and vehicles during levels and, when the level is finished, any unused weapons are converted back into money.Weapons
Depending on the level and which pilot they have chosen, players will encounter two of these eight different weapon enhancements in the weapons shop:
- Bulpup: Launches missiles forward at various angles.
- Bulpup II: A more powerful Bulpup.
- Phoenix: Homing missiles that go after any enemies on the screen.
- Falcon: A more powerful Phoenix.
- Super Shell: Shoots a large long shell at enemies that inflicts more damage than regular guns.
- Super Shell II: A more powerful and larger Super Shell.
- Bomb II: Allows you to drop powerful bombs from above.
- Big Boy: Allows you to drop even more powerful bombs.
- Napalm: More powerful than Bomb II in that it ignites the ground when it lands.
- Napalm II: More powerful than Napalm, with similar incendiary properties.
Defense
After selecting (or passing up) additional weapons, players are offered one of three defensive enhancements (these are the same on every level):
- Energy Tank: Adds more life to the lifebar when the level begins.
- Shield: Absorbs damage from enemy fire or collisions.
- Super Shield: Same as Shield, but can absorb more damage.
SNES version
Depending on which plane has been purchased, players can buy any combination of these weapons.- Cluster Shot: Shoots a cluster of explosives which expand from the center of the plane.
- Bomb: Conventional bombs which must be dropped on their target.
- Phoenix: Homing missiles that go after any enemies on the screen.
- Napalm: Drops from the plane and causes a large explosion along the ground when it lands.
- Falcon: Drops like a bomb but skims over the ground until it hits a target.
- Gunpod: Shoots bullets upward at a 45-degree angle.
- Super Shell: Shoots a large plasma shell at a target.
- Sailing Missile: Fires a volley of missiles directly upward.
- Thunder Laser: A heavy laser weapon firing in three directions.
- Bulpup: Launches missiles forward in a fan pattern.
- MegaCrush: The game's "Smart Bomb" weapon, launches a satellite into space, which proceeds to rain lasers down striking all enemies onscreen. This weapon quickly kills most normal enemies, and deals massive damage to bosses.
During gameplay
Once a level has been entered, the game scrolls to the right with the enemies approaching from many directions. Land, sea, and air units are encountered in the various stages.- Green POW: 1 point
- Blue POW: 2 points
- Yellow POW: 4 points
The player's current number of POWs and the amount needed for the next gun upgrade is displayed in the upper left corner of the display. Each upgrade generally requires more POWs to get than the last upgrade, and so forth.
Special weapons, on the other hand, are limited in ammunition and have no ability to upgrade in level. The character's plane can take a number of enemy hits before being destroyed and has a brief period of invulnerability after each hit. This makes the game a little less frustrating. However, after this brief period of invulnerability, the planes in the SNES version will temporarily become completely vulnerable.
Like many shooters, the game is very challenging. Levels frequently include large numbers of enemies attacking simultaneously, with subsequent vast amounts of firepower on screen. The player needs quick reflexes to navigate through all this fire while still attacking their enemies. Only a skilled player is capable of finishing the game with few (if any) continues.
Arcade version
- 01. Frontline base — Missile Tank
- 02. Thunderstorm 1 - Stealth Bomber
- 03. Forest — Forest Fortress
- 04. Desert — Ground Carrier
- 05. Canyon — VTOL Bomber 'Bayson'
- 06. Cave — Missile Launcher
- 07. Airbase/Clouds — Giant Bomber 'Bullhead'
- 08. Ocean — Sub-Boss: Submarine. Boss: Battleship 'Minks'
- 09. Military Base — Arsenal
- 10. Thunderstorm 2 - Project 4 Airborne Fortress
SNES version
- 01. Frontline Base — Missile Tank
- 02. Thunderstorm — Stealth Bomber
- 03. Forest — Forest Fortress
- 04. Desert — Ground Carrier
- 05. Clouds — Stealth Fighters (Mercenaries)
- 06. Ocean 1 - Nuclear Submarine 'Seavet'
- 07. Ocean 2 - Battleship 'Minks'
- 08. Canyon — SR-71 Blackbird
- 09. Cave — Ceiling Machine
- 10. Project 4 Base — Sub-Boss: Giant VTOL aircraft. Boss: Project 4 ship
Ports
U.N. Squadron (known as Area 88 in Japan) was ported to the SNESSuper Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
in 1991. The principal difference between the SNES version and the arcade version is that in the SNES game each pilot can use a range of planes. All pilots start out with $3000 and the basic F8 Crusader and can buy other aircraft as they progress. Other differences include:
- Single player only.
- Unlike the arcade version, where the player only has one "life" per credit, the player now begins with 3 lives, and extra lives can be earned. Upon losing all lives, the player can continue—but only three times.
- Different planes may be used by each pilot in contrast to the arcade version, where each pilot is tied to a particular aircraft.
- More weapons are available in the between-level shop, however, shields can no longer be purchased—they must be found in the levels.
- Missions can be tackled in any order chosen by the player (as long as that mission has been reached on the overhead map shown before choosing the pilot's plane and weapons).
- "Shin increases his firepower the most quickly, Mick can shoot two special weapons at the same time, and Greg recovers from being damaged twice as fast as the others" is what the manual states. In actuality, this means that Shin requires the least power ups to increase the vulcan cannon level, Mick benefits the most from ammo pickups, and Greg's description is self-explanatory.
- Mickey Simon is known as Mickey Scymon.
- If a player takes damage, his/her plane will temporarily fall into critical condition --
"DANGER" flashes on the energy meter. During this condition, any hit will destroy the player's aircraft. However, each plane is equipped with a fire extinguishing system—when the plane recovers, albeit with less energy, he/she is safe again. If the player allows his/her energy meter to drop too low, the player's aircraft will remain critically damaged, and will be destroyed with the next hit unless he/she finds an energy recovery item. - In addition to not having the same levels as the original version, some of the levels on the SNES version were heavily modified. Certain bosses are replaced by new ones, and some bosses' weapons and attack patterns were modified.
- The SNES version had "Quartermaster Corps" sub-levels that appeared as green truck convoys on the map screen. Here, the objective is to simply destroy the enemy supply trucks, but there is a time limit. If all trucks are destroyed in time, the player earns $20,000. It is possible to beat this stage while only destroying the trucks, and not all the enemy weapons. Doing so will reduce the bonus money won at the end of the stage.
- The stage and boss background music are different from those in the arcade version (e.g. the theme from the "Canyon" stage would be used for the "Battleship Minks" stage in the SNES port), though most of the arcade music was rewritten for the SNES version. Toshio Kajino, Mari Yamaguchi and Yasushi Ikeda ported many of the pieces from Manami Matsumae's original score.
The SNES version also includes more aircrafts than the arcade version:
- F-8E CrusaderF-8 CrusaderThe Vought F-8 Crusader was a single-engine, supersonic, carrier-based air superiority jet aircraft built by Vought for the United States Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps, replacing the Vought F7U Cutlass...
: This is the aircraft that players start with. The ceiling for the Crusader's gun power is average, and the aircraft can only carry three types of special weapons.
- F-20 TigersharkF-20 TigersharkThe Northrop F-20 Tigershark was a privately-financed light fighter, designed and built by Northrop. Its development began in 1975 as a further evolution of Northrop's F-5E Tiger II, featuring a new engine that greatly improved overall performance, and a modern avionics suite including a powerful...
: The cheapest aircraft that can be purchased after completion of the third mission. This aircraft has mediocre weapons capability but it is well suited to both air and ground attack.
- F-14D TomcatF-14 TomcatThe Grumman F-14 Tomcat is a supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. The Tomcat was developed for the United States Navy's Naval Fighter Experimental program following the collapse of the F-111B project...
: The F-14D Tomcat is intended primarily for air-to-air combat and carries no real ordnance for attacking ground targets. It is the most maneuverable of all of the aircraft.
- A-10 Thunderbolt IIA-10 Thunderbolt IIThe Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is an American single-seat, twin-engine, straight-wing jet aircraft developed by Fairchild-Republic in the early 1970s. The A-10 was designed for a United States Air Force requirement to provide close air support for ground forces by attacking tanks,...
: Intended for ground attack, the A10 fires two shots for every gun burst. One travels forward and the second (slightly weaker) shot travels at a downward 45-degree angle. However, the gun has a low power ceiling.
- YF-23 Stealth Ray: Capable of carrying a wide range of armaments, the YF23's primary attribute is that of stealth. As such, the enemy's guided weapons, such as missiles, will not track the plane.
- F-200 Efreet: The best fighter available in the game. The Efreet has the highest weapon power ceiling, can carry all of the special weapons, can carry more special weapon ammo than any other fighter and is tough to destroy. As such, it is the most expensive fighter available in the game and it is easy to play the whole game without ever having enough money to purchase it. (The EF-200 Efreet is nearly identical in appearance to the MIG-31 FirefoxFirefox (film)Firefox is a 1982 American action film produced, directed by and starring Clint Eastwood. It is based upon the 1977 novel of the same name written by Craig Thomas....
from the movie of the same name.)
Reception
U.N. Squadron was named the number one 2D 'shooter' of all time by Handsome Tom and Stuttering Craig of ScrewAttackScrewAttack
ScrewAttack . is a video game-related website that showcases original entertainment for an audience of video game enthusiasts. Its content is also shown on GameTrailers and IGN...
. Stuttering Craig even placed U.N. Squadron in a tie with Gradius III
Gradius III
Gradius III, known in Japan as , is a side-scrolling shooting game originally released for the arcades in Japan and Asia in . It is the second sequel to the original Gradius for the arcades following Gradius II, and was followed by Gradius IV. Gradius III was rereleased for the Super Nintendo...
for the 17th Best Super Nintendo game ever and dedicated a Top 9 List of the reasons why it's awesome on the games entry in the Video Game Vault. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
ranked U.N. Squadron 37th on their "Top 100 Super Nintendo Games" list, which made U.N. Squadron the highest ranking side scroller shooter game on that list.
External links
- U.N. Squadron at Arcade-History
- UN Squadron SNES review from Mean Machines ArchiveMean MachinesMean Machines was a market-leading multi-format gaming magazine released between 1990 and 1992 in the United Kingdom. Its style was popular with gamers of the time for its irreverent humor, anarchic editorial tone and style, and its sometimes outrageously outspoken reviews.- Origins :In the late...
- Area 88 review at the Anime Super Famciom Web Resource Center