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Capcom's
Area 88 takes it name, characters and setting
from a hugely popular manga by Kaoru Shintani about a small group of mercenary fighter
pilots.
Perfect material for a video game you'd think. And surely enough by 1989 it was Capcom who snapped up the rights, turning it into an excellent
horizontal shooting game.
This is Capcom in their prime: detailed and stylish visuals, a superb soundtrack and razor-sharp 2-player
action made sure Area 88 was an instant hit. It was also very well received outside of Japan, despite losing the tie-in appeal (manga was yet to take off in the US) and being given the rather generic title 'U.N. Squadron'.
The aim of the game is to blast through enemy territory,
earning money by downing foes. After defeating a stage boss you enter a shop where you can equip your ship
with superior weaponry and shields for the next stage.
Careful use of these extra weapons is key, since whatever you have left at the end of the stage is reimbursed. You really can't be too spendthrift
(or trigger happy) if you want to see the end of this 10-round marathon.
It's your standard shooting fare, but perfectly executed...
You'd expect nothing less from Capcom, who were on a
massive roll at the time: after Daimakaimura
(1989) and Strider
Hiryu (1989)
they were riding high as the undeniable masters of arcade game design.
The game's success saw it given a sequel, US
Navy (1990) and an excellent conversion on the Super Famicom (1991) as Capcom's second release on the format.
A fondly remembered title!
Rating:  |
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Arcade flyer
[inside] |
Arcade flyer
[back] |
Shin Kazama
F-20 Tigershark |
Mickey Simon
F-14 Tomcat |
Greg Gates
A-10 Thunderbolt |
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Area
88
エリア88
SUPER FAMICOM |
DETAILS
| Format |
Super
Famicom |
| Released |
26
July 1991 |
| Publisher |
Capcom |
| Product
ID |
SHVC-E8 |
| Size
(cm) |
19
x 10.5 x 3 |
| Weight
(kg) |
0.16 |
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Capcom's
second Super Famicom release
is a first-class conversion
of their arcade smash.
One of the best titles of
the genre on SFC, despite
loosing the arcade's 2P mode.
Standard SFC packaging, 8Mbit
cartridge, colour manual. |
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'Area
88' and 'Capcom' are all registered trademarks of Capcom Co., Ltd.
'Super Famicom' and 'Nintendo' are registered trademarks of Nintendo
Co., Ltd.
Area 88 TM & © 1989 Capcom / Daipro All Rights Reserved
Page content, design & layout © 2012 Arcade Gear |
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