Cobra Command

From Sega Retro

For the Sega Saturn version, see Thunder Storm & Road Blaster.

n/a

  • NTSC-U/PAL
  • NTSC-J

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Cobracommand MCD JP SS Title.png

Cobra Command
System(s): Sega LaserDisc hardware, Sega Mega-CD
Publisher:
Sega Mega-CD
Wolf Team (JP)
Sega Mega-CD
Renovation Products (US)
Developer:
Licensor: Data East, Telenet Japan
Original system(s): Arcade boards
Developer(s) of original games: Data East
Genre: Shooting[1]

















Number of players: 1
Release Date RRP Code
LaserDisc hardware
JP
¥? ?

































Sega Mega-CD
JP
¥7,8007,800 T-32064
Sega Mega-CD
US
$49.9949.99[4] 4402
Non-Sega versions

Cobra Command, known as Thunder Storm FX (サンダーストームFX) in Japan, is a full-motion video game developed by Wolf Team for the Sega Mega-CD and released in 1992. It is a port of the 1983 arcade game Thunder Storm by Data East, and it is an interactive movie produced by Toei Animation.

Story

Terrorists are threatening the free world and have amassed a diabolical force. Only the brave pilot of Cobra Command can vanquish the terrorist threat and save the free world from total destruction. The player assumes the role as pilot of the LX-3 Super Cobra helicopter (fictional, but similar to the Bell AH-1 SuperCobra).

Gameplay

The game is an interactive movie with elements of a shooter. The player watches scenes from a first-person perspective as the helicopter flies through the conflict zones. The game screen is represented by the helicopter's cockpit, and the player controls a crosshair that can be moved with the D-pad to aim at the enemy forces. The player can fire missiles with A or B or a Vulcan gun with C. Both weapons have unlimited ammunition. The Vulcan gun can be fired continuously by holding the button down but quickly overheats. The player must also occasionally use the D-pad to steer the helicopter out of the way of obstacles when cued. If the player fails to shoot down an enemy or move the helicopter in time, a short animated sequence depicts the Cobra helicopter being destroyed and the player loses a life. The game ends if the player runs out of lives.

There are two selectable difficulty levels (Normal and Advanced). On both difficulty levels, the player is given vocalized instructions from a "flight instructor." When playing on Normal, the player is additionally given visual cues in the helicopter's HUD.

Stages

Cobra Command, Stage 1.png

New York

Cobra Command, Stage 2.png

Grand Canyon

Cobra Command, Stage 3.png

The Pacific

Cobra Command, Stage 4.png

Easter Island

Cobra Command, Stage 5.png

Small Enemy Fortress

Cobra Command, Stage 6.png

Rome

Cobra Command, Stage 7.png

Desert

Cobra Command, Stage 8.png

The Jungle

Cobra Command, Stage 9.png

Cave

Cobra Command, Stage 10.png

Main Enemy Fortress

History

The original arcade version was released in Japan on April 24th, 1984. It was the second LaserDisc game after Data East's Bega's Battle[5]. A conversion kit using the Bega's Battle cabinet was released, as well as conversion kits from Sega LaserDisc hardware such as Astron Belt[6].

In Europe, Cobra Command was later bundled with Sol-Feace, a horizontal shoot-'em-up, as Sol-Feace / Cobra Command. As European Mega-CD games were distributed in jewel case quad boxes, one "half" of the box was devoted to Cobra Command, and the other to Sol-Feace. In America, it was bundled with Road Avenger.

Legacy

The game was bundled with Road Avenger in the Sega Saturn game Thunder Storm & Road Blaster. It was later ported to iOS by G-Mode, the company that bought Data East's intellectual property after its bankruptcy.

Versions

Localised names

Also known as
Language Localised Name English Translation
English Cobra Command Cobra Command
English (US) Cobra Command Cobra Command
Japanese サンダーストームFX Thunder Storm FX

Production credits

Mega-CD version

BGM Recording
  • Solid Gold
    • Compose by: N.Nakamura
    • Co.Arr & Play: H.Mizuno
    • Music Coordinated by: T.Satoh
  • Mixer's Lab
    • Recording Engineer: S.Yoshii
    • Assistant Engineer: Y.Oshima
  • The Phenomenon Studio
    • Manipulator: H.Shimahara
    • Recording Studio: West Side
    • Recording Director: H.Yamaguchi
Binaural Sounds Recording
  • Avaco Creative Studios Inc
    • MA Engineer: T.Uemura
    • MA Assistant Engineer: M.Otsubo
    • MA Director: N.Matsumoto
  • Nittobo Acoustic Engineering Co. Ltd
    • 3D Engineer: F.Tsutsumi
    • 3D Director: T. Kobayashi
    • 3D Producer: T.Shigeta
    • Narration by: S.Herman
    • MA Studio: Avaco Creative Studio
    • Sound Producer: K.Senzaki
    • Public Relations by: K.Iijima, E.Kobayashi, T.Murakami
Source:
In-game credits (JP)
Cobracommand MCD JP SSEnding.pdf
[7]

Magazine articles

Main article: Cobra Command/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

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Print advert in Beep! MegaDrive (JP) #1992-06: "June 1992" (1992-05-08)
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Print advert in Beep! MegaDrive (JP) #1992-07: "July 1992" (1992-06-08)
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Print advert in Beep! MegaDrive (JP) #1992-08: "August 1992" (1992-07-08)
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Print advert in Beep! MegaDrive (JP) #1992-09: "September 1992" (1992-08-08)
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Print advert in Beep! MegaDrive (JP) #1992-10: "October 1992" (1992-09-08)
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Physical scans

Mega-CD version

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
{{{{{icon}}}|L}} Division by zero.
Based on
0 review
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
1700 igr dlya Sega (RU)
40
[8]
Beep! MegaDrive (JP) NTSC-J
73
[9]
Console Mania (IT)
82
[10]
Consoles + (FR)
66
[11]
Computer & Video Games (UK)
81
[12]
Electronic Games (1992-1995) (US) NTSC-U
87
[13]
Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U
73
[14]
Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 1 (RU)
40
[15]
Famitsu (JP) NTSC-J
58
[16]
GameFan (US)
94
[17]
Game Power (IT) PAL
40
[18]
GamePro (US) NTSC-U
80
[4]
Game Informer (US) NTSC-U
88
[19]
Joypad (FR)
80
[20]
Joystick (FR)
86
[21]
Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK) NTSC-J
80
[22]
Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK) PAL
80
[23]
Mega (UK) NTSC-J
80
[24]
Mega Fun (DE) NTSC-U
85
[25]
Mega Fun (DE) NTSC-U
71
[26]
MegaTech (UK) NTSC
87
[27]
Marukatsu Mega Drive (JP) NTSC-J
86
[28]
Mean Machines Sega (UK) NTSC-J
73
[29]
Sega Magazin (DE)
79
[30]
Sega Pro (UK) NTSC-J
92
[31]
Sega Pro (UK) NTSC-J
84
[32]
Sega Force (SE)
95
[33]
Sega Force (UK) PAL
89
[34]
Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J
77
[35]
Supergame (BR) NTSC-J
93
[36]
Tricks 16 bit (RU)
63
[37]
Video Games (DE) NTSC-U
65
[38]
Sega Mega-CD
76
Based on
32 reviews

Cobra Command

Mega-CD, JP
Cobracommand MCD JP Box Back.jpgCobracommand MCD JP Box Front.jpg
Cover
ThunderStormFX MCD JP Spinecard.jpg
Spinecard
ThunderStormFX MCD JP Disc.jpg
Disc
Cobracommand mcd jp manual.pdf
Manual
Mega-CD, US
CobraCommand MCD US Box Back.jpgCobraCommand MCD US Box Front.jpg
Cover
CobraCommand MCD US Disc.jpg
Disc
Cobracommand mcd us manual.pdf
Manual
CobraCommand MCD US RegCard.pdf
Reg Card

Technical information

Main article: Cobra Command/Technical information.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 https://sega.jp/fb/segahard/mcd/soft_licensee.html (Wayback Machine: 2019-06-10 17:56)
  2. Sega Visions, "November/December 1992" (US; 1992-xx-xx), page 93
  3. GamePro, "October 1992" (US; 1992-xx-xx), page 26
  4. 4.0 4.1 GamePro, "January 1993" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 74
  5. Game Machine, "1984-05-15" (JP; 1984-05-15), page 13
  6. http://www.dragons-lair-project.com/tech/pages/cc.asp
  7. File:Cobracommand_MCD_JP_SSEnding.pdf
  8. 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 48
  9. Beep! MegaDrive, "August 1992" (JP; 1992-07-08), page 30
  10. Console Mania, "Novembre 1992" (IT; 1992-1x-xx), page 74
  11. Consoles +, "Septembre 1992" (FR; 1992-0x-xx), page 74
  12. Computer & Video Games, "November 1992" (UK; 1992-10-15), page 32
  13. Electronic Games (1992-1995), "January 1993" (US; 1992-12-10), page 92
  14. Electronic Gaming Monthly, "December 1992" (US; 1992-xx-xx), page 36
  15. Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 1, "" (RU; 1999-xx-xx), page 301
  16. Famitsu, "1992-09-04" (JP; 1992-08-21), page 40
  17. GameFan, "Volume 1, Issue 1: October 1992" (US; 1992-xx-xx), page 6
  18. Game Power, "Luigio/Agosto 1993" (IT; 1993-0x-xx), page 73
  19. Game Informer, "January/February 1993" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 6
  20. Joypad, "Octobre 1992" (FR; 1992-10-xx), page 64
  21. Joystick, "Novembre 1992" (FR; 1992-1x-xx), page 164
  22. Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "November 1992" (UK; 1992-xx-xx), page 19
  23. Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "May 1993" (UK; 1993-xx-xx), page 47
  24. Mega, "November 1992" (UK; 1992-10-15), page 42
  25. Mega Fun, "11/92" (DE; 1992-10-xx), page 30
  26. Mega Fun, "09/93" (DE; 1993-08-18), page 35
  27. MegaTech, "November 1992" (UK; 1992-10-20), page 32
  28. Marukatsu Mega Drive, "September 1992" (JP; 1992-08-xx), page 120
  29. Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 22
  30. Sega Magazin, "September/Oktober 1993" (DE; 1993-09-01), page 14
  31. Sega Pro, "November 1992" (UK; 1992-10-08), page 30
  32. Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 74
  33. Sega Force, "4/93" (SE; 1993-07-08), page 16
  34. Sega Force, "November 1992" (UK; 1992-10-08), page 62
  35. Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 85
  36. Supergame, "Novembro 1992" (BR; 1992-11-xx), page 16
  37. Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 44
  38. Video Games, "9/93" (DE; 1993-08-25), page 43


Cobra Command

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Sega Mega-CD
Prototypes: 1992-10-10