Stargate (Game Gear)

From Sega Retro

For the Sega Mega Drive game, see Stargate (Mega Drive).

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Stargate GG title.png

Stargate
System(s): Sega Game Gear
Publisher: Acclaim Entertainment
Developer:
Distributor: Sega-Ozisoft (Australia)

Buena Vista Home Entertainment, S.A. (Spain)

Licensor: Le Studio Canal+
Peripherals supported: Gear-to-Gear Cable
Genre: Puzzle[1][2][3]

















Release Date RRP Code
Sega Game Gear
JP
¥4,5004,500 T-81157
Sega Game Gear
US
T-81298
ESRB: Kids to Adults
Sega Game Gear
EU
T-81298-50
ELSPA: 3+ OK
Sega Game Gear
PT
Sega Game Gear
UK
£29.9929.99[5] T-81298-50
ELSPA: 3+ OK
Non-Sega versions

Stargate (スターゲイト) is a 1994 Sega Game Gear puzzle game based on the Stargate film (and series) by Probe Software and Acclaim.

Story

The vicious alien ruler Ra seeks to conquer and enslave the universe using Stargates, ring-shaped wormholes that enable travel across the universe. Professor Daniel Jackson is trying to stop Ra by closing the existing Stargates, which is done by matching hieroglyphs to addresses.

Gameplay

Stargate GG, Gameplay.png

Stargate GG, Map.png

Stargate GG, Challenger.png

Gameplay

The game is a tile-matching puzzle game using a 3D perspective of a well. Tiles marked with hieroglyphs fall into the well one at a time. The tiles are positioned around the edge of the well and can be moved clockwise with Left or counterclockwise with Right. The player can drop the tile more quickly by holding Down or 1. Each tile has two sides, with a different hieroglyph on each side, and can be flipped with 2. Once a tile lands at the bottom of the well or onto another tile, it is fixed in place until eliminated and another tile appears. The well has seven positions horizontally around its radius and can stack tiles up to eight high vertically. If the well overflows because it cannot fit any more tiles vertically, the player loses, so it is necessary to eliminate tiles to continue playing.

The player is given a seven-symbol "address" (at the top of the screen) to complete. If the player makes a stack of three tiles with the same hieroglyph on top, the tiles "fall through" the Stargate and are removed from the well. If the hieroglyph appears in the address, it is marked as eliminated. There are twelve different hieroglyphs to match (and two special tiles). There are three ways to complete an address. The first is eliminating each symbol one at a time by matching three tiles for each of them. The second is arranging the symbols of the address (in order, either clockwise or counterclockwise) in the seven horizontal positions to form a circle. The third is stacking the address symbols (in order) in a single column.

Skill Mode is an endless mode where the goal is to complete as many addresses as possible. Matching tiles increases the level, which increases the speed at which tiles fall and the difficulty of the game. Completing addresses holds or decreases the speed, depending on the method used, so the player is incentivized to complete addresses to manage the difficulty. Completing an address by matching three tiles at a time holds the speed. Completing an address clockwise horizontally decreases the speed, counterclockwise horizontally decreases the speed more, and vertically decreases the speed the most.

1-Player Battle Mode is a story mode where the player competes against Ra and his minions in multiple rounds. There is a map screen in between rounds where the winning player selects the next Stargate. The player cannot see the opponent's well, but a bar on the right of the screen indicates the height of the opponent's stacks. When either player matches three tiles, the tiles are sent to the opponent's well. When either player can no longer place new tiles in the well, the player loses and the other player gains control of the Stargate and all adjacent Stargates on the map screen. The goal is to gain control of all of the Stargates.

2-Player Battle Mode is a competitive mode between two human players over a Gear-to-Gear Cable. It plays the same as the 1-Player Battle Mode, with player one playing as Daniel and player two playing as Ra.

Special Tiles

Stargate GG, Special Tiles.png
Wild Card Tile
A Wild Card Tile is blank on both sides. It adopts the hieroglyph of the tile it is placed on. If there is no tile beneath it, it adopts the hieroglyph of the tile placed on top of it. In Battle Mode, Wild Card Tiles are not sent to the opponent's well when cleared.
Stargate GG, Special Tiles.png
Digger/Smart Bomb Tile
The Digger Tile eliminates the entire column of tiles it is placed on. It can be flipped to the Smart Bomb Tile, which eliminates all tiles in the well with the same hieroglyph as the tile it is placed on.

Production credits

A Mind Bending Game from the Acclaim Grey Team

  • Producer: Rob Leingang
  • Associate Producers: Bill Pidgeon, Stacy Hendrickson
  • Analysts: Mark Mermelstein, Joe Libertella, Steffan Levine
  • Original Concept: Rob Leingang
  • Design: Rob Leingang, Bill Pidgeon, James Johnson
  • Quality Assurance: Carol Caracciolo, Adam F. Ingberman, Eric Weiner
  • Special Thanks: Rand and Ruth at CLC, Dean Devlin
  • Probe Producer: Tim May
  • Programmers: Brian Post, David Theodore
  • Artist: Darren Hanna, Simon Hart
Source:
In-game credits

Magazine articles

Main article: Stargate (Game Gear)/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

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Print advert in Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) #65: "December 1994" (1994-xx-xx)
also published in:
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Print advert in Next Generation (US) #4: "April 1995" (1995-03-21)
also published in:
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Print advert in Computer & Video Games (UK) #161: "April 1995" (1995-03-15)
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Print advert in GamePro (DE) #1995-03: "März 1995" (1995-02-24)
also published in:
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Physical scans

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
{{{{{icon}}}|L}} Division by zero.
Based on
0 review
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
Computer & Video Games (UK)
72
[4]
Electronic Games (1992-1995) (US) NTSC-U
100
[11]
Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U
46
[12]
Famitsu (JP) NTSC-J
43
[13]
GamePro (US) NTSC-U
43
[14]
Mega Fun (DE) PAL
62
[15]
Mean Machines Sega (UK) PAL
66
[5]
Play Time (DE)
71
[16]
Sega Pro (UK) PAL
84
[17]
Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J
48
[18]
Todo Sega (ES)
83
[19]
Top Consoles (FR)
50
[20]
Video Games (DE) PAL
74
[21]
VideoGames (US) NTSC-U
60
[22]
Sega Game Gear
64
Based on
14 reviews

Stargate (Game Gear)

Game Gear, JP
Stargate GG JP Box Back.jpgNospine-small.pngStargate GG JP Box Front.jpg
Cover
Stargate GG JP Cart.jpg
Cart
Game Gear, US
Stargate GG US Box Back.jpgNospine.pngStargate GG US Box Front.jpg
Cover
Stargate GG US Cart.jpg
Cart
Stargate GG US Manual.pdf
Manual
Game Gear, EU
Stargate GG EU Box Back.jpgStargate GG EU BoxSpine.jpgStargate GG EU Box Front.jpg
Cover
Stargate GG EU Cart.jpg
Cart
Stargate GG EU Manual.jpg
Manual
Game Gear, PT

Technical information

ROM dump status

System Hash Size Build Date Source Comments
Sega Game Gear
 ?
CRC32 fc7c64e4
MD5 b24361360667c2730ae9cbe9004b54d0
SHA-1 011fd49600eaef8be7cbe35ab6eeb4e1554d836c
256kB Cartridge

References


Stargate (Game Gear)

Stargate GG title.png

Main page | Magazine articles | Reception


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