Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel
From Sega Retro
- For the 2024 aftermarket re-release, see Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel (Limited Run Games).
| Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| System(s): Sega Mega Drive | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Publisher: Sunsoft | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developer: Iguana Entertainment | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Distributor: Sega-Ozisoft (AU) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sound driver: GEMS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Genre: Action | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number of players: 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel is a platforming game developed by Iguana Entertainment and published by Sunsoft for the Sega Mega Drive and Super NES in 1994. It is a spin-off of the Aero the Acro-Bat series, starring Aero's rival Zero.
Contents
Story
During the events of Aero the Acro-Bat 2, Zero receives a telegram from his girlfriend Amy telling him that an evil lumberjack named Jacques Le Sheets is deforesting their homeland Stony Forest to produce counterfeit money and has also captured her father. Ignoring Edgar Ektor's protests, Zero decides to put a stop to Le Sheets. Upon arriving at the island, Zero's plane is shot down and crashes on the beach, so he starts making his way to the forest on foot. During his journey, Zero learns that Amy has also been captured after an unsuccessful attempt to save her father by herself. At the paper factory, Zero fights Le Sheets and pursues him on a flying ship. Aboard the ship, Zero finds that the mastermind is none other than Edgar Ektor. After defeating Ektor with Amy's assistance, the two squirrels parachute safely away, while Ektor's ship crashes into a cliff.
Gameplay
The game is a platformer that follows Zero traveling back to his forest home to stop an evil lumberjack. The game contains seven worlds with multiple levels in each. The goal of each level is to reach the exit at the end, which is sometimes guarded by a boss.
As an accomplished martial artist, Zero has a dizzying amount of moves. Zero walks with 
and 
and crouches with 
. While crouching, Zero readies his nunchaku; he swings them with 
. Zero can throw shurikens with 
while standing (but not crouching) or in midair. Shurikens can be thrown at diagonal angles by holding 
or (while jumping) . Like Aero's stars, shurikens are limited in supply and must be collected in the levels to use.
Zero performs a "flic-flac," a forward leap with his legs first, with 
while moving or while holding or . He leaps farther if the button is held for longer. This move kicks enemies that are in the way. Zero can pull out a scope and look around (to anticipate hazards) by holding while standing still and moving the D-Pad around.
Zero jumps with . He can perform a spinning double jump by pressing while in midair. Unusually, this spin jump carries the momentum of the first jump instead of having its own, so it works most effectively when executed early in the jump. While in the air (but not during a spin), Zero can perform a swooping maneuver with +. The swoop covers a distance about half the width of the screen and can be used to attack enemies. Zero can dive in midair with . If he hits the ground or an enemy from a dive, he slams into it. He can spin out of a dive with . He can change the direction out the dive by pressing again while holding a direction on the D-Pad: or move him in the next direction counterclockwise, while or move him in the next direction clockwise. He can dive around barriers in this way.
Some levels have Zero riding a jetski or a speedboat. In these levels, he slows down with , speeds up with , and moves with and . He jumps with , , or .
Zero has a health bar and starts each level with four health points (which can be extended up to six hit points by collecting items). He loses a hit point whenever he takes damage from an enemy and loses a life when he loses every health point. Some hazards, such as lava, cost Zero a life regardless of how many health points he has left. The game ends if Zero loses all of his lives, but there are unlimited continues.
Objects
| Bonus Door | |
|---|---|
| Jump on the bellows multiple times to blow up the door, then enter the door by standing in front of it and pressing to enter a bonus room filled with items.
| |
| Checkpoint | |
| Checkpoint where Zero is revived after losing a life. | |
| Goal | |
| Pull down the scroll to end the level. |
Items
| Shurikens | |
|---|---|
| Increases Zero's supply of shurikens by 1 (red/silver), 5 (blue/silver), or 10 (gold). | |
| Food | |
| Awards bonus points. | |
| Coin | |
| Collect 100 coins for an extra life. | |
| Z | |
| Adds another health point, up to a maximum of 6. | |
| 1-Up | |
| Awards an extra life. |
Worlds
All worlds have two levels, except for the Toxic Waste Pool (one level) and the Factory (three levels).
| The Beach | |
|---|---|
| The Cliffs | |
| The Mountain Tunnels | |
| The River Rapids | |
| The Forest | |
| The Toxic Waste Pool | |
| The Factory | |
Production credits
- Created and Produced by: Justin Siller
- Directed by: Neill Glancy, Team Iguana
- Game Design: Justin Siller, Neill Glancy, Team Zero
- Team Leader: Neill Glancy
- Executive Producer (Iguana): Jeff Spangenberg
- Executive Producer (Sunsoft): David Siller
- Programming: Stephen Broumley, Craig Galley
- Genesis Engine: Carl Wade
- Art Director (Iguana): Matt Stubbington
- Technical Director (Iguana): Craig Galley
- Creative Director (Iguana): Nigel Cook
- Art Director (Sunsoft): Mario Zavala
- Lead Artists: Jools Watsham, Matt Stubbington
- Artists: Robbie Miller, Scott Brocker, Mark Pitcher
- Additional Art: William B. Yeatts, Michael McCallion
- Conceptual Art: Mario Zavala, Justin Siller, Team Zero
- Additional Rendered Art: Neill Glancy
- Martial Arts Consultant: Ryan Siller
- Music Coordinators: Jay Moon, Darrin Stubbington
- Music and Sound Effects: Fox Productions
- Project Manager: Jay Moon
- Technical Manager: Al Artus
- Consumer Products Manager: Steve Gehrke
- Marketing Director: Karen Shadley
- Chairman: Masami Maeda
- Vice Chairman: Tad Shimamoto
- International Development Coordinator: Kenji Yoshioka
- Game Test Manager: Sam Patel
- Game Testing: Mike Spangenberg, Steve Rizor, Daniel Rizor, Ryan Siller, Matthew Ross, Dan MacArthur, René Boutin, Kelly McCarthy, Benjon Martinez, Peter Marquez, Euclid Woo
- Game Manual: Alison Quirion
- Executive Assistant: Nanette Hyssong
- Customer Service and Credit: Kazuko Harman, June Eckert, Julie Williams, Jamie Jorgenson, Erin Berry, Connie Perez, Jaupale Laster
- Sunsoft Thanks to: Bruce Reilly, Cathy Juby, Toko Okano, Darin Horgan, John Davis, Karen Lillie, Sherry Ross, Akito Takeuchi, Kazuaki Gotou, Masato Kawai
- Sunsoft Very Special Thanks to: Debra Siller
- Iguana Thanks to: Carl Wade, Richard Cowie, Pete Suarez, Beth Spangenberg, Tammy Mullins, Jane Notgrass, Kate Miffitt, Lemon The Cat
Magazine articles
- Main article: Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel/Magazine articles.
Promotional material
also published in:
- EGM² (US) #5: "November 1994" (1994-1x-xx)[7]
- Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) #65: "December 1994" (1994-xx-xx)[8]
Physical scans
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77 |
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| Based on 23 reviews | |
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| Mega Drive, EU |
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 Cart  Manual |
| Mega Drive, AU |
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| Mega Drive, AU (Manual Misprint) |
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Technical information
- Main article: Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel/Technical information.
References
- ↑ Game Players, "Vol. 7 No. 12 December 1994" (US; 1994-1x-xx), page 12
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Mean Machines Sega, "December 1994" (UK; 1994-10-28), page 36
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Mean Machines Sega, "July 1995" (UK; 1995-05-27), page 66
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 File:NewReleases 1994-11 AU Catalogue.pdf, page 26
- ↑ Sega Megazone, "January 1995" (AU; 199x-xx-xx), page 28
- ↑ File:Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel MD credits.pdf
- ↑ EGM², "November 1994" (US; 1994-1x-xx), page 149
- ↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly, "December 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 151
- ↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 272
- ↑ Cool Gamer, "9" (RU; 2002-10-13), page 243
- ↑ Electronic Games (1992-1995), "December 1994" (US; 1994-1x-xx), page 164
- ↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly, "December 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 42
- ↑ Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 1, "" (RU; 1999-xx-xx), page 369
- ↑ Game Players, "Vol. 7 No. 12 December 1994" (US; 1994-1x-xx), page 134
- ↑ GamePro, "December 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 114
- ↑ Games World: The Magazine, "August 1995" (UK; 1995-06-29), page 70
- ↑ Game Informer, "February 1995" (US; 1995-0x-xx), page 19
- ↑ Hobby Consolas, "Diciembre 1994" (ES; 1994-xx-xx), page 130
- ↑ MAN!AC, "01/95" (DE; 1994-12-07), page 80
- ↑ Mega Fun, "12/94" (DE; 1994-11-23), page 128
- ↑ Play Time, "1/95" (DE; 1994-12-07), page 100
- ↑ Sega Magazin, "Dezember 1994" (DE; 1994-11-17), page 72
- ↑ Sega Magazine, "July 1995" (UK; 1995-06-15), page 90
- ↑ Sega Power, "October 1995" (UK; 1995-08-17), page 54
- ↑ Sega Pro, "July 1995" (UK; 1995-06-08), page 62
- ↑ Sega Mega Drive Review, "2" (RU; 1996-01-03), page 177
- ↑ Super Juegos, "Enero 1995" (ES; 199x-xx-xx), page 46
- ↑ Todo Sega, "Febrero 1995" (ES; 1995-0x-xx), page 43
- ↑ Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 234
- ↑ VideoGames, "December 1994" (US; 1994-1x-xx), page 82
| Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel | |
|---|---|
|
Main page | Comparisons | Maps | Hidden content | Magazine articles | Video coverage | Reception | Promotional material | Region coding | Technical information | Bootlegs | |
| Aero the Acro-Bat games for Sega systems | |
|---|---|
| Aero the Acro-Bat (1993) | Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel (1994) | Aero the Acro-Bat 2 (1995) |
