Area 51

From Sega Retro


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Area51 title.png

Area 51
System(s): Sega Saturn
Publisher: Midway (US), GT Interactive (EU), Soft Bank (JP)
Developer:
Sound driver: SCSP (1 track)
Peripherals supported: Virtua Gun
Genre: Shoot-'em-Up

















Number of players: 1-2
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Saturn
JP
¥5,8005,800 T-18613G
Sega Saturn
US
T-9705H
Sega Saturn
EU
T-25408H-50
Sega Saturn
BR
191x34

Area 51 (エリア51) is a 1995 arcade light-gun game developed by Mesa Logic and released by Atari Games. It was ported to the Sega Saturn in late 1996 by Tantalus Interactive and Perfect Entertainment and published by Midway, alongside versions for PlayStation and Windows PCs.

Area 51 was followed by Maximum Force, produced by the same team at Mesa Logic, but with an entirely different setting.

Gameplay

Area 51 is an arcade, on-the-rails shoot-'em-up built around light guns. The graphics are pre-rendered, using human actors (similar to Mortal Kombat) for soldiers, and full motion video so simulate moving through the world.

History

Versions

The Saturn version of Area 51 is relatively close to its arcade counterpart, but chooses to present itself with an added border - a feature that remains through the entire experience and is absent from other versions. The resulting smaller field of view means that all 2D graphics and full motion video clips are rendered at a lower resolution than their arcade (and PlayStation) counterparts.

The nature of disc-based media means transitions between scenes have a slight delay as the game loads in new data. This is particularly noticeable in the attract sequence.

Magazine articles

Main article: Area 51/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

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Print advert in Next Generation (US) #22: "October 1996" (1996-09-17)
also published in:
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Print advert in EGM² (US) #29: "November 1996" (1996-xx-xx)
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Print advert in Intelligent Gamer (US) #8: "January 1997" (1996-xx-xx)
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Print advert in Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) #1996-22: "1996-22 (1996-12-27)" (1996-12-13)
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Print advert in Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) #1997-01: "1997-01 (1997-01-17)" (1996-12-27)
also published in:
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Print advert in Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) #1997-06: "1997-06 (1997-03-07)" (1997-02-21)
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Print advert in Sega Saturn Magazine (UK) #17: "March 1997" (1997-02-19)
also published in:
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Print advert in Playmag (FR) #13: "Avril 1997" (1997-0x-xx)
also published in:
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Physical scans

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
42 №8, p71[9]
73 №52, p76/77[2]
69 №2, p75[10]
72 №18, p62/63[11]
81 №, p11[12]
65 №94
Sega Saturn
67
Based on
6 reviews
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
Ação Games (BR)
80
[13]
Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U
56
[14]
Freak (IL)
82
[15]
Gambler (PL)
66
[16]
GamePro (US) NTSC-U
73
[17]
Intelligent Gamer (US)
42
[9]
MAN!AC (DE) PAL
56
[18]
Mean Machines Sega (UK) PAL
73
[2]
Playmag (FR) PAL
77
[19]
Saturn Fan (JP) NTSC-J
66
[20]
Saturn Fan (JP) NTSC-J
66
[21]
Saturn Power (UK) PAL
69
[10]
Secret Service (PL)
40
[22]
Sega Magazin (DE)
65
[23]
Sega Power (GR)
69
[24]
Sega Saturn Magazine (UK) PAL
72
[25]
Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J
67
[26]
Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J
81
[12]
Ultra Game Players (US)
65
[27]
Sega Saturn
67
Based on
19 reviews

Area 51

Saturn, US
Area51 Saturn US Box Back.jpgArea51 Saturn US Box Front.jpg
Cover
Area51 Saturn US Disc.jpg
Disc
Area51 sat us manual.pdf
Manual
Area51 Saturn US RegCard.pdf
Reg Card
Saturn, EU
Area51 Saturn EU Box.jpg
Cover
Area51 Saturn EU Disc.jpg
Disc
Saturn, JP
Area51 Saturn JP Box Back.jpgArea51 Saturn JP Box Front.jpg
Cover
Area51 Saturn JP Disc.jpg
Disc
Saturn, BR
Area51 Saturn BR Box Front.jpg
Cover

References

  1. File:CVG UK 185.pdf, page 48
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 File:MeanMachinesSega52UK.pdf, page 76 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:MeanMachinesSega52UK.pdf_p76" defined multiple times with different content
  3. Electronic Gaming Monthly, "October 1996" (US; 1996-xx-xx), page 36
  4. Sega Saturn Magazine, "1997-02 (1997-01-31)" (JP; 1997-01-17), page 33
  5. Sega Saturn Magazine, "1997-03 (1997-02-14)" (JP; 1997-01-31), page 34
  6. Sega Saturn Magazine, "April 1997" (UK; 1997-03-15), page 13
  7. Sega Saturn Magazine, "May 1997" (UK; 1997-04-12), page 9
  8. Consoles +, "Avril 1997" (FR; 1997-0x-xx), page 69
  9. 9.0 9.1 File:IntelligentGamer US 08.pdf, page 73 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:IntelligentGamer US 08.pdf_p73" defined multiple times with different content
  10. 10.0 10.1 File:SaturnPower UK 02.pdf, page 75 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:SaturnPower UK 02.pdf_p75" defined multiple times with different content
  11. File:SSM_UK_18.pdf, page 62
  12. 12.0 12.1 Saturn no Game wa Sekai Ichi~i~i~i!: Satamaga Dokusha Race Zen Kiroku, SoftBank Publishing, page 13 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:SnGwSISDRZK Book JP.pdf_p13" defined multiple times with different content
  13. Ação Games, "Março 1997" (BR; 1997-xx-xx), page 8
  14. Electronic Gaming Monthly, "February 1997" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 58
  15. Freak, "2/97" (IL; 1997-xx-xx), page 1
  16. Gambler, "9/1997" (PL; 1997-xx-xx), page 1
  17. GamePro, "February 1997" (US; 1997-xx-xx), page 82
  18. MAN!AC, "02/97" (DE; 1997-01-08), page 80
  19. Playmag, "Mai 1997" (FR; 1997-0x-xx), page 116
  20. Saturn Fan, "1997 No. 3" (JP; 1997-01-31), page 177
  21. Saturn Fan, "1997 No. 6" (JP; 1997-03-14), page 110
  22. Secret Service, "Kwiecień 1997" (PL; 1997-xx-xx), page 32
  23. Sega Magazin, "März 1997" (DE; 1997-02-12), page 81
  24. Sega Power, "Októmvrios-Noemvrios 1997" (GR; 1997-xx-xx), page 61
  25. Sega Saturn Magazine, "April 1997" (UK; 1997-03-15), page 62
  26. Sega Saturn Magazine, "1997-03 (1997-02-14)" (JP; 1997-01-31), page 154
  27. Ultra Game Players, "February 1997" (US; 1997-01-28), page 74