Fantasy Zone

From Sega Retro

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Fantasy Zone Title.png

Fantasy Zone
System(s): Sega System 16, Sega Master System, MSX, Nintendo Famicom, Nintendo Entertainment System, TurboGrafx-16, Sharp X68000, Virtual Console
Publisher: Sega,
X68000
Dempa,
Famicom
Sunsoft,
Nintendo Entertainment System
Tengen,
TurboGrafx-16
NEC (US), NEC Avenue (JP)
Developer:
Genre: Shoot-'em-Up

















Release Date RRP Code
Famicom
JP
1987 ¥5,300 SS8-5300
Nintendo Entertainment System
US
1989 $? ?
Sega Master System
JP
¥5,0005,000 G-1301
Sega Master System
US
5052
Sega Master System
US
(Rerelease)
Sega Master System
EU
MK-5052-50
Sega Master System
DE
DM 7979 41002
Sega Master System
AU
MK-5052-50
Sega Master System
KR
GB-1301
Sega Master System
TW
G-1301
MSX
JP
Wii Virtual Console
JP
500pts500
Wii Virtual Console
US
500pts500
Wii Virtual Console
EU
500pts500
CERO
Missing Parameter!

Fantasy Zone (ファンタジーゾーン) is a side-scrolling shoot-'em-up by Sega, originally released in 1986 for Sega System 16 arcade hardware. It is the first entry in the Fantasy Zone series, a franchise that would be supported by the company in the late 1980s but largely abandoned by the mid-1990s.

Gameplay

Fantasy Zone stars the sentient being "Opa-Opa", a spaceship tasked with saving the "Fantasy Zone" from an army of invaders orchestrated by an unknown force. It is similar to Williams' 1980 arcade game Defender, in that the player can move both left and right across an endlessly repeating playfield, though makes a number of changes and additions to keep the game unique. Rather than simply destroying enemies, Opa-Opa has to eliminate eight "bases" across each level before being presented with an end boss, where horizontal scrolling is clamped.

Opa-Opa has two firing modes - a pair of twin lasers which fire ahead, and a bomb which curves downwards to hit ground targets. Weapons and engines can be upgraded through the use of in-game shops, represented by balloons which appear at the start of the level. Yellow balloons also allow the player to switch weapons, assuming they have bought more than one.

Unusually for shoot-'em-ups of the time, Fantasy Zone opted for vibrant pastel-coloured worlds and joyful music rather than the traditional "space" setting of previous attempts. It is often dubbed as the first "cute-'em-up" as a result. Despite this, Fantasy Zone is known for being an extremely difficult game, as the slow moving camera and swarms of enemies quickly lead to "bullet hell" scenarios.

Enemies

FantasyZone Moocolon.png Moocolon
FantasyZone Quili-Quili.png Quili-Quili

Simple enemies which move backwards and forwards across the screen, sometimes in pairs. They are spawned by the bases of Plaleaf.

FantasyZone Sourtham.png Sourtham
FantasyZone Bottaco.png Bottaco
FantasyZone Thaya-Thaya.png Thaya-Thaya
FantasyZone C-Soul.png C-Soul
FantasyZone Asworm.png Asworm
FantasyZone Botellyn.png Botellyn
FantasyZone Chamba.png Chamba

Bat-like creatures spawned by the bases of Tabas. They simply fly upwards.

FantasyZone Coulon.png Coulon
FantasyZone Goro.png Goro
FantasyZone Onyamma.png Onyamma
FantasyZone Bont.png Bont
FantasyZone Poyon.png Poyon
FantasyZone Shatboo.png Shatboo
FantasyZone F-Zab.png F-Zab
FantasyZone Squel.png Squel
FantasyZone Floweye.png Floweye

Spawned by the bases in Dolimicca, these enemies lock on to Opa-Opa's Y position and attempt to collide with him.

FantasyZone Jerry.png Jerry
FantasyZone MF.png M.F.
FantasyZone Billian.png Billian
FantasyZone Recal.png Recal
FantasyZone Pata.png Pata
FantasyZone Unknown.png Unknown

This enemy is dropped by the bases of La Dune - it wanders along the floor, occasionally jumping to fire a shot. It is absent from the Master System version of the game, so its name is not yet known.

FantasyZone Plaleaf Base.png FantasyZone Tabas Base.png Base

Bases differ in design depending on the level, but all have the same function. They are the only static enemies in game, the only enemies to show up on the radar and are the primary target for Opa-Opa. Bases produce other enemies, typically weaker types such as Quili-Quili or Chamba. They will also fire at the player if Opa-Opa has had engine upgrades, making them a serious threat. Bases are the only enemies in game (aside from the bosses) which require more than one hit - the "damage" being shown on in the circle located in the centre - blue indicates full health, which changes to cyan, green, yellow, orange and finally red before being destroyed.

A base does not disappear from the screen when destroyed like other enemies - the wreckage is left on the map and can be seen even during the boss fights.

FantasyZone LaDune Base.png FantasyZone Dolimicca Base.png
FantasyZone Polaria Base.png FantasyZone Mockstar Base.png
FantasyZone Pocarius Base.png

Stages

FantasyZone Plaleaf.png
FantasyZone Plaleaf Boss.png
Plaleaf (Planet of Greenery)

Long ago, far away in space there existed a "fantasy zone" where a couragous hero called Opa-Opa (the player) fought in a valiant cause to rescue the "fantasy zone" from its enemies.

Plaleaf is the easiest stage of the game, and so shouldn't put up much of a challenge. Compared to later levels, the amount of enemies on screen is small (and most follow set patterns, so they can easily be avoided), so a decent player shouldn't need any upgrades to succeed.

The boss, is also fairly simple. It tries to lock on to your Y position and fires a flurry of green bullets at you, though watch out as they sometimes rebound of the left hand side of the screen too. The weak point is the mouth.

Enemies seen in this level include Moocolon, Quili-Quili, Sourtham, Bottaco and Thaya-Thaya.

FantasyZone Tabas.png
FantasyZone Tabas Boss.png
Tabas (Planet of Fire)

Tabas predictably ups the difficulty, though can just about be overcome without spending money on weapon upgrades.

The boss, regularly featured in cover artwork, does require some skill to overcome, however. It attacks Opa-Opa by erupting, causing fireballs to rain down on the player. Luckily, everything is a target, so the only concern is dodging the attack.

Enemies seen in this level include C-Soul, Botelynn, Asworm, Chamba and Coulon.

FantasyZone LaDune.png
FantasyZone LaDune Boss.png
La Dune (Planet of Sand)

By this point, the game will start to crush novice players, as the number of enemies vastly stats to increase. It marks the introduction of the "Goro" enemy - one that locks onto your screen position and will keep firing at you until you destroy it. This means, unlike previous stages, you can't run away from your problems in the hopes they'll disappear while off-screen.

La Dune's boss can also be tricky. The player needs to destroy each of the laser cannons located on the left hand side, though once most of them are out of the way, the boss will start to chase you. Predictably you have a much higher chance of survival if you've upgraded your engines at this point.

Enemies seen in this level include Goro, Pata, Onyamma, Bont and Poyon.

FantasyZone Dolimicca.png
FantasyZone Dolimicca Boss.png
Dolimicca (Super Planet)

Dolimicca is, surprisingly, an easier stage than La Dune, thanks to its decision to put all of its bases on the ground. This means if you arm yourself with the right weapon, you can scoot along the floor and wipe out several bases very quickly. That being said, the game still throws out a number of tricky enemies that you'll need to deal with, and by now, everything will start firing at you.

Dolimicca's boss is a typical "bullet hell" opponent. Opa-Opa has to destroy both arms, which swing about launching bullets all over the screen. Much like Tabas, the trick is to avoid enemy fire rather than concentrating shots, though the boss' body is invulnerable to attack.

Enemies seen in this level include Shatboo, F-Zab, Squel and Floweye.

FantasyZone Polaria.png
FantasyZone Polaria Boss.png
Polaria (Planet of Ice)

Polaria is a typical ice stage, and packs on even more pressure to assure the player runs out of lives.

It's more masses of bullets when it comes to the boss, which consists of various different sizes of snowman. You have to destroy each column in order, starting with the smallest, though as you progress, the size of the bullets also increases.

Enemies seen in this level include Jerry and M.F. Sourtham, Bont and Coulon also return.

FantasyZone Mockstar.png
FantasyZone Mockstar Boss.png
Mockstar (Planet of Clouds)

There's nothing particularly remarkable about any of the later stages in Fantasy Zone - they just throw out different assortments of enemies. By this point, the player will suffer if he or she has not upgraded their engine.

Mockstar's boss is perhaps the cheapest in the game, as it comes into view from six different angles, increasing the chance of you being destroyed before you've even seen what's going on. The objective is to shoot the eye while it spins around at increasing speeds.

On a side note, the music played on Mockstar's stage is used in Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing, as Opa-Opa's "All-Star" theme.

The only new enemy to be introduced is Billian. The rest, Jerry, Asworm, Botellyn, and Squel, come from earlier levels.

FantasyZone Pocarius.png
FantasyZone Pocarius Boss.png
Pocarius (Planet of Water)

Though it appears to be more inviting, Pocarius is the hardest level in the game. It becomes impossible for the average man to avoid the number of bullets, even if the arcade operator has put the game on "easy mode".

If by chance the player does succeed, he or she will be greeted by one of the hardest bosses. Though it doesn't attack, it will attempt to teleport on top of Opa-Opa, which means it's a case of "avoid, shoot, avoid, shoot". But once again, speed is proportional to damage, so in order to overcome this one you need fast reactions and the ability to fire rapidly. On a home system, it's the perfect example of how a turbo controller could come in handy.

Recal is introduced as an enemy here, though C-Soul, Pata, Poyon and M.F. also return.

FantasyZone Salfar.png
FantasyZone Salfar Boss.png
Salfar (Planet of Evil Spirits)

The final stage, Salfar as Opa-Opa duel with all the bosses he has encountered in the game so far, before the final showdown with the end boss. It's the only stage in the game that forces you to enter the shop - a smart idea as it's the last chance you'll get to use it.

FantasyZone DragonLand.png
FantasyZone DragonLand Boss.png
Dragon Land

Dragon Land is a secret stage, exclusive to the Sharp X68000 version of the game. To access it, the bases in Plaleaf need to be attacked and destroyed in a certain order (from left to right, according to their positions on the radar). Doing so will drop the letters "H", "A", "R", "R", "I", "E", and "R", and when collected you'll be taken to this stage after Pocarius.

Dragon Land is based on Space Harrier, and features enemies, music and a boss from that game (though everything is altered to work with Fantasy Zone's sideways perspective.

Dawndusk

The PlayStation 2 version of the game (Sega Ages 2500 volume #3 and Sega Classics Collection) adds four more levels. This is the first, which counts as round 8.

Apochal

Also a PlayStation 2 exclusive. This level is built similarly to Dolminicca, in that all the bases are on the ground.

The boss is a circular being which fires in a number of directions, though each of its initial bullets split into four (and as it becomes more damaged, eight).

Cavian

Also a PlayStation 2 exclusive.

Depooble

Also a PlayStation 2 exclusive, set underwater.

The boss is similar to that of Pocarius, with a bit of Tabas' boss thrown in.

History

Legacy

Fantasy Zone was popular enough to see several ports to home consoles, though most remained exclusive to Japan. The watered down Sega Master System port is perhaps the most famous, as Fantasy Zone was one of the console's most highly rated games. Two of the more processor-intensive bosses were replaced in the SMS version - Dolimicca's boss, which now resembles a fish, and Mockstar's which resembles a turtle. The Master System version has since been released for the Wii's Virtual Console service.

Sega would later release a near-perfect port of the game for Japanese Sega Saturns. The Saturn port has a karaoke mode, with vocals added to the tracks, and a replay mode.

The game was ported to non-Sega consoles too. MSX, Sharp X68000 and TurboGrafx-16 ports were handled by Pony Canyon, Dempa and NEC Avenue respectively. The game was brought to Nintendo's Famicom by Sunsoft, but strangely Tengen also ported it to the NES for sale in North America. The Famicom and NES ports are both different, despite being made for what is essentially the same console. Previously, Tengen merely edited the Sunsoft versions and released the edited ROMs overseas; this may have had something to do with the decision to make Fantasy Zone from scratch. Nevertheless, both ports were done by Japanese companies (Tengen contracting to a group called Pixel, who outsourced (parts of?) the sound to Masaharu Iwata). There is also an unofficial Sharp MZ-700 port.

Most home ports of Fantasy Zone greatly reduce the quality of the graphics, going so far as to remove backgrounds from boss fights altogether. The Master System version also removes the "radar", allowing the user to see where bases are placed on the map. Others, such as the NES port, reduce the number of bases in across the level, and drop the number of enemies in order to maintain a decent framerate.

The Sharp X68000 port, however, is almost perfect, and is also notable for devoting a secret stage to Space Harrier (also set in the "fantasy zone"). Contrary to popular belief, the Game Gear game often known by the same name is a completely different game.

The game was re-released twice as part of the PlayStation 2's Sega Ages 2500 series in Japan. Volume #3 of the series sees a remastered Fantasy Zone with 3D modes and four extra levels. This version was brought to the western world through Sega Classics Collection. It was later included in Volume #33 of the same series, along with the rest of the franchise, as part of Fantasy Zone Complete Collection. This version also includes an enhanced version of the Sunsoft Famicom port, named Fantasy Zone Neo Classic.

In 2014, the arcade version was converted to 3D and released for the Nintendo 3DS as 3D Fantasy Zone: Opa-Opa Bros.. It was later included in the Sega 3D Fukkoku Archives compilation. The Master System version was also converted to 3D and included in Sega 3D Fukkoku Archives 2 as a hidden bonus game. This version also adds new audio for the FM Sound Unit, which the original did not support.[2]

Fantasy Zone was followed by Fantasy Zone II: The Tears of Opa-Opa, a similar game which was not released in arcades.

Production credits

Master System version

Programmed by: Dunk Asi 12, Sexy Bomb, Asc03458
Designed by: Matilda Yoko, Mayu, Choko, Aya
Music by: Noah Toku
Directed by: Warlock Mut 241
Special Thanks to: Ici, Ktg, Ken, Hiro
Produced by: Sega

MSX version

Programmed by: Ultre Man, Push Fukazawa Pop, Boss Hiroyuki, 4:30 no Yuichi, Kobayashi Sensei, Opa-Opa Takano
Designed by: Ge Ge Ge no Terazou, Kid, Tėt. 004
Music by: Syuuta Cyan 30
Directed by: Mr. Kumabe
Special Thanks to: Tacky Cyan, Takecyan Man, Nakakohzi.P.Creep!©, Yukimi Papa
Produced by: Pony Canyon / Sega

Famicom version

Program: M.Nomura, A.T, Mac, S.Yamada, K.Ishihara
Design: Kaz.Sugiura, K.Sakoh, Y.Iwata, H.Kagoya
Sound: N.Morota
Special Thanks: K.Sada, N.Kodawa
Directer: K.Yoshida
Presented by: Sunsoft

Sharp X68000 version

Director: Koji Tsuchida
Programer: Toru Nakagawa (Tonbe Nakagawa)
Music Composer / Arranger: Ken-ichiro Isoda
Music Programer: Kazumi Nasu
Drums: Matsuo Sagara
Boot Graphic: Koji Tsuchida (G-Row R-Ma), S. Senoo (Senoko)
Demo Play: Mia Makada
Debug: Hiroaki Goto (Gorry), Yoshinari Karakama, Tsutomu Inoue

Hints

Magazine articles

Main article: Fantasy Zone/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Physical scans

Master System version

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
87 №1, p55[3]
87 №4, p96[4]
90 №79, p122/123[5]
91 №8, p12[6]
81 №9, p11[7]
100 №23, p56
95 №2, p55[8]
Sega Master System
90
Based on
7 reviews
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
Complete Guide to Consoles (UK)
87
[9]
Complete Guide to Consoles (UK)
87
[4]
The Complete Guide to Sega (UK) PAL
87
[10]
Computer Action (DK)
75
[11]
Console XS (UK) PAL
91
[12]
Computer & Video Games (UK)
90
[13]
Game Mania (UK)
87
[14]
Mean Machines Sega (UK)
87
[15]
S: The Sega Magazine (UK) PAL
91
[6]
S: The Sega Magazine (UK) PAL
81
[7]
Sega Power (UK) PAL
100
[16]
Sega Pro (UK)
95
[8]
Sega Pro (UK) PAL
91
[17]
Tilt (FR)
70
[18]
Video Games (DE)
71
[19]
Sega Master System
86
Based on
15 reviews

Fantasy Zone

Master System, US
FantasyZone SMS US cover.jpg
Cover
FantasyZone SMS US cart.jpg
Cart
Fantasyzone sms us manual.pdf
Manual
Master System, US (rerelease)
FantasyZone SMS US cover2.jpg
Cover
FantasyZone SMS US cart2.jpg
Cart
FantasyZoneSMSUSRereleaseManual.pdf
Manual
Master System, US (demo)

FantasyZoneSMSUSDemoCart.jpg
Cart
FantasyZoneSMSUSDemoManual.pdf
Manual
Master System, EU
FantasyZone SMS EU cover.jpg
Cover
FantasyZone SMS EU Cart.jpg
Cart
FantasyZoneSMSEUManual5L.pdf
Manual
Master System, EU ("No Limits")
FantasyZone SMS EU nolimits cover.jpg
Cover
FantasyZoneSMSEUManual5L.pdf
Manual
Master System, JP
FantasyZone SMS JP cover.jpg
Cover
FantasyZone SMS JP cart.jpg
Cart
FantasyZone SMS JP Manual.pdf
Manual
Master System, TW
FantasyZone TW spine.jpgFantasyZone TW cover.jpg
Cover
FantasyZone SMS TW cart.jpg
Cart
Master System, AU
FantasyZone SMS AU cover.jpg
Cover
FantasyZone SMS AU cart.jpg
Cart
FantasyZoneSMSAuManual.pdf
Manual
Master System, DE
FantasyZone SMS DE cover.jpg
Cover
FantasyZoneSMSDECartridgeBack.jpgNotavailable.svg
Cart
FantasyZoneSMSEUManual(DE).pdf
Manual
Master System, KR
FantasyZone SMS KR cover.jpg
Cover
FantasyZone SMS KR cart.jpg
Cart

Mega-Tech version

Mega-Tech, ??

FantasyZone MegaTech Cart Back.jpgFantasyZone MegaTech Cart.jpg
Cart

MSX version

MSX, JP
FantasyZone MSX JP Box Back.jpgFantasyZone MSX JP Box Spine.jpgFantasyZone MSX JP Box Front.jpg
Cover
FantasyZone MSX JP Cart Top.jpg
FantasyZone MSX JP Cart Back.jpgFantasyZone MSX JP Cart Front.jpg
Cart
FantasyZone MSX JP Manual.pdf
Manual

NES version

NES, US
FantasyZone NES US Box Back.jpgNospine.pngFantasy Zone NES US Box.jpg
Cover
Fantasy Zone NES US Cart.jpg
Cart
FantasyZone NES US Manual.pdf
Manual
NES, JP
Fantasy Zone NES JP Box Back.jpgNospine-small.pngFantasy Zone NES JP Box Front.jpg
Cover
Fantasy Zone NES JP Cart.jpg
Cart

Sharp X68000 version

Sharp X68000, JP
Fantasy Zone X68000 JP Box.png
Cover

TurboGrafx-16 version

TurboGrafx-16, US
FantasyZone TG16 US Box Back.jpgNospine.pngFantasyZone TG16 US Box Front.jpg
Cover
FantasyZone TG16 US Card.jpg
Card
FantasyZone TG16 US Box Front JewelCase.jpg
Jewel Case
PC Engine, JP
Fantasy Zone PCE HuCard Back.jpgFantasy Zone PCE HuCard Spine.jpgFantasyZone PCE JP Box Front.jpg
Cover

External links

References

Necretro-round.svg
NEC Retro has more information related to Fantasy Zone
  1. 1.0 1.1 File:CVG UK 073.pdf, page 132
  2. http://blogs.sega.com/2016/04/25/sega-3d-classics-collection-interview/
  3. File:CompleteGuideToConsoles_UK_01.pdf, page 55
  4. 4.0 4.1 File:CGtC UK 04.pdf, page 96 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:CGtC UK 04.pdf_p96" defined multiple times with different content
  5. File:CVG UK 079.pdf, page 122
  6. 6.0 6.1 File:StheSegaMagazine UK 08.pdf, page 12 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:StheSegaMagazine UK 08.pdf_p12" defined multiple times with different content
  7. 7.0 7.1 File:StheSegaMagazine UK 09.pdf, page 11 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:StheSegaMagazine UK 09.pdf_p11" defined multiple times with different content
  8. 8.0 8.1 File:SegaPro UK 02.pdf, page 57 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:SegaPro UK 02.pdf_p57" defined multiple times with different content
  9. Complete Guide to Consoles, "" (UK; 1989-10-16), page 55
  10. The Complete Guide to Sega, "" (UK; 1991-05-xx), page 56
  11. Computer Action, "Juli/August 89" (DK; 1989-0x-xx), page 36
  12. Console XS, "June/July 1992" (UK; 1992-04-23), page 140
  13. Computer & Video Games, "May 1988" (UK; 1988-04-15), page 123
  14. Game Mania, "May 1993" (UK; 1993-xx-xx), page 81
  15. Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 133
  16. Sega Power, "October 1991" (UK; 1991-09-05), page 56
  17. Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 70
  18. Tilt, "Décembre 1987" (FR; 1987-1x-xx), page 100
  19. Video Games, "7/93" (DE; 1993-06-30), page 100



Opa-Opa Fantasy Zone series of games
Arcade
Fantasy Zone (1986) | Fantasy Zone II: The Tears of Opa-Opa (1988) | Fantasy Zone (1998) | Fantasy Zone II DX: The Tears of Opa-Opa (2008) | Medal de Fantasy Zone (2012)
Sega Master System
Fantasy Zone (1986) | Fantasy Zone II: The Tears of Opa-Opa (1987) | Fantasy Zone: The Maze (1987) | Galactic Protector (1988)
PC Engine
TurboGrafx-16
Fantasy Zone (1988) | Space Fantasy Zone (Unreleased)
Sega Game Gear
Fantasy Zone Gear (1991)
Sega Mega Drive
Super Fantasy Zone (1992) | Fantasy Zone (2022)
Sega Saturn
Sega Ages Fantasy Zone (1997)
Mobile phone
Fantasy Zone: Boss no Gyakushuu (2001) | Fantasy Zone P1 (2002) | Fantasy Zone (2003)
Sony PlayStation 2
Sega Ages 2500 Series Vol. 3: Fantasy Zone (2003) | Sega Ages 2500 Series Vol. 33: Fantasy Zone Complete Collection (Fantasy Zone II DX: The Tears of Opa-Opa | Fantasy Zone Neo Classic) (2008)
LCD handheld game
Fantasy Zone (2009)
Nintendo 3DS
3D Fantasy Zone: Opa-Opa Bros. (2014) | 3D Fantasy Zone II W (2014)
Nintendo Switch
Sega Ages Fantasy Zone (2019)
Fantasy Zone related media
Music
Fantasy Zone Ultra Super Big Maximum Great Strong Complete Album (2008) | Fantasy Zone (2022)
Book
Fantasy Zone Kanzen Kouryaku Guide (1987) | Fantasy Zone Ura Manual (1987) | Family Computer Game Hisshou Hou Series 43: Fantasy Zone (1987) | Fantasy Zone Hisshou Kanpeki Hon (1987) | Fantasy Zone: Isekai kara no Shinryakusha (1987) | Fantasy Zone II Kanpeki Hon (1989) | Fantasy Zone 2: Isei eno Tabidachi (1989) | Love! Fantasy Zone 2019 (2019)
Film
Fantasy Zone (1987)