Another World
From Sega Retro
- For the Sega Dreamcast game, see Another World HD.
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| Another World | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| System(s): Sega Mega Drive | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Publisher: Virgin Games | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developer: Interplay | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Licensor: Delphine Software International | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sound driver: GEMS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Genre: Action | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number of players: 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Another World, known as Out of this World in North America, is a platforming game developed by Eric Chahi for Delphine Software International, originally released for the Amiga and Atari ST home computers in 1991. It was subsequently ported to various platforms, with the Sega Mega Drive version being developed by Interplay and published by Virgin Games in 1993.
A Sega Mega-CD version was also announced for a May 1993 release in the US[4] (later January 1994 for Europe[5]), which was delayed after Interplay decided to include it alongside a newly-produced sequel, titled Heart of the Alien, in order to take advantage of the extra space of the CD-ROM media.
The game was innovative in its use of cinematic effects in both real-time and cutscenes, which earned the game praise among critics and commercial success.
Contents
Story
In the opening cinematic, the young physicist Lester Knight Chaykin arrives at his high-tech underground laboratory during a thunderstorm and goes to work on his experiment using a particle accelerator, attempting to reconstruct what happened when the universe was born. Immediately before the particles reach their intended destination, a lightning bolt strikes the laboratory and interferes with the accelerator, causing an unforeseen particle fusion and an explosion, opening a hole in time and space and teleporting Lester to a barren, alien planet.
Gameplay
Another World is a cinematic platforming game. Players control the protagonist Lester, a young scientist who, as a result of an experiment gone wrong, finds himself on a dangerous alien world where he is forced to fight for his survival. After evading a number of dangerous indigenous animals, Lester is captured by a race of humanoid aliens and taken to a subterranean prison camp. Lester escapes along with an alien captive, and the two must evade capture while traveling through a series of dangerous environments, battling alien soldiers and wild creatures while solving numerous puzzles in order to survive. The duo traverse the prison complex, a cave system, and a tower structure. The game is composed of numerous non-scrolling scenes. In any given scene, the game provides no clues as to what the player should do next, and gameplay involves trial and error. There is no on-screen text, and the characters that Lester meets speak in an unintelligible alien language.
Lester walks or turns around with 
and 
or runs with HOLD 
or 
or HOLD or . He crouches with 
. He hops forward with 
or leaps a longer distance with while running.
In the initial part of the game, Lester is unarmed. He is able to kick at small creatures with or , but he is otherwise defenseless. In the second level, he acquires a laser pistol from an alien. The pistol can be fired from a crouching stance. It has three stages: a standard shot fired by pressing or , the ability to create force fields to block enemy fire by holding or until a small energy ball appears, and a powerful charged shot that can break through force fields and some walls by holding or until a large energy ball appears. The gun has finite energy and must occasionally be recharged. Enemies also have the same capabilities, requiring the player to take advantage of the three gun modes and the environment to overcome them.
Lester and his alien ally cannot sustain any damage; the game ends immediately if either of them is struck by a projectile or comes in contact with an animal or an environmental hazard. However, the game can be continued indefinitely from the last checkpoint. The game uses a password system for continuing from each checkpoint at a later time; the current password is shown at the continue screen after dying.
Levels
The game is played as one long, uninterrupted level, with checkpoints at certain points.
| Level 1 | |
|---|---|
| Password: LDKD | |
| Level 2 | |
| Password: HTDC | |
| Level 3 | |
| Password: CLLD | |
| Level 4 | |
| Password: LBKG | |
| Level 5 | |
| Password: XDDJ | |
| Level 6 | |
| Password: FXLC | |
| Level 7 | |
| Password: KRFK | |
| Level 8 | |
| Password: KLFB | |
| Level 9 | |
| Password: TTCT | |
| Level 10 | |
| Password: BRTD | |
| Level 11 | |
| Password: TFBB | |
| Level 12 | |
| Password: TXHF | |
| Level 13 | |
| Password: CKJL | |
| Level 14 | |
| Password: LFCK | |
History
Development
| “ | Going through submissions to Nintendo and Sega wasn't an easy task...without speaking about the pressure with Interplay, who was responsible for porting the game engines on those platforms...
The game was more difficult on consoles than on microcomputer because Interplay really wanted the players to have value for money (a console game is expensive), which implied that the game must have a long lifespan as well. That's why a guard has been added in the prison at the bottom of the lift, and lethal steam jets appeared in the maze-like ventilation system, all of this with a very limited time. |
„ |
Legacy
The game influenced many other action-adventure games, including Delphine's own Flashback.
Heart of the Alien was released for the Sega Mega-CD in 1994, which contains the original game with a new sequel played from the perspective of Lester's alien companion. Its events are not considered canon by creator Eric Chahi, who prefers to keep the fate of the characters after Another World ambiguous.
In 2006, a 15th anniversary version of the game with higher-resolution graphics was created for Windows PCs. This version also has more checkpoints than the original game.
In 2011, a 20th anniversary version of the game with new high-definition graphics was created by Dotemu and released for iOS. This version is the basis for subsequent ports of the game. It was released Android in 2012 and for Steam and GOG in 2013. In 2014, it was ported to the Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Wii U, and Nintendo 3DS by Digital Lounge. Digital Lounge and Dotemu ported the game to the Nintendo Switch in 2018. JoshProd released it for the Sega Dreamcast in 2018 as Another World HD.
In 2020, the game was released in a package with Flashback by Microids for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch in Europe.[7]
Versions
The game was originally released for the Amiga and Atari ST home computers. In addition to the Mega Drive and Mega-CD versions, the original game was ported to the Apple IIGS, IBM PC, Mac OS, Super NES, and Game Boy Advance. The Mega Drive and Super NES ports have less detailed backgrounds compared to the original computer games. The 3DO port has new, more detailed backgrounds. An Atari Jaguar port was in development but never released.
Production credits
- Design: Eric Chahi
- Original Programmer: Eric Chahi
- Genesis Programmer: Michael Burton
- Exec. Producer: Stephen Clarke Willson
- U.K. Producer: Matthew Spall
- Virgin Games, Inc. Producer: Erik Yeo
- Interplay Producer: Alan Pavlish
- Music: Tommy Tallarico, Jean Francois Freitas
- Sound: Tommy Tallarico, Jean Francois Freitas, Eric Chahi
- Title Animation: Jason Magness
- Q.A. Manager: Michael Gater
- Quality Assurance Team: Noah Tool, Justin Norr, Danny Lewis, Mike Glosecki, Eugene Martin, Tommy Hulett, Joey Kuras, Tim Williams
- Manual: Robin Kausch
- Thanks to: Jesus Martinez, Daniel Morais, Frederic Savoir, Cecile Chahi, Philippe Delamarre, Philippe Ulrich, Sebastien Berthet, Pierre Gousseau, Bill Heineman, Jason Ferris
Magazine articles
- Main article: Another World/Magazine articles.
Promotional material
also published in:
- VideoGames & Computer Entertainment (US) #50: "March 1993" (1993-0x-xx)[9]
- Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) #44: "March 1993" (1993-xx-xx)[10]
- Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) #45: "April 1993" (1993-xx-xx)[11]
also published in:
- Computer & Video Games (UK) #142: "September 1993" (1993-08-15)[12]
Artwork
Physical scans
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 Cart  Manual |
| Mega Drive, EU |
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 Manual |
| Mega Drive, PT |
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| Mega Drive, SE Rental (HENT Orange) |
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| Mega Drive, AU |
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 Cart  Manual |
Technical information
- Main article: Another World/Technical information.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 GamePro, "February 1993" (US; 1993-xx-xx), page 54
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 GamesMaster, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-18), page 81
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Computer & Video Games, "January 1993" (UK; 1992-12-15), page 30
- ↑ Sega Visions, "April/May 1993" (US; 1993-xx-xx), page 109
- ↑ Sega Force Mega, "January 1994" (UK; 1993-12-16), page 8
- ↑ http://www.anotherworld.fr/anotherworld_uk/page_versions.htm
- ↑ https://www.destructoid.com/another-world-and-flashback-double-pack-announced-for-ps4-xbox-one-and-nintendo-switch/
- ↑ File:Another World MD credits.pdf
- ↑ VideoGames & Computer Entertainment, "March 1993" (US; 1993-0x-xx), page 90
- ↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly, "March 1993" (US; 1993-xx-xx), page 7
- ↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly, "April 1993" (US; 1993-xx-xx), page 9
- ↑ Computer & Video Games, "September 1993" (UK; 1993-08-15), page 2
- ↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 19
- ↑ Aktueller Software Markt, "Avril 1993" (DE; 1993-03-08), page 137
- ↑ Bad Influence!, "xxxx 1993" (UK; 1993-0x-xx), page 50
- ↑ Consoles +, "Mai 1993" (FR; 1993-0x-xx), page 98
- ↑ Cool Gamer, "9" (RU; 2002-10-13), page 15
- ↑ Computer + Video Giochi, "Gennaio 1993" (IT; 199x-xx-xx), page 94
- ↑ Digitiser (UK) (1993-01-09)
- ↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly, "February 1993" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 20
- ↑ Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 1, "" (RU; 1999-xx-xx), page 289
- ↑ Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 2, "" (RU; 2000-xx-xx), page 28
- ↑ Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 21
- ↑ GameFan, "Volume 1, Issue 7: June 1993" (US; 1993-xx-xx), page 16
- ↑ Game Power, "Marzo 1993" (IT; 1993-0x-xx), page 68
- ↑ GamesMaster, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-18), page 80
- ↑ Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "March 1993" (UK; 1993-xx-xx), page 28
- ↑ Mega, "March 1993" (UK; 1993-02-18), page 40
- ↑ Mega Action, "June 1993" (UK; 1993-05-20), page 65
- ↑ Mega Force, "Mai 1993" (FR; 1993-0x-xx), page 80
- ↑ Mega Fun, "07/93" (DE; 1993-06-23), page 78
- ↑ MegaTech, "February 1993" (UK; 1993-01-20), page 30
- ↑ Micromanía (segunda época), "Abril 1993" (ES; 1993-0x-xx), page 40
- ↑ Mean Machines Sega, "January 1993" (UK; 1992-12-28), page 92
- ↑ Player One, "Mars/Avril 1993" (FR; 1993-03-10), page 90
- ↑ Play Time, "4/93" (DE; 1993-03-10), page 111
- ↑ Sega Magazin, "November/Dezember 1993" (DE; 1993-11-03), page 38
- ↑ Sega Power, "May 1993" (UK; 1993-04-01), page 52
- ↑ Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 46
- ↑ Sega Zone, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 58
- ↑ Sega Force, "March 1993" (UK; 1993-02-04), page 34
- ↑ Todo Sega, "Abril 1993" (ES; 1993-03-15), page 44
- ↑ Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 7
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