Astron Belt

From Sega Retro

n/a

AstronBelt-title.png

Astron Belt
System(s): Sega LaserDisc Hardware, MSX
Publisher:
LaserDisc hardware
Sega (JP,EU)
LaserDisc hardware
Bally Midway (US)
MSX
LaserDisc Corporation
Developer:
Supporting companies:
Genre: Shoot-'em-Up

















Number of players: 1
Release Date RRP Code
LaserDisc hardware
JP
¥? ?
LaserDisc hardware
US
$? ?
LaserDisc hardware
JP
¥? ?
LaserDisc hardware
EU
€? ?
LaserDisc hardware
US
$? ?


































MSX
JP
¥9,8009,800 PG001-12SG

This teeny-tiny article needs some work. You can help us by expanding it.


Astron Belt (アストロンベルト) is an arcade game developed by Sega, first demonstrated in 1982 and then released in 1983. It was the first laserdisc game, running on the Sega Laserdisc hardware. It was later ported to the MSX computer in 1984.

Gameplay

Astron Belt is a shoot-'em-up, where the player controls a spaceship which must destroy on-screen enemies and avoid obstacles.

The laserdisc technology could mean that very detailed background scenes could be created with high quality sound, though the player's sprite and HUD are rendered separately. Though laserdisc games look and sound better than non-laserdisc games of the era, gameplay is very limited, with the player only being able to move around the screen and fire. Unlike most laserdisc games however, Astron Belt is not quite as linear as the scenes are generated at random depending on the player's actions.

History

Development

Astron Belt was demonstrated at Amusement Machine Show 1982 (September) and AMOA 1982 (November), drawing crowds for its use of LaserDisc technology, and igniting a discussion about the future of video games. At the time, video game graphics were primitive, using low-colour, sprite/tile-based graphics at low resolutions, while Astron Belt could display full-colour, full-screen LaserDisc video. While the original showings were incomplete and buggy, the game would inspire a series of LaserDisc-based arcade games from developers from both sides of the Pacific.

Astron Belt is credited as the first game to use LaserDisc technology,[3] and was the first laserdisc game released in Japan (in early 1983) and Europe (in mid-1983).[2] While Astron Belt was announced and demonstrated first, and was released in Japan and Europe first,[2] Cinematronics was able to demonstrate and then release the 1983 hit Dragon's Lair (said to have been inspired by Astron Belt's showing at AMOA 1982) before Sega's game made it to US shores. Dragon's Lair is said to have taken six months to develop. It was not initially envisioned as a LaserDisc arcade game until after Astron Belt was demonstrated in 1982. Another early laserdisc game was Quarter Horse, a lesser known game based on horse racing, which was released in 1983;[4] Quarter Horse lacks the same level of interaction and was distributed in much smaller numbers, but uses full-screen LaserDisc video to show horse racing sequences.

A protracted development schedule meant that Astron Belt was not released in North America until the Autumn of 1983. Part of the reason for the delay is thought to have been Sega Electronics's sale to Bally Midway shorly before release, who promptly requested some changes to the gameplay. The early showing is thought to have hindered Astron Belt, as while it generated interest in the game, rivals were able to copy ideas and produce competing titles from scratch in a matter of months. By the time of Astron Belt's release, it was no longer cutting edge and other games were using the technology more effectively.

Also of note that while Dragon's Lair was immensely popular, the technology powering the game struggled within the first few months of operations. The LaserDisc drives produced by Pioneer were designed for the home, expecting to play long movies from beginning to end. In Dragon's Lair, however, the player was expected run continously and rapidly seek different sections of the disc (as dictated by gameplay). Players would overheat and break down, causing Pioneer to work with Cinematronics to engineer more suitable players for the arcade market. As Pioneer were one of the biggest names in the LaserDisc scene, all companies attempting to produce similar arcade games were likely affected by these issues.

Astron Belt's late release also saw it come into competition with similar LaserDisc shooters - M.A.C.H. 3 by Gottlieb would debut around the same time, while Atari's Firefox would debut later in the year.

Though most of the background scenes were created specifically with Astron Belt in mind, some are borrowed from movies such as Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Battle Beyond the Stars and Message from Space.

Legacy

Astron Belt only saw one release outside of arcades - a port to the MSX computer range through the laserdisc add-on. It is virtually identical to the arcade version, as the laserdisc itself is identical.

Astron Belt was followed by Galaxy Ranger which was also a laserdisc shooter. The two arcade games can be interchanged by swapping the disc, game ROMs and sound board.

Magazine articles

Main article: Astron Belt/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Astron Belt Arcade JP Flyer.jpg
LaserDisc JP flyer
Astron Belt Arcade JP Flyer.jpg

AstronBelt LaserDisc JP Flyer Alt.pdf

PDF
LaserDisc JP flyer (alt)
AstronBelt LaserDisc JP Flyer Alt.pdf

AstronBelt Arcade US Flyer.pdf

PDF
LaserDisc US flyer
AstronBelt Arcade US Flyer.pdf
Logo-pdf.svg
Arcade print advert in Amusement Life (JP) #4: "No.4" (1983-04-10)
also published in:
Logo-pdf.svg

Artwork

AstronBelt logo.png
AstronBelt logo.png

Physical scans

Arcade version

Arcade, JP
Arcade, US
AstronBelt LaserDiscHardware US Marquee.jpg
AstronBelt LaserDisc US Manual.pdf
Manual

MSX version

MSX, JP
Error creating thumbnail: convert: Insufficient memory (case 4) `/home/sonicret/domains/segaretro.org/public_html/images/9/95/Astron_Belt_MSX_Box_Back.jpg' @ error/jpeg.c/JPEGErrorHandler/338. Error code: 1
Astron Belt MSX JP Spine.jpg
Error creating thumbnail: convert: Insufficient memory (case 4) `/home/sonicret/domains/segaretro.org/public_html/images/3/37/Astron_Belt_MSX_Box_Front.jpg' @ error/jpeg.c/JPEGErrorHandler/338. Error code: 1
Cover
Astron Belt MSX JP Disc SideB.pngAstron Belt MSX JP Disc SideA.png
Disc
Astron Belt MSX JP Manual.pdf
Manual
Astron Belt MSX JP RegCard.pdf
Reg Card
Astron Belt MSX JP Front alt.jpg
Front+Sticker

Specifications

Dimensions

Cockpit Upright
830 mm (32.677")
1.68 m (66.142")
2 m (78.74")


640 mm (25.197")
1.8 m (70.866")
910 mm (35.827")


Mass: 238 kg (524 lbs) Mass: 148 kg (326 lbs)

Photo gallery

References