Baku Baku Animal

n/a

ST-V NTSC-U NTSC-J PAL US/EU JP Master System Windows PC
Baku Baku Animal
System(s): Sega Titan Video, Sega Game Gear, Sega Saturn, Windows PC, Sega Master System
Publisher: Sega Enterprises, Ltd. Sega Entertainment Inc. (US) Sega PC Tec Toy
Developer: Sega AM3 Minato Giken Sega PC
Distributor: Tec Toy (BR) Worldwise Enterprise (TW)
Sound driver: SCSP/CD-DA (22 tracks)
Peripherals supported: Gear-to-Gear Cable Saturn Backup Memory
Genre: Puzzle
Number of players: 1-2
Release Date RRP Code JP 1995-04 ¥? ? JP 1995-11-10 ¥4,8004,800 GS-9040 JP (Satakore) 1997-04-25 ¥2,8002,800 GS-9144 US 1996-06-19 $39.9939.99 81501 EU 1996-05 MK81501-50 DE 1996-05 MK81501-50 PT 199x UK 1996-06-27 £44.9944.99 MK81501-50 PL 1996 AU 199x FBAK00SSC JP 1996-01-26 ¥3,8003,800 G-3378 US 1996-05 $29.9929.99 2451 EU 1996-06 2451-50 UK 1996-07 £29.9929.99 2451-50 BR 1996 025470 JP 1996-08-02 ¥5,800 (6,090)5,800 (6,090) HCJ-0103 JP (Ultra 2000 Series) 2000-12-08 ¥2,000 (2,100)2000e US 1996-09-05 85040 DE 199x MK-85040 UK 1996 £44.9944.99 MK-85040 BR 199x TW 199x

Baku Baku Animal (ばくばくアニマル), known only as Baku Baku in some regions, is a falling block puzzle game released for the Sega Titan Video arcade hardware. The phrase "Baku Baku" is Japanese onomatopoeia meaning roughly "Chomp Chomp".

Baku Baku Animal was ported to the Sega Saturn and Windows PC in 1996. It was also one of the last titles released for the Sega Game Gear, released in the same year. In Brazil, Sega's distributor Tec Toy released a version for the Sega Master System in 1998, which is almost identical to the Game Gear version but with a reduced color palette and added borders. There was also a mobile phone release in 2002 and a new mobile release in 2013. The spin-off game Baku Baku Camera was released in 2015.

Curiously, artwork used in Baku Baku Animal was recycled in the PAL versions of Sonic CD (PC) and Sonic Jam.

Story

Polly and Gon

The King of a faraway land is seeking a Royal Zookeeper to tend to the many pets of the Princess. The King's Minister has arranged a contest to find the most capable person in the land for the job, and two young contenders, Polly and Gon, have entered.

Gameplay

Victory

Baku Baku Animal is a competitive two-player falling block puzzle game in which players compete to clear containers of blocks, similar in nature to Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo. The player must line up falling blocks of animals and foodstuffs. When an animal is aligned adjacent to a block of its favored food, the animal eats the food. All contiguous blocks of the food are consumed, along with corresponding animal blocks. Larger groups of connected food of the same type scores higher when eaten.

Blocks fall in pairs, which the player can position horizontally and rotate. Blocks are locked in place when they land on the bottom of the container or onto another block. Similar to Puyo Puyo, blocks are subject to gravity. A block falls to the block below it when it is placed over an empty space or when the block below it is eliminated. With correct positioning, it is possible to destroy two or more sets of food blocks in succession, thereby creating chains that send extra blocks to the opposing player to disrupt their play. When the container is filled with blocks, the player is defeated. The object of the game is to make one's opponent unable to place more blocks.

The game has a single-player mode where the player competes against computer-controlled opponents as well as a two-player mode where two players can challenge each other. Player one plays as Polly, and player two plays as Gon.

Blocks

The Saturn version lets the player decide how many different animals to use (3, 4, or 5, with a default of 4).

	Pandas
	Pandas are green blocks and eat bamboo.
	Dogs
	Dogs are blue blocks and eat bones.
	Rabbits
	Rabbits are red blocks and eat carrots.
	Monkeys
	Monkeys are yellow blocks and eat bananas.
	Mice
	Mice are purple blocks and eat cheese.
	BB Coins
	When they are dropped on a block, all blocks of that type disappear from the player's container. If they fall on two different types of blocks, both types disappear. Animals and their foodstuffs are treated as different types of blocks.

Stages

There are three difficulty levels (Beginner, Normal, and Expert), which feature different casts of opponents.

Normal

Gallopy

Silver Angela

Rival Soldier

Nurse Grape

T3

Gon

Minister

Queen

Princess

History

During development, the Western Game Gear version was known under the working title of Zany Zoo. Sega Logistics Service announced it would end service on the arcade machines on March 31, 2017.

Production credits

Main article: Baku Baku Animal/Production credits.

Magazine articles

Main article: Baku Baku Animal/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Sega Titan Video JP flyer

Saturn print advert in Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) #1995-12: "December 1995" (1995-11-08)

Print advert in Sega Saturn Magazine (UK) #9: "July 1996" (1996-06-20)

Print advert in Sega Magazin (DE) #34: "September 1996" (1996-08-14)
also published in:

• Sega Magazin (DE) #35: "Oktober 1996" (1996-09-11)
• Sega Magazin (DE) #36: "November 1996" (1996-10-09)

Printed in PC Gamer Po Polsku (PL) #6: "Grudzień 1996" (1996-xx-xx)

Artwork

• 

  Lion

• 

  Monkey

Physical scans

Sega Titan Video version

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

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Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average
Publication Version Score Computer & Video Games (UK) 80

	80
Based on 1 review

Baku Baku Animal

Sega Titan Video, JP
"Long" instructions
Cart Instuction card(s)

Sega Titan Video, JP (Rev. A)
"Long" instructions
Cart Instuction card(s)

Saturn version

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

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Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average

Publication Version Score CD Consoles (FR) PAL 40 Consoles + (FR) 90 Computer & Video Games (UK) 90 Famitsu (JP) NTSC-J 63 Fun Generation (DE) 70 Gambler (PL) 68 GameFan (US) NTSC-U 87 Game Players (US) NTSC-U 85 GamePro (US) NTSC-U 83 Game Informer (US) NTSC-U 61 Intelligent Gamer's Fusion (US) NTSC-U 67 Joypad (FR) 95 MAN!AC (DE) PAL 74 Maximum (UK) 75 Mega Fun (DE) NTSC-J 74 Mean Machines Sega (UK) NTSC-J 84 Mean Machines Sega (UK) PAL 90 neXt Level (DE) 70 Power Up! (UK) 88 Saturn Fan (JP) NTSC-J 73 Saturn+ (UK) NTSC-J 91 Sega Power (UK) NTSC-J 85 Sega Pro (UK) NTSC 92 Sega Saturn Magazine (UK) PAL 90 Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J 63 Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J 82 Total Saturn (UK) PAL 83 Video Games (DE) NTSC-U 67 VideoGames (US) NTSC-U 80

	78
Based on 29 reviews

Baku Baku Animal

Saturn, JP
Cover
Disc Manual Reg Card

Saturn, JP (Satakore)
Cover
Spinecard Disc

Saturn, US
Cover
Disc Manual

Saturn, EU
Cover
Disc

Saturn, PT

Saturn, AU
Cover
Disc

Master System version

Master System, BR
Cover

Master System, BR (newer)
Cover
Cart Manual

Game Gear version

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

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Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average
Publication Version Score Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U 74 Famitsu (JP) NTSC-J 55 Joypad (FR) 95 Mean Machines Sega (UK) PAL 88 Sonic the Comic (UK) PAL 90 VideoGames (US) NTSC-U 80

	80
Based on 6 reviews

Baku Baku Animal

Game Gear, JP
Cover
Cart

Game Gear, US
Cover
Cart Manual

Game Gear, EU
Cover
Cart Manual PCB

PC version

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

{{{{{icon}}}|L}}
Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average
Publication Version Score Computer & Video Games (UK) 50 Hacker (HR) 74 LeveL (CZ) 86 PC Gamer (US) 83 Secret Service (PL) 85

	76
Based on 5 reviews

Baku Baku Animal

PC, JP
Cover

PC, JP (Ultra 2000 Series)
Cover

PC, US
Cover
Manual Jewel Case

PC, EU
Cover
Disc Jewel Case Inlay

PC, BR
Cover
Jewel Case

PC, TW

Technical information

Main article: Baku Baku Animal/Technical information.

Extra content

This game has extra content which can be viewed when accessing the disc on a PC.

Saturn (JP) Extra files

Folder / File	Type	Size	description
README.TXT	TXT	8,659	Messages from the developers.

External links

• Sega of America webpage: PC
• Sega of Japan catalogue pages (Japanese): Saturn, PC