Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom

From Sega Retro

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Buckrogers Title.png

Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom
System(s): VCO Object, Apple II, Atari 2600, Atari 5200, Atari 8-bit family, ColecoVision, Commodore 64, MSX, PC Booter, TI-99/4A, VIC-20, ZX Spectrum
Publisher:
Arcade (VCO Object)
Apple II
Atari 2600
Atari 5200
Atari 8-bit Family
Commodore 64
VIC-20
Sega (US)
ColecoVision
Coleco (US)
ColecoVision
CBS Electronics (EU)
Commodore 64
ZX Spectrum
U.S. Gold (UK)
MSX
Philips
Developer:
Distributor:
TI-99/4a
Parco Electrics (UK)
Licensor: The Dille Family Trust
Genre: Shoot-'em-Up

















Number of players: 1
Release Date RRP Code
Arcade (VCO Object)
US
$? ?
Arcade (VCO Object)
UK
£? ?

































ColecoVision
US
1984-03[2][3] $? ?
ColecoVision
EU
198x £? ?
Atari 2600
US
005-01
Atari 2600
EU
005-10
Atari 2600
BR
C 3032
Atari 5200
US
005-02
Commodore 64
US
005-05
Commodore 64
UK
(Disk)
£12.9512.95
Commodore 64
UK
(Cassette)
£9.959.95
Commodore 64
IT
69,000£69,000[6]
ZX Spectrum
UK
(Cassette)
£7.957.95
IBM PC compatibles
US
MSX
UK
£11.9511.95[7]
Apple II
US
005-08
Atari 8-bit Family
US
005-03
Atari 8-bit Family
IT
59,000£59,000[5]
VIC-20
US
005-04
VIC-20
EU
005-12
VIC-20
IT
69,000£69,000[9] 005-12

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Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom is an early arcade game developed by Sega for VCO Object hardware. It uses the Buck Rogers comic book/television license, and stands as one of Sega's first licensed video games, along with Star Trek: Strategic Operations Simulator, both debuting in 1982. The game is adapted from the earlier Zoom 909, a largely identical game seen predominantly in Japan.

Gameplay

Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom is one of the earliest examples of a "rail" shoot-'em-up game. Gameplay is played in a pseudo-3D third-person perspective, with enemies and obstacles moving towards the camera. 2D sprites are scaled in real-time to give an illusion of depth - technology which would serve as a basis for a plethora of arcade games produced by Sega in the 1980s.

In its original arcade form, each "round" is divided into 8 "sectors", each with slightly different aesthetics and gameplay. When a round is complete, the game loops, becoming more challenging in the process.

History

Legacy

Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom was brought to a wide variety of home consoles and computers between 1982 and 1985, including the Apple II, Atari 2600, Atari 5200, Atari 8-bit family, ColecoVision, Commodore 64, IBM PC (as a PC booter), TI-99/4A, VIC-20 and ZX Spectrum, each suffering slightly due to weaker hardware. Due to odd circumstances, the MSX received two ports of the game by different developers and publishers, one under the Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom name, and another as Zoom 909.

An Amstrad CPC version was advertised by Amsoft in 1985 but was not released.

Versions

Most of the home conversions opt only use two different types of levels - a "ground" level which acts as a hybrid between the arcade sectors 3 and 7, and a "space" level which plays like sector 2 (albeit often without a background). Only the ColecoVision version attempts to replicate the arcade game's content in full - it still drops some sectors (there are six in total, and called "sections" in this port), but by featuring tunnels, it remains the closest home conversion of the game (though home ports of Zoom 909 for the MSX and SG-1000 also feature tunnels).

Magazine articles

Main article: Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Main article: Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom/Promotional material.

Photo gallery

Physical scans

VCO Object version

VCO Object, US
BuckRogers VCOObject US Marquee.jpg
BuckRogers VCOObject US Manual.pdf
Manual

Apple II version

Apple II, US
BuckRogers AppleII US Box Back.jpgNospine.pngBuckRogers AppleII US Box Front.jpg
Cover
BuckRogers AppleII US Disk.jpg
Disk

Atari 2600 version

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
{{{{{icon}}}|L}} Division by zero.
Based on
0 review
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
TeleMatch (DE)
40
[10]
Tilt (FR)
80
[11]
Atari 2600
60
Based on
2 reviews

Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom

Atari 2600, US
Buckrogers Atari2600 US Box Back.jpgNospine.pngBuckrogers Atari2600 US Box Front.jpg
Cover
Buckrogers Atari2600 US Cart.jpg
Cart
Buck Rogers Planet of Zoom Atari 2600 US Manual.pdf
Manual
Atari 2600, EU

Buckrogers Atari2600 EU Cart.jpg
Cart
Atari 2600, BR
Buckrogers Atari2600 BR Intellivision Box.jpg
Cover
Buckrogers Atari2600 BR Intellivision Cassette.jpg
Cassette

Atari 5200 version

Atari 5200, US
Buckrogers Atari5200 US Box Back.jpgNospine.pngBuckrogers Atari5200 US Box Front.jpg
Cover
Buckrogers Atari5200 US Cart.jpg
Cart
BuckRogers5200USManual.pdf
Manual

Atari 8-bit Family version

Atari 8-bit family, US
Buckrogers Atari8bit US Box Back.jpgNospine.pngBuckrogers Atari8bit US Box Front.jpg
Cover
BuckRogers Atari8bit US Cart.jpg
Cart
BuckRogers A8B US Manual.pdf
Manual

ColecoVision version

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
{{{{{icon}}}|L}} Division by zero.
Based on
0 review
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
Complete Guide to Consoles (UK)
72
[12]
ColecoVision
72
Based on
1 review

Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom

ColecoVision, US
BuckRogers ColecoVision US Box Back.jpgNospine.pngBuckRogers ColecoVision US Box Front.jpg
Cover
BuckRogers ColecoVision US Cart.jpg
Cart
ColecoVision, EU
BuckRogers ColecoVision EU Box Front.jpg
Cover

Commodore 64 version

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
{{{{{icon}}}|L}} Division by zero.
Based on
0 review
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
Zzap!64 (UK)
45
[13]
Commodore 64
45
Based on
1 review

Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom

Commodore 64, US
BuckRogers C64 US Box Back.jpgNospine.pngBuckRogers C64 US Box Front.jpg
Cover
BuckRogers C64 US Cart.jpg
Cart
BuckRogers C64 US Manual.pdf
Manual
Commodore 64, UK
BuckRogers C64 EU Box.jpg
Cover
BuckRogers C64 EU Cassette.jpg
Cassette
BuckRogers C64 EU Manual.pdf
Manual

MSX version

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
{{{{{icon}}}|L}} Division by zero.
Based on
0 review
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
Computer & Video Games (UK)
93
[7]
MSX
93
Based on
1 review

Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom

MSX, EU
Buckrogers MSX EU Box.jpg
Cover
BuckRogers MSX EU Cassette Back.jpgBuckRogers MSX EU Cassette Front.jpg
Cassette

PC Booter version

IBM PC, US

TI-99/4A version

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
{{{{{icon}}}|L}} Division by zero.
Based on
0 review
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
Computer & Video Games (UK)
90
[8]
TI-99/4a
90
Based on
1 review

Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom

TI-99/4A, US
BuckRogers TI994A US Box Front.jpg
Cover

VIC-20 version

VIC-20, US
BuckRogers VIC20 US Box Front.jpg
Cover

ZX Spectrum version

ZX Spectrum, UK
Buckrogers Spectrum EU Box.jpg
Cover
BuckRogers Spectrum UK Cassette.jpg
Cassette
Buckrogers Spectrum EU ManualFront.jpg
Manual
Buckrogers Spectrum EU ManualReverse.jpg
Manual (Rear)

References


Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom

Buckrogers Title.png

Main page | Comparisons | Magazine articles | Reception | Promotional material


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