Dangerous Seed

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Dangerous Seed
System(s): Sega Mega Drive
Publisher: Namco
Developer: Namco
Original system(s): Namco System I
Sound driver: SMPS Z80
Genre: Shooting
Number of players: 1
Release Date RRP Code JP 1990-12-18 ¥5,800 (5,974)5,800e T-14033
Non-Sega versions Arcade

Dangerous Seed (デンジャラスシード) is a 1989 arcade shoot-'em-up by Namco ported to the Sega Mega Drive in 1990. Both versions were released exclusively in Japan.

Story

Alpha, Beta, and Gamma

The Moon Diver is a ship consisting of three sub-ships, sometimes called wings: Alpha, Beta, and Gamma. These ships are tasked with destroying an alien race known as the Danger Seed before they wipe out all of mankind.

Gameplay

The game is a vertically scrolling shoot-'em-up. The player commands a fleet of three spaceships: Alpha, Beta, and Gamma. The player initially starts with only Alpha but acquires the other two ships in the early stages of the game. When the player has more than one ship, they combine into a single ship. The pattern of the weapon fire is affected by which ships are in this formation and which ship is in the lead.

The ship moves in any direction using the D-Pad. It fires its main weapon with , which can be held for rapid-fire. The ship fires a bomb with . Bombs are limited in supply and different for each ship. When there is more than one ship, the player can change the formation with , which changes the lead ship and the weapon patterns. There are three different weapons, which are changed by collecting items. Collecting the same item as the equipped weapon upgrades the weapon level, up to three times, but collecting a different item keeps the weapon level the same.

Each ship has a health meter with three hit points. The topmost ship loses a hit point when the player is hit by enemy fire; a ship is destroyed if it runs out of hit points, which affects the formation of the remaining ships. Formations of fewer ships are less powerful. If every ship is destroyed, the player loses a life but starts the stage over with every ship as long as there are extra lives remaining. The game ends if the player runs out of lives.

There are three selectable difficulty levels (Digest, Easy, Normal, and Hard). Digest mode only plays stages 4, 5, 9, and 12, which starts the player with all three ships. Easy mode only plays stages 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 12. Normal and Hard mode play all twelve stages; completing the game on either difficulty gives a cheat code for a hidden Expert mode. Stages 6 and 7 vary depending on whether the player defeats the boss of the previous stage quickly enough.

Items

Flashing enemies drop an item when they are destroyed.

	Speed Up (スピードアップ)
	Increases the movement speed of the spaceships, up to 6 times. Awards 1,000 bonus points if already at max speed.
	Normal Shot (ノーマルショット)
	Equips the Normal Shot weapon or upgrades it if already equipped, up to 3 levels. Awards 1,000 bonus points if already at max level.
	Laser (レーザー)
	Equips the Laser weapon or upgrades it if already equipped, up to 3 levels. Awards 1,000 bonus points if already at max level.
	Wide Shot (ワイドショット)
	Equips the Wide Shot weapon or upgrades it if already equipped, up to 3 levels. Awards 1,000 bonus points if already at max level.
	Bomb (ボム)
	Gives the player another bomb.
	Option (オプション)
	Equips two options or upgrades the options if already equipped, up to 4 levels. Options follow close to the ship and intercept enemy fire and attack nearby enemies. Higher-level options can attack enemies from farther away.
	Energy Capsule (エネルギーカプセル)
	Restores the health of every ship.
	Restore Destroyed Craft (故障機復活)
	Restores any ships that may be destroyed with full health.

Stages

The first two stages are played with Alpha alone.

The possible formations in 3rd Tube and 4th Tube are Alpha-Beta and Beta alone (if Alpha is destroyed).

The possible formations in subsequent stages are Alpha-Beta-Gamma, Beta-Gamma (if Alpha is destroyed), and Gamma alone (if Alpha and Beta are destroyed).

	1st Tube
	This stage is played solely with Alpha.
	2nd Tube
	This stage is played solely with Alpha.
	3rd Tube
	This stage is played with Alpha and Beta.
	4th Tube
	This stage is played with Alpha and Beta.
	Stage 5 (Mars)
	This stage and all subsequent stages are played with Alpha, Beta, and Gamma. The next stage depends on whether the player destroys the boss of this stage quickly enough.
	Stage 6 (Jupiter)
	This stage is played as the sixth stage if the player destroys the boss on Mars. The next stage depends on whether the player destroys the boss of this stage quickly enough.
	Stage 6 (Saturn)
	This stage is played as the sixth stage if the player fails to destroy the boss on Mars. The next stage depends on whether the player destroys the boss of this stage quickly enough.
	Stage 7 (Uranus)
	This stage is played as the seventh stage if the player destroys the boss on Saturn or Jupiter.
	Stage 7 (Neptune)
	This stage is played as the seventh stage if the player fails to destroy the boss on Saturn.
	Stage 7 (Pluto)
	This stage is played as the seventh stage if the player fails to destroy the boss on Jupiter.
	Stage 8 (Target Planet)
	Stage 9 (In Danger-Seed)
	Stage 10 (In Danger-Seed)
	Stage 11 (In Danger-Seed)
	Stage 12 (In Danger-Seed)

Versions

Dangerous Seed began life as a Namco System 1 arcade title, and received numerous cutbacks during its transition to Mega Drive hardware. Graphics were simplified across the board, with less detailed stages and simpler cutscenes. Bosses no longer split into pieces when taking damage, and fewer objects are drawn on screen during gameplay. Curiously the colour schemes were changed as well, and horizontal scrolling was removed.

To compensate, the Mega Drive version features additional stages (and extends the arcade levels) and three weapon types (normal, wave, and laser). and the soundtrack was remixed, becoming more upbeat in the process.

Production credits

• Game Designer: Chitose, Red Bunny
• Character Designer: Red Bunny, Little Dragon, Yodomo‑chan, Nori‑Nori, P‑Bug, Shin‑chan
• Programmer: M.Y.Hummer, Comeya, Yanagiya
• Music Composer: Yosiquin, Neumann A.H, Shimokyara, Totsukurzwell
• Original Game: S.Shino, Y.Shimz, Sam, Naun
• Director: Chitose, Crazy Horse

Source:

In-game credits

Magazine articles

Main article: Dangerous Seed/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Print advert in Beep! MegaDrive (JP) #1991-01: "January 1991" (1990-12-08)

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

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Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average

Publication Version Score 1700 igr dlya Sega (RU) 50 Aktueller Software Markt (DE) 80 Beep! MegaDrive (JP) NTSC-J 65 The Complete Guide to Sega (UK) NTSC-J 29 Console XS (UK) NTSC-J 86 Computer & Video Games (UK) 50 Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 1 (RU) 60 Génération 4 (FR) 70 Joystick (FR) 70 Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK) NTSC-J 50 Mega Drive Fan (JP) NTSC-J 72 MegaTech (UK) NTSC-J 40 Mean Machines Sega (UK) 40 Power Play (DE) 63 Raze (UK) NTSC-J 68 Sega Power (UK) NTSC-J 25 Sega Pro (UK) 83 Sega Pro (UK) NTSC-J 86 Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J 66 Tricks 16 bit (RU) 77

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Based on 20 reviews

Dangerous Seed

Mega Drive, JP
Cover
Cart Manual

Technical information

Main article: Dangerous Seed/Technical information.