Novastorm
From Sega Retro
Novastorm is shooting game developed by Psygnosis and released for a number of platforms including the Sega Mega-CD. It is a rail shooter reliant on full-motion video and pre-rendered imagery, similar to the developer's earlier effort Microcosm.
During development, it was known as Scavenger IV[5]. In 1995 a similar, but enhanced and extended Novastorm game was released for the PlayStation with entirely new FMVs.
Contents
Story
The game takes place some time in the distant future. Humans have left Earth in several huge arks containing Earth's ecosystem, in search of a new paradise. They have become complacent: everything is controlled by artificial intelligence, while the human race sleeps and dreams of its new home. The computer systems evolve, however, and prophetize a conquest of silicon against flesh. The player takes control of the Scavenger IV squadron, which has a mission to destroy the deadly Scarab X forces, in the last hope for the human race.
Gameplay
The game is a rail shooter that plays similarly to Space Harrier. The player takes control of the Scavenger IV spacecraft and moves it along the horizontal and vertical axes with the D-pad, but it follows a set path through the stages over a full-motion video background. The player must shoot down enemy spacecraft and avoid hitting terrain elements. Each stage ends with a boss encounter.
The ship fires its main weapon with 
, which is fast but initially relatively weak. Its strength is indicated by a meter in the HUD, and it can be upgraded by collecting items. The ship is also equipped with a more powerful plasma cannon, which is charged by holding 
and fired by releasing . Charging the plasma cannon increases a separate meter under the weapon strength meter, which flashes white when it is full. Finally, the ship can release smart energy waves that attack all enemies on screen with 
. Energy waves are limited in supply, but the other weapons have unlimited ammunition.
The ship has a shield energy meter the top of the screen that depletes as it takes damage from enemies or from colliding with terrain. The ship explodes if it runs out of energy, costing the player a life. If the player has an extra life remaining, the player is given a new ship (with a complement of three energy waves) and the stage continues. Additionally, boss fights are timed; the game warns the player with an "ALERT" message when time is almost up. If time runs out, the player loses a life and must restart the stage. The game ends if the player runs out of lives. The player is rewarded with extra lives at certain points thresholds.
Items
The player is occasionally presented with a choice of one of three items after destroying an enemy.
| Single Shot | |
|---|---|
| The starting weapon. A single stream of fire. | |
| Double Shot | |
| Two parallel streams of fire. | |
| Triple Shot | |
| Three parallel streams of fire. | |
| Spread Shot | |
| Three streams of fire with a wide spread. | |
| Cross Shot | |
| A double helix spread pattern that covers a larger area both vertically and horizontally. | |
| Split Shot | |
| A wide spread of more powerful fire. | |
| Orbiters | |
| Temporarily orbits the ship with two robotic drones that protect it and augment its fire. | |
| Wingmen | |
| Temporarily equips the ship with two unmanned wingships that follow it and fire homing missiles. | |
| Drones | |
| Temporarily follows the ship with two drones that protect it and provide support fire. | |
| Shield | |
| Temporarily surrounds the ship in a shield that renders it invulnerable. | |
| XtraSmart | |
| Gives the player another smart energy wave. | |
| XtraLife | |
| Gives the player an extra life. | |
| Full Energy | |
| Fully restores the ship's shields. | |
| Increase Energy | |
| Partially restores the ship's shields. | |
| Increase Weapon Strength | |
| Increases the ship's main weapon strength by one unit. | |
| Increase Score | |
| Gives the player bonus points. | |
| Random | |
| Chooses a random item effect. |
Stages
Callinhor, The Lava Planet
| Stage 1 | |
|---|---|
| Stage 2 | |
| Stage 3 | |
| Stage 4 | |
Kallum Koll, The Desert Planet
| Stage 1 | |
|---|---|
| Stage 2 | |
| Stage 3 | |
| Stage 4 | |
Quiggin, The Ice Planet
| Stage 1 | |
|---|---|
| Stage 2 | |
| Stage 3 | |
| Stage 4 | |
Space Cruiser Scarab X
| Stage 1 | |
|---|---|
| Stage 2 | |
| Stage 3 | |
| Stage 4 | |
| Stage 5 | |
Production credits
- Managing Director of Development: Ian Hetherington
- Director of Software Development: John White
- Lead Programmer: Zafar Qamar
- Programmer: Paul Frewin, Mark Hula
- Game Director: Paul Hilton
- Artist: Jerry Oldrieve, Chris Brown
- Producer: Kenny Everett
- Music and Sound: Rik Ede, Chris Nicholls, Paul Franklin, Colin Dempsey, Keith Roberts Jim Bowers, Digby Rogers, Rogan Macdonald, Nikki Bridgman Frank Kitson, Eric Noteboom, Nicky Carus-Westcott
- Original Artwork: Andrew Howes
- Q.A.: Mark Inman, Paul Evason
- Voice Direction: Philip Morris
- U.K.D.T.P.: Keith Hopwood
- U.S. D.T.P.: Lisa George
- Manual: Mark Tsai, Richard Browne, Jim Drewry
Magazine articles
- Main article: Novastorm/Magazine articles.
Physical scans
| Sega Retro Average | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
 |
65 |
|---|---|
| Based on 10 reviews | |
| Mega-CD, US |
|---|
  Cover
|
 Disc  Manual |
| Mega-CD, EU |
|---|
  Cover
|
 Disc  Manual |
Technical information
- Main article: Novastorm/Technical information.
References
- ↑ https://groups.google.com/g/rec.games.video.sega/c/h_QlDYzQdSQ/m/3BF3GiRqAQIJ
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 GamePro, "March 1995" (US; 1995-xx-xx), page 58
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Mean Machines Sega, "January 1995" (UK; 1994-11-30), page 104
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Mega Power, "November 1994" (UK; 1994-10-20), page 16
- ↑ Mega Power, "August 1994" (UK; 1994-07-21), page 8
- ↑ File:Novastorm mcd us manual.pdf, page 28
- ↑ Consoles +, "Février 1995" (FR; 1995-0x-xx), page 122
- ↑ Mega Force, "Février 1995" (FR; 1995-0x-xx), page 79
- ↑ Player One, "Février 1995" (FR; 1995-0x-xx), page 110
- ↑ Play Time, "2/95" (DE; 1995-01-04), page 107
- ↑ Sega Magazine, "January 1995" (UK; 1994-12-15), page 91
- ↑ Sega Power, "January 1995" (UK; 1994-11-17), page 76
- ↑ Sega Pro, "December 1994" (UK; 1994-11-03), page 52
- ↑ VideoGames, "March 1995" (US; 1995-02-xx), page 85
| Novastorm | |
|---|---|
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Main page | Comparisons | Development | Magazine articles | Reception | Technical information | |
