Panic!

"Switch" redirects here. For the 2017 video game console by Nintendo, see Nintendo Switch.

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NTSC-U NTSC-J PlayStation 2
Panic!
System(s): Sega Mega-CD, PlayStation 2
Publisher: Sega Data East USA (US) Samsung (KR)
Developer: Office I. Sega CS3,, Sega CS2,, Sega CS1 Wave Master, ScriptArts, S-Plan
Licensor: Sega (US)
Peripherals supported: CD BackUp RAM Cart, Sega Mouse
Genre: Educational, Other, Adventure
Number of players: 1
Release Date RRP Code JP 1993-04-23 ¥8,800 (9,064)8,800e G-6009 US 1994-10 $69.9569.95 T-13015 KR 1993 GD0005JG JP 2002-08-29 ¥5,800 (6,090)5,800 (6,090) SLPM-65121

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Panic!, called Switch (スイッチ) in Japan, is a 1993 point-and-click adventure game by Sega for the Sega Mega-CD. The player controls a cartoon boy who interacts with various different environments to save the world. Each object the player interacts with has a humorous/absurd effect. It is not related to Double Switch, a later Mega-CD game.

Story

All machines on the planet have suddenly gone haywire as a result of the circuitry on the computer network server becoming riddled by software bugs. A program, codenamed "Panic!" ("Switch" in the Japanese version), was designed to fix the situation and return the world to normal.

All scenes involving pressing buttons feature Slap, a cartoon boy, and/or Stick, a cartoon dog.

Gameplay

The object of the game is to reach the mother computer at the end by pressing switches on different devices and figure out the functions of each switch. When using a Control Pad in the Mega-CD version, the D-Pad is used to move the cursor and the , and buttons are used to press switches, while the  START  button displays the map screen. When using a Sega Mouse, the left mouse button is used for clicking on switches while the right mouse button displays the map screen.

Switches have a variety of different effects. Most of them will display a humourous visual gag or have a character say random things to the player, while others will transport Slap/Stick to a different scene. However, some switches are booby-trapped, and pressing a booby-trapped switch will destroy a real-world monument. If all 30 monuments are destroyed, the game ends in failure. The game will also end instantly if the player presses a switch that warps them to a "skull" room on the map.

The map screen not only gives the player an idea of where they are in the game, but also tracks which gags have been seen as well as completion percentages for scenes and gags. A box representing a scene will change to different shades of blue based on how many of its gags have been seen, and will flash when the player has seen every gag in that scene. Pressing , or on the map screen will allow the player to save their progress to one of four files.

History

A working title of the North American translation appears to have been Haywire. Promotional material showed that the game was rated MA-17 by the VRC, but the final release was rated by the ESRB instead.

The South Korean version of the game was published by Samsung and released for the South Korean CD Aladdin Boy.

It was later remade on the PlayStation 2 in Japan.

Versions

Localised names

Also known as

Language	Localised Name	English Translation
English (US)	Panic!	Panic!
Japanese	スイッチ	Switch

Production credits

Main article: Panic!/Production credits.

Magazine articles

Main article: Panic!/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

PDF

JP Mega-CD flyer

Print advert in Beep! MegaDrive (JP) #1993-05: "May 1993" (1993-04-08)

Print advert in Beep! MegaDrive (JP) #1993-06: "June 1993" (1993-05-08)

Print advert in Game Champ (KR) #1993-10: "xxxx" (199x-xx-xx)

Print advert in EGM² (US) #5: "November 1994" (1994-1x-xx)
also published in:

• Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) #65: "December 1994" (1994-xx-xx)

Print advert in Sega Visions (US) #22: "December/January 1994/1995" (1994-xx-xx)
also published in:

• Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) #bg95: "1995 Video Game Buyer's Guide" (1994-xx-xx)

Physical scans

Mega-CD version

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

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Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average

Publication Version Score Beep! MegaDrive (JP) NTSC-J 73 Computer & Video Games (UK) NTSC-J 87 Electronic Games (1992-1995) (US) NTSC-U 50 Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U 58 Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide (UK) 90 Famitsu (JP) NTSC-J 70 Game Players (US) NTSC-U 82 Game Power (IT) NTSC 70 GamePro (US) NTSC-U 40 Game Informer (US) NTSC-U 11 Game Informer (US) NTSC-U 22 MAN!AC (DE) NTSC 68 Mega (UK) NTSC-J 50 Mega Action (UK) NTSC-J 85 MegaTech (UK) NTSC-J 90 Mean Machines Sega (UK) NTSC-J 70 Next Generation (US) NTSC-U 25 Sega Power (UK) PAL 55 Sega Pro (UK) NTSC-J 86 Sega Pro (UK) NTSC-U 42 Sega Force Mega (UK) NTSC-J 75 Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J 73 VideoGames (US) NTSC-U 90

	64
Based on 23 reviews

Panic!

Mega-CD, JP
Cover
Spinecard Disc Manual

Mega-CD, US
Cover
Disc Manual

Mega-CD, KR

PlayStation 2 version

PlayStation 2, JP
Cover
Disc

Technical information

Main article: Panic!/Technical information.

External links

• Sega of Japan catalogue pages (Japanese): PlayStation 2
• Switch on PlayStation.com: JP