Planet Joker

From Sega Retro

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PlanetJoker title.png

Planet Joker
System(s): Sega Saturn
Publisher: Naxat Soft
Developer:
Sound driver: SCSP/CD-DA (14 tracks)
Peripherals supported: Shuttle Mouse, 3D Control Pad
Genre: Quarter View Shooting (クォータービューシューティング)[1], Shooting[2]

















Number of players: 1
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Saturn
JP
¥5,800 (5,974)5,800e[3] T-18711G
Sega Rating: All Ages

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Planet Joker (プラネット・ジョーカー) is a Sega Saturn vertical shoot-'em-up game developed by IMP and published by Naxat Soft. Released exclusively in Japan in March 1997 to mixed-to-negative reviews, the game has gained a modern reputation as one of the worst shoot-'em-ups on the system, although has since seen a slight critical re-evaluation as an average story-driven shoot-'em-up with uneven production values and an admirable presentation.

Story

On May 17, 2039, a mysterious army suddenly invades Tokyo. They occupied the Japanese center in just an hour, and the mastermind demanded that all production activities in Japan and oil consumption be stopped.

Three female pilots belonging to a special unit of the Self-Defense Forces were ordered to suppress this mysterious army. Operation name "alien crush".

Characters

PlanetJoker Saturn JP SPSatomi.png Satomi Takayama (サトミ・タカヤマ)
The main character of this game. Captain of the 17th platoon of the SDF Special Forces. 23 years old, Japanese.
PlanetJoker Saturn JP SPEllen.png Elen Rockwell (エレン・ロックウェル)
A subordinate of a platoon led by the main character. 22 years old, American.
PlanetJoker Saturn JP SPSara.png Sahra Huga (サラ・ユーガ)
A subordinate of a platoon led by the main character. 20 years old, Indian.
PlanetJoker Saturn JP SPMika.png Mika Yamamoto (ミカ・ヤマモト)
Operator and communication manager. 23 years old, Japanese.
PlanetJoker Saturn JP SPTakasugi.png Takao Takasugi (タカオ・タカスギ)
Commander of the SDF Special Forces. 53 years old, Japanese.
PlanetJoker Saturn JP SPJohn.png John Markwell (ジョン・マークウェル)
The mastermind of this terrorist attack. 66 years old, American.

Gameplay

A vertical scrolling shooting with a bird's eye view, such as Layer Section II. Shots, bombs and charge attacks are possible.

Modes

  • Normal mode: Normal game mode to clear 7 stages. If the difficulty level is Easy, it will end on missiono 4. If continue, it will start from the beginning of the stage.
  • Time attack: Mode to compete for the time to reach 300,000 points.
  • Score attack: Mode to compete for points in 3 minutes.
  • Boss attack: It can be played by clearing the normal mode. Mode to compete for clear time by playing only the boss battle.

Controls

Button settings cannot be changed.

Move list
Name Command Description
Shot A Auto fire while pressing.
Bomb B There are two types: crash and wave. Waves can be fired after accumulating their power by holding down the button.
Charge attack C / R Use while pressing. It is invincible during the attack and attacks by hitting the enemy. The charge gauge is consumed during use.

Items

It can be roughly divided into three types: attack, bomb, and shield. Attacks and bombs change over time.

Shot (Blue)
Attack item. Switch weapons to normal and power up. Up to 3 levels are possible.
Laser (Green)
Attack item. Switch weapons to laser and power up. Up to 3 levels are possible.
Missile (Yellow)
Attack item. Switch weapons to missile and power up. Up to 3 levels are possible.
Charge (Orange)
Attack item. Increase the charge gauge.
Bomb (Wave)
Bomb item. Increases Wave Bomb. You can have up to 10 bombs in total.
Bomb (Crash)
Bomb item. Increases Crash Bomb. You can have up to 10 bombs in total.
Shield
Shield item. Restore the shield.

Players

There are 8 types, and 1 type is a hidden character. Each has a different charge, movement, defense, attack range, and weapons. There are various attack methods, and some of them are difficult to use.

PlanetJoker Saturn JP SSPlayer1.png

Raules
Charge:
RatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Empty.svgRatingStar Empty.svg
Move speed:
RatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Empty.svgRatingStar Empty.svg
Defense:
RatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Empty.svgRatingStar Empty.svg
Attack range:
RatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Empty.svgRatingStar Empty.svg
Weapons
  • Laser: Laser
  • Normal shot: Shot gun
  • Missile: Homing missile

PlanetJoker Saturn JP SSPlayer2.png

Gerver
Charge:
RatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Empty.svgRatingStar Empty.svg
Move speed:
RatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svg
Defense:
RatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Empty.svgRatingStar Empty.svgRatingStar Empty.svgRatingStar Empty.svg
Attack range:
RatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Empty.svgRatingStar Empty.svg
Weapons
  • Laser: Arrow laser
  • Normal shot: Swing gun
  • Missile: Tomahawk missile

PlanetJoker Saturn JP SSPlayer3.png

Wenger
Charge:
RatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Empty.svgRatingStar Empty.svg
Move speed:
RatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Empty.svgRatingStar Empty.svgRatingStar Empty.svgRatingStar Empty.svg
Defense:
RatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Empty.svgRatingStar Empty.svg
Attack range:
RatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Empty.svg
Weapons
  • Laser: Undulation laser
  • Normal shot: Spread gun
  • Missile: Napalm missile

PlanetJoker Saturn JP SSPlayer4.png

Opinel
Charge:
RatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svg
Move speed:
RatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Empty.svg
Defense:
RatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Empty.svgRatingStar Empty.svg
Attack range:
RatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Empty.svgRatingStar Empty.svgRatingStar Empty.svgRatingStar Empty.svg
Weapons
  • Laser: Circulet laser
  • Normal shot: Rear gun
  • Missile: Spread missile

Lasers with a narrow attack range and backward shots are quite difficult to use.

PlanetJoker Saturn JP SSPlayer5.png

Almer
Charge:
RatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Empty.svgRatingStar Empty.svg
Move speed:
RatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Empty.svgRatingStar Empty.svgRatingStar Empty.svg
Defense:
RatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svg
Attack range:
RatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Empty.svgRatingStar Empty.svgRatingStar Empty.svg
Weapons
  • Laser: Wave laser
  • Normal shot: Side shot
  • Missile: Mine missile

PlanetJoker Saturn JP SSPlayer6.png

Aida
Charge:
RatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Empty.svgRatingStar Empty.svg
Move speed:
RatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Empty.svgRatingStar Empty.svgRatingStar Empty.svg
Defense:
RatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Empty.svgRatingStar Empty.svg
Attack range:
RatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Empty.svg
Weapons
  • Laser: Homing laser
  • Normal shot: 3way shot
  • Missile: Flash missile

PlanetJoker Saturn JP SSPlayer7.png

Karshow
Charge:
RatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Empty.svgRatingStar Empty.svgRatingStar Empty.svgRatingStar Empty.svg
Move speed:
RatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Empty.svgRatingStar Empty.svg
Defense:
RatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Empty.svgRatingStar Empty.svg
Attack range:
RatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Empty.svg
Weapons
  • Laser: Thunder laser
  • Normal shot: Round shot
  • Missile: Side winder

PlanetJoker Saturn JP SSPlayer8.png

Randall
Charge:
RatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Empty.svgRatingStar Empty.svg
Move speed:
RatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svg
Defense:
RatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svg
Attack range:
RatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Full.svgRatingStar Empty.svgRatingStar Empty.svg
Weapons
  • Laser: Destruct laser
  • Normal shot: Destruct shot
  • Missile: Homing napalm

It can be used by clearing the normal mode with a difficulty level of hard.

Stages

PlanetJoker Saturn JP SSStage1-1.png

PlanetJoker Saturn JP SSStage1-2.png

PlanetJoker Saturn JP SSStage1-B.png

Mission 1: 18th May AM 5:00

PlanetJoker Saturn JP SSStage2-1.png

PlanetJoker Saturn JP SSStage2-2.png

PlanetJoker Saturn JP SSStage2-B.png

Mission 2: 18th May PM 0:00

PlanetJoker Saturn JP SSStage3-1.png

PlanetJoker Saturn JP SSStage3-2.png

PlanetJoker Saturn JP SSStage3-B.png

Mission 3: 18th May PM 6:00

PlanetJoker Saturn JP SSStage4-1.png

PlanetJoker Saturn JP SSStage4-2.png

PlanetJoker Saturn JP SSStage4-B.png

Mission 4: 19th May AM 4:00
If the difficulty level is Easy, the game will be over in this mission.

PlanetJoker Saturn JP SSStage5-1.png

PlanetJoker Saturn JP SSStage5-2.png

PlanetJoker Saturn JP SSStage5-B.png

Mission 5: 19th May AM 11:00
The mid-boss has a safety zone in the upper right corner of the screen.

PlanetJoker Saturn JP SSStage6-1.png

PlanetJoker Saturn JP SSStage6-2.png

PlanetJoker Saturn JP SSStage6-B.png

Mission 6: 19th May PM 1:00

PlanetJoker Saturn JP SSStage7-1.png

PlanetJoker Saturn JP SSStage7-2.png

PlanetJoker Saturn JP SSStage7-B.png

Mission 7: 19th May PM 4:00

History

Reception

The game suffers from a significant amount of analog rainbow banding.

Planet Joker is most notable today for its status as one of the worst shoot-'em-up games released for the Sega Saturn. While in reality the title is mostly undeserved, the game is generally known for its poor first impression, particularly in regard to the significantly visible amount of analog rainbow banding. When played through a composite video connection, a large number of Planet Joker's onscreen effects are unintentionally colored with a rainbow pattern by the television set.

Production credits

  • サトミ: 岩見 博子
  • エレン: 加藤 美由紀
  • サラ: 山口 未知世
  • ミカ: 福當 亜樹
  • 司令官: 野上 智之
  • ジョーカー: 平井 正一, 惣林坊 さなえ
  • ジョン: 松本 智行
  • ナレーション: 北谷 彰基
  • キャラクターデザイン: 堀口 恵介
  • オープニング主題歌
    • 作詞: 藤井 健一
    • 作曲: 藤井 健一
    • : 平山 百合
  • エンディング主題歌
    • 作詞: 藤井 健一
    • 作曲: 藤井 健一
    • : 平山 百合
  • 制作協力: 代々木アニメーション学院
  • 制作・著作: 株式会社ナグザット, IMP
Source:
In-game credits (JP)
PlanetJoker Saturn JP SSOpening.pdf
[4]


  • ■Executive Producer: 下地 浩
  • ■Program: 井美 公二, 倪 健興, 山崎 高敬
  • ■Planning: 倪 健興
  • ■Graphic: スタジオオウル, 吉田 大也
  • ■3D Graphic: 神内 純弘, 杉野 力, 小畑 昌司, 田崎 信也
  • ■Visual Graphic: ジラフ ソフト, 中村 浩人, 世古 隆行
  • ■Sound: ユーリズム, 遠藤 宏, 藤井 健一, 高野 充彦
  • ■Sales: 吉田 茂, 本多 猛, 野間 広, 深沢 智和, 渡邉 孝樹
  • ■Animation: 代々木アニメーション学院
  • ■Special Thanks: 代々木アニメーション学院, 井上 正樹, 西嶋 信一, 川枝 浩和
(C)1997 Naxat Soft / IMP
Source:
In-game credits (JP)
PlanetJoker Saturn JP SSEnding.pdf
[5]

Magazine articles

Main article: Planet Joker/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert in Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) #1997-08: "1997-08 (1997-03-21)" (1997-03-07)
Logo-pdf.svg

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
{{{{{icon}}}|L}} Division by zero.
Based on
0 review
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
MAN!AC (DE) NTSC-J
36
[6]
Saturn Fan (JP) NTSC-J
40
[7]
Saturn Fan (JP) NTSC-J
41
[8]
Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J
43
[9]
Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J
23
[10]
Sega Saturn
37
Based on
5 reviews

Planet Joker

Saturn, JP
PlanetJoker Saturn JP Box Back.jpgPlanetJoker Saturn JP Box Front.jpg
Cover
PlanetJoker Saturn JP Spinecard.jpg
Spinecard
PlanetJoker Saturn JP Disc.jpg
Disc

Technical information

Main article: Planet Joker/Technical information.

ROM dump status

System Hash Size Build Date Source Comments
Sega Saturn
CRC32
MD5
SHA-1
525,227,472 1997-03-07 CD-ROM (JP) T-18711G V1.000

Track list

1. [data track]  
2. (Song 01) (2:37) 
From: Opening
3. (BGM 01) (1:33) 
4. (BGM 02) (1:35) 
5. (BGM 03) (2:00) 
6. (Demo 01) (1:04) 
From: Opening
7. (Demo 02) (1:32) 
From: Mission 1 start
8. (Demo 03) (1:25) 
From: Mission 2 start
9. (Demo 04) (1:27) 
From: Mission 3 start
10. (Demo 05) (4:41) 
From: Mission 3 clear
11. (Demo 06) (0:48) 
From: Mission 4
12. (Demo 07) (6:02) 
From: Mission 4 clear
13. (Demo 08) (1:41) 
From: Mission 7 clear
14. (Song 02) (3:50) 
From: Ending
15. (Voice 01) (0:04) 
From: Game over
Running time: 30:19

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
\EXTRA Folder 6,451,592 It contains 7 wallpaper images.
PJ_ABS.TXT TXT (Abstract) 21 Default text.
PJ_BIB.TXT TXT (Bibliographiced) 25 Default text.
PJ_CPY.TXT TXT (Copyright) 35 Copyright


References


Planet Joker

PlanetJoker title.png

Main page | Hidden content | Magazine articles | Reception


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