Megalopolis: Tokyo City Battle
From Sega Retro
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| Megalopolis: Tokyo City Battle | |||||||||
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| System(s): AS-1 | |||||||||
| Publisher: Sega | |||||||||
| Developer: Sega AM3[1] | |||||||||
| Supporting companies: Buildup Entertainment | |||||||||
| Genre: Simulation | |||||||||
| Number of players: 1-8 | |||||||||
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Megalopolis: Tokyo City Battle, also known as Megalopolice: Tokyo City Battle,[2] and Megalopolis 2154 (メガロポリス 2154),[3] is an AS-1 science-fiction ride film developed by Sega AM3.[1] It is a three and a half minute long short film, designed as a 3D CGI animation simulator experience.[4]
Released in 1994 after over a year of promotion in the media and at events whilst still being made, the finalized film saw only a limited release at several of Sega's flagship Amusement Theme Park locations. It is thought to be the final in-house software to have been completed for the AS-1 hardware.
Contents
Story
| “ |
A.D. 2154. Mid 22nd century. Human Future-Tech gives birth to MEGALOPOLIS, a labyrinth of logic and lust. Now a sub-terran zone, Old Tokyo has become haven for rampant terrorists. An extensive dragnet pays off. Arch-Terrorist BRUTE BOMBALEZ, head of 'TORNADO ROSSO', is finally behind bars. Just then, two shadows head towards the Megalopolice headquarters on a grim mission to recapture BOMBALEZ... |
„ |
— Trailer [5] | ||
History
Development
The ride film is notable for being Tetsuya Mizuguchi's first released project for Sega.[6]
Release
Whilst still in production and incomplete, scenes from Megalopolis: Tokyo City Battle were first shown to the public during a December 1992 edition of Bad Influence!.[7] These then debuted in Japan as background projection visuals for the Technodon reunion concerts performed by the Yellow Magic Orchestra during June 1993.[4] Following this, a coming soon trailer was created for Megalopolis, first unveiled as part of SIGGRAPH 93, and later shown on a monitor placed next to an AS-1 for the domestic debut of Michael Jackson in Scramble Training showcased at Amusement Machine Show 1993 at the end of the same month.[8] Through its inclusion in SIGGRAPH, it received worldwide exposure in numerous VHS compilations and television programmes.[5][9][10]
Following the AS-1's poor sales in its limited release to other operators, Megalopolis' release was not widespread; however, it would go on to be installed as software at several of Sega's own Amusement Theme Park locations, including Yokohama Joypolis in 1994,[11] SegaWorld London in 1996,[12] and Sega World Sydney in 1997.[13] Footage from Megalopolis was additionally re-used for the opening and ending sequences of the Japanese Sega Video Magazine series, as well as the 'Armageddon' segment of 1994 CGI art film The Gate to The Mind's Eye, where it received a new backing track by Thomas Dolby and doubled up as its music video.[14] Alongside an interview with Mizuguchi and footage of Scramble Training, it also appeared in 1994 French documentary series Otaku.[15]
Like Michael Jackson in Scramble Training, rumours have circulated about a home conversion (or tech demo) of Megalopolis, specifically for the 32X; however, these have been confirmed by Scramble Training producer Kenji Sasaki to be false.[16]
Production credits
- Line Producer/Story: Tetsuya Mizuguchi
- Supervising Animators: Michael Arias, Jun Uriu
- Modelling/Design/Animation: Go Kikuchi, Koji Ono
- Art Direction: Yasuo Fujita
- Co-Art Direction/Vehicle Modelling: Buildup Co., Ltd.
- Production Assistant: Koichi Ozaki
- Music/Sound Design: Mitchell Osias
- Sound Engineer: Koichi Namiki, Takenobu Mitsuyoshi
- Motion Engineer: Hideaki Doi
- Voice: Chikako Otsuka, Tetsuya Iwanaga, Toshiyuki Morikawa
- Special Thanks to Shinji Aramaki, Mamoru Ito, Koichi Ohata, Atsuki Sato, Akihiro Tsuchiya, Rei Yumeno, Jun'ya Okabe
- Starring in Preshow: Michael Jackson (as Megalopolice Commander)
- Copyright; 1993 by SEGA Enterprises, Ltd.
Magazine articles
- Main article: Megalopolis: Tokyo City Battle/Magazine articles.
Photo gallery
Megalopolice Commander (Michael Jackson), taken during a 1993 Los Angeles, California photoshoot.[18]
External links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Beep! MegaDrive, "October 1994" (JP; 1994-09-08), page 96
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 https://history.siggraph.org/animation-video-pod/megalopolice-tokyo-city-battle-by-sega-enterprises-ltd/ (Wayback Machine: 2022-11-23 23:05)
- ↑ http://mjfcmoonwalk.com/repo_as-1.html (Wayback Machine: 2019-06-22 01:14)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 http://www.sega.co.jp/sega/atp/atc/as-1.html (Wayback Machine: 1996-12-24 11:02)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7a1rMu5JIys&t=608s
- ↑ https://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/english/170612/2
- ↑ File:BadInfluence_UK_1x08.mp4
- ↑ http://legend-of-mwfc.la.coocan.jp/repo_as-1.html (Wayback Machine: 2020-11-06 13:49)
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEfD9TcoHUU
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3jjvSs1XVo&t=1454s
- ↑ Harmony, "1994 8" (JP; 1994-08-01), page 9
- ↑ File:SegaWorldLondon_Leaflet_1998.pdf, page 5
- ↑ http://gaming.chronomagister.com/fanums/sws/archived/segaworld/attractions/as1.html (Wayback Machine: 2012-03-21 16:05)
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-uVF66V95k&t=52s
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=542&v=8sD8uoy8T_0
- ↑ @sasappo on Twitter
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRCj9cQdIr8&t=2h31m23s
- ↑ @v_SUPERFLY_v on Twitter (Wayback Machine: 2020-03-28 04:13)