Vapor Trail: Hyper Offence Formation

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NTSC-U NTSC-J
Vapor Trail: Hyper Offence Formation
System(s): Sega Mega Drive
Publisher: Riot (JP), Renovation Products (US)
Developer: Data East
Original system(s): Arcade boards
Genre: Shooting
Number of players: 1-2
Release Date RRP Code JP 1991-08-02 ¥8,400 (8,652)8,400e T-49043 US 1991-10 49106 FR 1991 JP ▼ 2020-04-21 ¥880880 PPD0002
Non-Sega versions Arcade

Vapor Trail: Hyper Offence Formation, known in Japan as Kuuga: Operation Code "Vapor Trail" (空牙), is a Sega Mega Drive shoot-'em-up developed by Data East. It is a port of the developer's titular 1989 arcade game Vapor Trail: Hyper Offence Formation. It was originally published in Japan by Riot in August 1991, and was later published in the United States by Renovation Products two months later.

A United Kingdom release, scheduled to be published by Ubisoft in November 1991 for £44.99, was planned but eventually cancelled.

Story

In 1999, a terrorist organization known only as DAGGER has occupied the city of New York where they have hacked into military defenses world-wide, established their own military command and gained access to nuclear missile silos. They hold the world hostage in this position and promise to cancel their threats of destroying the Earth only until the world's governments relinquish their power to DAGGER.

A Special Forces Air Unit is called in to attack DAGGER and cripple their strongest defenses and headquarters in New York. Until then, the city remains silent. The organization name was changed from Ragnarok in the Japanese original.

Gameplay

The game is a vertically scrolling shoot-'em-up. The player can select from three different jets with different classes of speeds and firepower. A second player can man a second ship for two-player simultaneous combat. Jets are moved in any direction with the D-Pad and fire a single shot with or rapid-fire with . Every jet is equipped with a roll device that allows them to dodge projectiles and hostiles with . The roll grants temporal invincibility and must be recharged after every use.

There are numerous different weapons that can be collected and equipped. The player can also upgrade the jet's attack power and movement speed through collecting power-ups. Additionally, players can collect the S-Unit, a weapon attachment that empowers the jet's firing no matter which weapon is picked up previously. Every jet's S-Unit attack differs from the others. Once the S-Unit is equipped, the player cannot use their previous weapons unless the S-Unit is detonated. Detonating the S-Unit does not harm the player, but it does harm the enemy as the unit will detonate in a large and powerful explosion.

Some levels, such as the first level, have a form of depth; certain enemies, like tanks, are on the ground. The player can fly over them harmlessly, though their missiles can attack the player.

The player's jet has three hit points and loses one whenever it takes damage from enemy fire or collides with an enemy. The jet is destroyed if it loses all of its hit points, costing the player a life. The game ends if the player runs out of lives.

Jets

	Silph
	The Silph is a medium-speed attacker/fighter. Its regular shot is shooting three shots straight ahead. It has balanced speed and attack power.
	Valkyrie
	The Valkyrie is a low-speed attacker. Its regular shot is a fan of four shots in front of it. It is the slowest of the three jets but has the most powerful shot.
	Seylen
	The Seylen is a high-speed fighter. Its regular shot is two shots straight ahead and two shots straight behind. It is the fastest jet and the only one that can shoot in both directions initially, but its shots are weaker.

Weapons

	V
	The standard weapon.
	B
	Shoots missiles straight ahead, which are very strong but cover a small area. The explosion radius of the missiles upon impact can eliminate enemy bullets, including laser attack of the Stage 3 boss.
	M
	Shoots homing missiles in all directions. The dispersal pattern is different for each jet.
	D
	Releases ring-shaped projectiles in a circle around the jet. Covers a large area but does relatively little damage, making it good against many small enemies but ineffective against bosses.
	S
	Equips a ship-specific special attack that replaces the standard weapon. It can be disarmed with , which releases a large bomb that attacks enemies and negates enemy bullets.

Items

	Power-Up
	Upgrades the attack power of the weapon, up to three times.
	Speed-Up
	Increases the movement speed of the jet, up to three times.
	Life Recovery
	Recovers one point of life or gives the player 2,500 points if already at full life.
	S-Unit
	Equips the ship-specific special attack.
	Weapon Change
	Changes the ship's weapon. Shoot to cycle between weapons.

Stages

	Stage 1
	Stage 2
	Stage 3
	Stage 4
	Stage 5
	Stage 6

History

Legacy

Two sequels were released: Wolf Fang: Kuuga 2001 (1991, ported to Saturn in 1997) and Skull Fang: Kuuga Gaiden (1996, ported to Saturn in 1997).

Versions

Aside from the expected and unavoidable graphical and sound differences, there are some other differences compared to the arcade version:

• Enemies do not flash white when being hit.
• The female navigator in the opening sequence has been redrawn.
• The aircraft selection screen is missing some images, like the launch sequence.
• After clearing a stage, your ship is not picked up by a green carrier ship but flies away on its own.
• The first boss fight does not take place in front of a skyscraper.
• The rocket in Stage 3 does not attack, the way to the rocket has been made longer and more enemies were added.
• The carrier in Stage 4 (reused Stage 2 boss asset) is not present, although the graphics are already in the game as demonstrated by Stage 2 boss
• Stage 5 is largely different. The city section is much longer, while the underground base part is missing. Enemy layout has also been drastically changed. The stage boss is a recolored Stage 1 boss instead of a the defense facility.
• The final boss is missing one attack phase before the cockpit section gets separated.
• The ending is different.

Localised names

Also known as

Language	Localised Name	English Translation
English (US)	Vapor Trail: Hyper Offence Formation	Vapor Trail: Hyper Offence Formation
Japanese	空牙	Kuuga: Operation Code "Vapor Trail"

Production credits

• Program: Kazunori Ishiguri, Yasuhiro Matsuda, Toshiyuki Sakai, Syuji Ishimaki, Hiroyasu Fujimaru
• Graphic: Manapu Yokoi, Yukie Shiraiwa, Mao, Megumi Shinya, Mutunori Sato
• Game Design: Eisuke Tsuzawa
• Special Thanks: Hozumi Yoshida, Hiroshi Inoue, Kohji Sasamoto, Akira Ohtani, Ayumi Kitazawa, Mari Matsuzaka, H.Ohta
• Sound: Shogo Sakai, Naoki Matumuru, Daisuke Inoue at Joe Down Studio
• Director: Yasuro Koideya

Arcade Staff

• Program: MIN, HAL, HYA, HMD

Source:

In-game credits

Magazine articles

Main article: Vapor Trail: Hyper Offence Formation/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Print advert in Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) #30: "January 1992" (199x-xx-xx)

Print advert in Beep! MegaDrive (JP) #1991-06: "June 1991" (1991-05-08)

Print advert in Beep! MegaDrive (JP) #1991-07: "July 1991" (1991-06-08)

Print advert in Beep! MegaDrive (JP) #1991-08: "August 1991" (1991-07-08)

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) 30 Aktueller Software Markt (DE) 63 Beep! MegaDrive (JP) NTSC-J 70 Consoles + (FR) 92 Console XS (UK) NTSC-J 79 Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U 58 Famitsu (JP) NTSC-J 68 Games-X (UK) 80 Game Zone (UK) PAL 50 Hippon Super (JP) NTSC-J 30 Joystick (FR) PAL 71 Mega Drive Fan (JP) NTSC-J 67 MegaTech (UK) 70 Mean Machines Sega (UK) 70 Player One (FR) 67 Power Play (DE) 59 Sega Pro (UK) PAL 75 Sega Pro (UK) 75 Sega Pro (UK) NTSC 57 Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J 75 Tilt (FR) 85 Tricks 16 bit (RU) 71

	66
Based on 22 reviews

Vapor Trail: Hyper Offence Formation

Mega Drive, JP
Cover
Cart Manual

Mega Drive, US
Cover
Cart Manual

Mega Drive, FR (NTSC Import, French Manual)
Cover
Cart Manual US Manual

Technical information

Main article: Vapor Trail: Hyper Offence Formation/Technical information.