Night Striker

n/a

Mega-CD Saturn
Night Striker
System(s): Sega Mega-CD, Sega Saturn
Publisher: Taito Ving
Developer: Aisystem Tokyo Fill in Cafe
Original system(s): Arcade boards
Developer(s) of original games: Taito
Sound driver: SCSP/CD-DA (18 tracks)
Peripherals supported: 3D Control Pad, Mission Stick
Genre: 3D Shooting, Shooting
Number of players: 1
Release Date RRP Code JP 1993-05-28 ¥7,8007,800 T-11014 KR 199x JP 1996-06-14 ¥5,800 (5,974)5,800e T-19901G
Non-Sega versions Arcade PlayStation

Night Striker (ナイトストライカー) is an arcade game developed by Taito. It is a futuristic on-the-rails shooter which plays similarly to Sega's Space Harrier, with the player piloting a hover vehicle.

The game was brought to the Sega Mega-CD in 1993, where it was graphically downscaled for the weaker hardware. It was also brought to the Sega Saturn as Night Striker S (ナイトストライカーＳ) in 1996. The Mega-CD version was brought outside of Japan via the Mega Drive Mini 2 in 2022.

The soundtrack was composed by Zuntata, Taito's in-house music team.

Story

The game is set in a futuristic city in 2049. A terrorist organisation has kidnapped Doctor Masker Lindberry and his daughter. The United Nations Special Service Agency has dispatched their agents to investigate, but to no avail. Its leader is leading a task force, code-named Night Striker, using armoured vehicles to rescue them and destroy the organisation.

Gameplay

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Branching paths

The game is a rail shooter with a 3D perspective. The player controls a hover car and shoots enemies encountered during the stage. The car moves by holding in any direction with the D-pad. The vertical controls are inverted, so ascends and dives. The car positions itself back in the center of the screen when the player is not holding a direction. The player does not control the speed at which the car travels through the stages. The car shoots with , , or ; can be held for continuous fire.

At the end of each stage, there is a boss. After it is defeated, the player is presented with a choice between two routes, like OutRun. There are 21 stages, but the player only needs to complete 6 to complete the game. Stages repeat themes and bosses. Certain stages contain obstacles such as barriers which must be maneuvered around. In the final stages, the car transforms into different vehicles such as a motorbike or a robot. The game features different endings depending on which route is taken.

The car has a shield that can absorb a certain number of hits before being destroyed. The car is harmed by enemy fire or running into obstacles, but it is not harmed by touching walls or ceilings. The player is given another shield point after completing each stage. If the shield has run out, the car can sustain one more hit before it is destroyed and the game is over. The game can be continued if the player has credits remaining.

Stages

Stage P (Factory)         Stage K (Tunnel)         Stage G (Suburbs)   Stage Q (Streets)     Stage D (Sea)   Stage L (Temple)     Stage B (Factory)   Stage H (Sky)   Stage R (City) Stage A (City)   Stage E (Tunnel)   Stage M (Suburbs)     Stage C (Canal)   Stage I (Sea)   Stage S (Temple)     Stage F (Sky)   Stage N (Factory)         Stage J (Tunnel)   Stage T (Suburbs)         Stage O (City)             Stage U (Sea)

Versions

The Mega-CD version of the game takes advantage of the system's specialized sprite-scaling hardware, though it has been criticized for appearing excessively pixelated. This version features an arranged soundtrack; the other home versions only have the original arcade synth soundtrack.

The Sega Saturn version has clearer visuals and supports the 3D Control Pad and Mission Stick for analogue control; the original arcade cabinet uses a flight stick similar to the Mission Stick. This version includes a bonus mode with six exclusive stages, though this mode does not have branching paths.

Production credits

Mega-CD version

• Producer: Yoshio Imamura
• Director: Takashi Shiokawa
• Programmers: Daikoku Hisaya, Yoshihiro Yokota
• Artists: Munenori Morikawa, Satomi Yokose, Yoko Gotan, Shrine
• Sound
  • Arranged by: Hisayoshi Ogura, Tamayo Kawamoto, Yasuhisa Watanabe, Shuichiro Nakazawa, Masahiko Takaki
  • Mix Engineer: Masao Saotome
  • Assistant Engineer: Yoshihiro Rakumitsu
  • Manipulated by: Masaki Sekishima
• Special Thanks: Kenshi Kaito, Eiji Takeshima, Anthony Gurr, Yoichi Sato, Pony Canyon Inc., Scytron & Art Inc.

(C)Taito Corporation 1993 All Rights Reserved

Source:

In-game credits

Saturn version

Create Staff

• Producer: Tohru Sugawara
• Director: Kenshi Kaito
• Software: Tohru Sugawara, Hideki Hashimoto, Toshiaki Tsukano, Tmr-Win Iromust, Takashi Kitabayashi
• Character: Kohzoh Igarashi, Minori Ishino, Yakako Kojima, Kenshi Kaito
• Hardware: Toshiyuki Sanada
• Electric: Tomio Takeda
• Mechanic: Tohru Yamamoto, Tohru Hirata, Tomio Suzuki, Nobuyuki Iwasaki
• Design: Shinobu Sekiguchi, Akio Nomura
• Sound: Music Composed, Mar., S.E Editor, Nui&Yasu, By Team Zuntata
• Executive Producer: Keisuke Hasegawa
• Special thanks to: Many Other People

Source:

In-game credits

Saturn Staff

• President: Ryozo Sugawara
• Director: Takashi Noto
• Programmer: Atsushi Taguchi, Nonchi, Takumi Amano
• Graphic: Naohiro Washio, Hiroaki Matsukawa
• CG Movie: Hisanori Saitou
• Data Management: Naoki Inaba
• Promotion And Manual Writer: Ryusei Baba
• Marketing: Junko Shiihashi
• Special Thanks: Taito Corporation, Yuu House Co., Ving Co., Team Zuntata, Kenshi Kaito, Masaya Konya, Toru Hosaka, Taka, Kanta Watanabe, Masayuki Kokubu, Tetsuya Tanabe, Yosuke Nakano, Toshiyuki Kikuchi, Kohshi Nagato, Yoshimasa Hagiwara, Goro Kashima, And You !!

Source:

In-game credits

Magazine articles

Main article: Night Striker/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Saturn flyer

Print advert in Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) #1996-05: "1996-05 (1996-03-22)" (1996-03-08)

Print advert in Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) #1996-06: "1996-06 (1996-04-12)" (1996-03-22)

Print advert in Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) #1996-07: "1996-07 (1996-04-26)" (1996-04-12)

Print advert in Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) #1996-08: "1996-08 (1996-05-10,24)" (1996-04-26)

Print advert in Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) #1996-10: "1996-10 (1996-06-28)" (1996-06-14)

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 68 Dengeki Mega Drive (JP) NTSC-J 56 Famitsu (JP) NTSC-J 53 GameFan (US) NTSC-J 86 Game Power (IT) NTSC 13 Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK) NTSC-J 3 Mega (UK) NTSC-J 23 Mega Action (UK) NTSC-J 20 MegaTech (UK) NTSC-J 17 Mean Machines Sega (UK) NTSC-J 9 Sega Power (UK) NTSC-J 19 Sega Pro (UK) NTSC-J 36 Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J 81

	37
Based on 13 reviews

Night Striker

Mega-CD, JP
Cover
Disc

Mega-CD, KR
Cover
Disc

Saturn version

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

{{{{{icon}}}|L}}
Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average
Publication Version Score

	N/A
Based on 0 reviews

Night Striker

Saturn, JP
Cover
Spinecard Disc

Technical information

ROM dump status

System	Hash	Size	Build Date	Source	Comments
✔	CRC32 MD5 SHA-1	538,777,344		CD (JP)	T-11014
✔	CRC32 MD5 SHA-1	446,546,016	1996-05-06	CD-ROM (JP)	T-19901G V1.300

Track list

Mega-CD version

1. Data track

2. commune (0:36)
From: NAME SET

3. commune (Arrange) (0:43)
From: NAME SET

4. OPENNING 1 (0:11)

5. OPENNING 2 (0:19)

6. URBAN TRAIL (1:26)
From: 市街のテーマ

7. URBAN TRAIL (Arrange) (1:32)
From: 市街のテーマ

8. TRANCE PLANET IN BLUE (1:48)
From: 郊外のテーマ

9. TRANCE PLANET IN BLUE (Arrange) (1:49)
From: 郊外のテーマ

10. BRAIN WORKER (1:14)
From: 地下工場のテーマ

11. BRAIN WORKER (Arrange) (1:15)
From: 地下工場のテーマ

12. AQUARIUS (1:25)
From: 海上のテーマ

13. AQUARIUS (Arrange) (1:27)
From: 海上のテーマ

14. FLY AWAY (1:24)
From: 上空のテーマ

15. FLY AWAY (Arrange) (1:24)
From: 上空のテーマ

16. TERARIST (1:51)
From: ビル街のテーマ

17. TERARIST (Arrange) (1:51)
From: ビル街のテーマ

18. Ma-Gu-Ri-Vu (1:30)

19. Ma-Gu-Ri-Vu (Arrange) (1:33)

20. BURNING ROAD (1:25)
From: 地下道のテーマ

21. BURNING ROAD (Arrange) (1:24)
From: 地下道のテーマ

22. WARNING (0:09)

23. BOSS 1 (1:16)

24. BOSS 1 (Arrange) (1:33)

25. BOSS 2 (1:00)

26. BOSS 2 (Arrange) (1:14)

27. BOSS 3 (1:13)

28. BOSS 3 (Arrange) (1:30)

29. BOSS 4 (1:11)

30. BOSS 4 (Arrange) (1:37)

31. BOSS 5 (1:11)

32. BOSS 5 (Arrange) (1:30)

33. BOSS 6 (1:34)

34. BOSS 6 (Arrange) (1:44)

35. Ma-Gu-Ri-Vu (Intro) (1:05)

36. ROUND CLEAR (0:31)

37. ROUND CLEAR (Arrange) (1:27)

38. Chimere (1:45)
シーメール
From: ENDING

39. Chimere (Arrange) (1:48)
シーメール
From: ENDING

► Running time: 49:25

Saturn version

1. Data track

2. Opening - Urban Trail (2:57)
From: Opening - City Stage

3. Boss 1 (1:26)

4. Round Clear (0:38)

5. Trance Parlent In Blue (3:34)
From: Suburb Stage

6. Boss 2 (1:08)

7. Brain Worker (2:25)
From: Underground Factory Stage

8. Boss 3 (1:14)

9. Aquarius (2:26)
From: Maritime Stage

10. Fly Away (2:30)
From: Sky Stage

11. Boss 4 (1:19)

12. Terarist (3:40)
From: Building Quarters Stage

13. Boss 5 (1:23)

14. Ma-Gu-Ri-Vu (3:05)
From: Temple Stage

15. Burning Road (2:42)
From: Subterranean Tunnel Stage

16. Boss 6 (1:43)

17. Chimere (1:45)
シーメール
From: Ending

18. Commune (0:56)
From: Name Set

19. Urban Trail (2:37)
From: City Stage

► Running time: 37:28

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
ABS.TXT	TXT (Abstract)	792	Story of this game.
BIB.TXT	TXT (Bibliographiced)	160	About original game
CPY.TXT	TXT (Copyright)	43	Copyright