Robo Pit

From Sega Retro

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RoboPit Saturn JP SSTitle.png

Robo Pit
System(s): Sega Saturn
Publisher: Altron, Kokopeli Digital Studios (US, Europe)
Developer:
Distributor: Ecofilmes (PT)
Sound driver: SCSP/CD-DA (12 tracks)
Peripherals supported: Saturn Backup Memory
Genre: Fighting Action/Taisen Action (対戦アクション)[1], Action[2]

















Number of players: 1-2
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Saturn
JP
¥5,800 (5,974)5,800e[3] T-16603G
Sega Rating: All Ages
Sega Saturn
US
T-10002H
ESRB: Teen
Sega Saturn
EU
T-10002H-50
Sega Saturn
DE
T-10002H-50
USK: 12
Sega Saturn
PT
Sega Saturn
UK
£44.9944.99[7] T-10002H-50
Sega Saturn
PL
Non-Sega versions

Robo Pit (ロボ・ピット) is a one-on-one fighting game developed by Altron for the Sega Saturn and PlayStation.

Gameplay

Robo Pit is a versus fighting game, in which players construct robots out of a selection of parts (a head/torso, eyes (because unlike the Western box art, the in-game robots opt for a "cute" aesthetic), "legs" and two arms) to fight one another on a 3D playing field. By default the camera is positioned behind the player, but it can be adjusted, for example, to create a first person fighting game.

You start with a ranking of 101, and can challenge any of the 100 robots ahead of you in an attempt to move up the rankings and into first place. Destroying your opponent will move you up, while losing will move you down. As you accumulate experience through matches, your robot becomes stronger which makes traversing up the rankings much easier - while it is fully possible to complete the game in a small handful of matches, the strongest robots will destroy you in one or two hits if the player hasn't practised.

An "auto fight" feature also exists, in which the computer will take control of your robot for you, however the outcome here is usually determined by raw stats rather than strategy, as the computer does not make full use of its surroundings.

Winning a battle can be achieved in two ways - either by draining a life bar or by knocking the opponent out of the ring. The winner then takes the opponent's arms (the only part of a robot that can be adjusted after its initial creation), which are often stronger than those found in the initial pool of components. Arms range from strong melee attacks such as swords and shields, to weaker long-range attacks like guns. Often an empty hand is a good way forward, as it can pick up obstacles on the field and throw them at enemies from afar.

Accumulated damage will add to a power bar allowing for special attacks. There is a standard ramming move available to all robots, and others which are determined by which arms are equipped. It is also possible to inflict damage just by jumping on your opponent.

There are about five stages (not including variants played at different times of the day) which are selected at random when entering a fight. Some matches feature special robots in their own arenas - the closest Robo Pit has to boss battles (although like all enemy robots, they can be avoided if the player chooses). The only battle that can't be avoided (although you may have to challenge the top ranking robot a few times to get into this position) is Zenith, a robot that only appears when the user is ranked at No. 1.

Robots

101 robots exist for the player to fight, however for most, their rankings, appearance and weaponry is randomised when the game starts. A handful of robots are always the same.

Afterburn
Assassin
Badger
Bansai
Barney
Bart
Bebop
Belfry
Bigfoot
Bomber
Boom Frog
Bouncer
Bust Em
Buzz
Chop Chop
Christine
Clyde
Crusher
Da Judge
Dangerman
Dengar-D
Dodger
Doinkr
Dr Fuji
Droopnid
Dum Dum
Earthkill
Edith
Flyguy
Gallagher
Gamest
Gen Chin
Geomantis
Gigantess
Ginsu
Grimace
Guilus
Guppy
Gwendolyn
Haley
Hatchet
Herman
Hi Five
Idaho
Jackle D
Kamikaze
Lancelot
Mata Hari
Melonball
Mercenary
Metalhead
Midnight
Mohawk
Mojo
Mordred
Murashi
Napolean
Natasha
Ninja Bob
Number 5
Pain Bot
Paluka
Panzer
Pepto
Pogboy
Poison
Pompador
Purplexd
Put Em Up
Ranger
Roach
Rot n Bot
Rusty
Sayonara
Shadelance
Simon
Sir Robin
Skybot
Slimer
Slinky
Sorbet
Spartan
Speedy
Spinner
Starbot
System X
Talen
Taxiderm
Teketeke
Tex
Tomtom
Tortuka
Trouble
Twiggy
Whizzer
Wil Tell
Wilfred
Winky
Wolf
Yo Jimbo
Zenith

Robot Making

Bodies

Type A
Type B
Type C
Type D
Type E
Type F
Type G
Type H
Type I
Type J
Type K
Type L
Type M
Type N
Type O

Legs

2 Legs
6 Legs
Spring
Propeller
Tank
3 Rings
Light 6 Legs
Heavy 2 Legs
Hyper Prop
Quick Tank
4 Rings
2 Springs

Arms

Big Punch
Middle Punch
Punch
Teke Arm
Small Gun
Bow Gun
Cannon
Hammer
Slicer
Sword
Battle Axe
Kama
Katana
Dagger
Fire Punch
Rocket Punch
Heavy Hammer
Shield
Shield TypeB
Lance
Sucker
Big Hand
Big Mouth
Boomerang
Mace
Spear
Trident
Buckler
Laser Gun
Taron

History

Legacy

In 1997 Altron released a sequel, Robo Pit 2, this time as a PlayStation exclusive. Robo Pit 2 is a huge departure from its predecessor, having more RPG-like features, an entirely different visual style, and attempting to bridge together a more cohesive story.

Versions

Despite launching a month after its PlayStation counterpart, the Sega Saturn version of Robo Pit is the more primitive of the two versions on a technical level, lacking much of the presentational polish of its rival. This is particularly noticable in areas such as the winning and losing messages - on the Saturn, there is often an long pause between the announcer saying "You" and "Win", with the second word sometimes failing to trigger altogether, while on the PlayStation the message is delivered more naturally. Special effects are also dialed back, and the lighting model is far simpler on the Saturn.

On a content basis, the Saturn version of Robo Pit heavily differs from the PS1 version despite being released close to it. The Saturn version features a completely redesigner user interface. While the PS1 version gives the player two pre-built robots when starting a new game, while the Saturn prompts the player to build their own robot when entering Tournament mode. The Saturn version adds Training Mode, which pits the player against three-randomly selected robots from the tournament grid and allows players to level up their weapons without risking losing ranking points or their weapons.

The Saturn versions lack the "Big Foot" legs present in the PS1 version, but adds an extra weapon called the Dagger. The roster of the Tournament mode is different between the two versions; many robots are exclusive either versions and the shared robots often appear in a different order on the default ladder. The Special Robots are also different between versions (the bosses on PS1 are Boomer, Lips, Samurai, Teketeke, Big Punch, and Zio Gigas. The bosses on Saturn are Shadelance, Gigantess, Geomantis and Zenith. Teketeke is also on Saturn with a different appearance and weapons, but is not marked as a Special Robot); the Special Robots on Saturn are bigger and have unique bodies but do not have special weapons. On Playstation 1, the winner of a bout is prompted to select between two of the loser's weapons to appropriate, while on Saturn, the victor simply gets both of the opponent's weapons.

Production credits

  • Game Concept: Makoto Kitano
  • Programmer: Kozo Nishio
  • Robot Designer: Makoto Kitano
  • Stage Designer: Norimasa Kawano
  • Robot Animation: Kozo Nishio
  • CG Animation: Kitano Makoto
  • Sound Designer: Kiyohiro Sada
  • Music Composer: Minako Adachi
  • Manual Designer: Miho Tsujigo
  • Special Thanks...: Satoru Takahashi, Kenji Ichimura, Miyuka Kidachi, Yumi Saito, Tamotu Maruyama, Toshiaki Okamoto, Ikuko Kuwabara
  • Executive Producer: Masao Kuwabara
Copyright 1995 Altron Corporation All Rights Reserved
Source:
In-game credits[8]

Magazine articles

Main article: Robo Pit/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

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Print advert in Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) #86: "September 1996" (1996-xx-xx)
also published in:
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Print advert in Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) #1996-03: "1996-03 (1996-02-23)" (1996-02-09)
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Print advert in Sega Saturn Magazine (UK) #12: "October 1996" (1996-09-18)
also published in:
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Physical scans

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
78 [14]
Sega Saturn
78
Based on
1 review
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
Computer & Video Games (UK)
25
[5]
Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U
64
[15]
GamePro (US) NTSC-U
80
[16]
Hobby Consolas (ES)
85
[17]
Intelligent Gamer (US) NTSC-U
58
[18]
Mean Machines Sega (UK) PAL
50
[7]
Next Generation (US)
50
[19]
Saturn Fan (JP) NTSC-J
66
[20]
Sega Power (UK) PAL
80
[21]
Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J
63
[22]
Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J
70
[23]
Strana Igr (RU)
53
[24]
Total Saturn (UK) PAL
71
[6]
Total Saturn (UK) PAL
77
[25]
Sega Saturn
64
Based on
14 reviews

Robo Pit

Saturn, JP
RoboPit Saturn JP Box Back.jpgRoboPit Saturn JP Box Front.jpg
Cover
RoboPit Saturn JP Disc.jpg
Disc
Saturn, US
RoboPit Saturn US Box Back.jpgRoboPit Saturn US Box Front.jpg
Cover
RoboPit Saturn US Disc.jpg
Disc
Robopit sat us manual.pdf
Manual
Saturn, EU
RoboPit Saturn EU Box.jpg
Cover
RoboPit Saturn EU Disc.jpg
Disc
Saturn, DE
RoboPit Saturn DE cover.jpg
Cover
RoboPit Saturn EU Disc.jpg
Disc
Saturn, PT
RoboPit Saturn PT cover.jpg
Cover
RoboPit Saturn EU Disc.jpg
Disc

Technical information

Main article: Robo Pit/Technical information.

External links

  • Sega of America webpage: Saturn

References

  1. File:RoboPit Saturn JP Box Back.jpg
  2. 2.0 2.1 https://sega.jp/fb/segahard/ss/soft_licensee2.html (Wayback Machine: 2020-03-20 23:05)
  3. Sega Saturn Magazine, "1996-03 (1996-02-23)" (JP; 1996-02-09), page 17
  4. https://groups.google.com/g/rec.games.video.sega/c/gC4Dc3ddrU0/m/0gAtFFAsamwJ
  5. 5.0 5.1 Computer & Video Games, "December 1996" (UK; 1996-11-xx), page 91
  6. 6.0 6.1 Total Saturn, "Volume One Issue Two" (UK; 1996-09-30), page 52
  7. 7.0 7.1 Mean Machines Sega, "December 1996" (UK; 1996-11-01), page 70
  8. File:Robo Pit Saturn credits.pdf
  9. Game Informer, "September 1996" (US; 1996-0x-xx), page 29
  10. Next Generation, "October 1996" (US; 1996-09-17), page 151
  11. Electronic Gaming Monthly, "October 1996" (US; 1996-xx-xx), page 57
  12. Game Informer, "October 1996" (US; 1996-xx-xx), page 51
  13. Sega Saturn Magazine, "October 1996" (UK; 1996-09-18), page 51
  14. GamesMaster, "December 1996" (UK; 1996-10-24), page 47
  15. Electronic Gaming Monthly, "October 1996" (US; 1996-xx-xx), page 60
  16. GamePro, "December 1996" (US; 1996-xx-xx), page 148
  17. Hobby Consolas, "Octubre 1996" (ES; 1996-xx-xx), page 104
  18. Intelligent Gamer, "August 1996" (US; 1996-0x-xx), page 78
  19. Next Generation, "November 1996" (US; 1996-10-22), page 273
  20. Saturn Fan, "1996 No. 8" (JP; 1996-03-29), page 54
  21. Sega Power, "December 1996" (UK; 1996-10-24), page 52
  22. Sega Saturn Magazine, "1996-01 (1996-01-12,26)" (JP; 1995-12-22), page 190
  23. Sega Saturn Magazine, "Readers rating final data" (JP; 2000-03), page 15
  24. Strana Igr, "Dekabr 1996" (RU; 1996-xx-xx), page 87
  25. Total Saturn, "Volume One Issue Four" (UK; 1996-12-29), page 45


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