Curse

From Sega Retro

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Curse MDTitleScreen.png

Curse
System(s): Sega Mega Drive
Publisher: Micronet
Developer:
Genre: Shooting[1]

















Number of players: 1
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Mega Drive
JP
¥6,800 (7,004)6,800e[2] T-22013
Project Egg
JP
¥880880 MCN0001

Curse (カース) is a 1989 Sega Mega Drive shoot-'em-up, among the first on the system, released by Micronet exclusively in Japan.

The game has been criticized for its poor optimization (choppy scrolling and low frame rate) and confusing graphics that causes cheap deaths.

Story

The story takes place in an alien solar system and focuses on the history of its two inhabited planets: Barcelia (バルセリア) and Seneca (セネカ). For many years, the people of these planets lived in harmony together with the seemingly more advanced Barcelians continually visiting the Senecans. However, something happened on Barcelia: something caused the Barcelians to shut off all forms of communication, visitation and activity with Seneca. Over time, Barcelia's environment died out, leaving only a planet-wide barren terrain. Hundreds of years have now passed and the current generation of Senecans see Barcelia as nothing but a dead husk with the concept of life and companionship on it being mere, long forgotten legends.

One day, an enormous attack force flies from Barcelia and attacks Seneca without warning. Confirmed to be the Barcelian Military, the invaders cripple Seneca's defense forces. Besides being well armed and equipped, the Barcelia Military is also able to manipulate the wildlife to do its bidding through unknown means, ensuring no possible escape to safety. The desperate people of Seneca eventually discovered an ancient star fighter abandoned by the Barcelians called the Baldanders (バルトアンデルス). Using its technology, the people of Seneca use the Baldanders in a counter-attack against the Barcelian invasion to destroy their main battleship: a large, mysterious warship known only as Mother (マザー).

Gameplay

The game is a horizontally scrolling shoot-'em-up. The object of the game is to shoot all other enemies that appear on screen and avoid crashing into bullets, enemies or foreground scenery. The Baldanders starfighter moves in any direction using the D-Pad. It shoots its weapon with B, which can be held for rapid-fire. The Baldanders also has a screen-clearing bomb that it can deploy with A. The standard weapon can be changed by collecting power-ups. Collecting the power-up for the currently equipped weapon three times in a row upgrades the weapon and also gives the player another bomb. The player can also collect power-ups that add homing missiles to the standard weapon fire.

The player can acquire up to two options that follow the Baldanders and augment its fire. The options are positioned at opposite ends of the Baldanders and fire in opposite directions; they can be rotated around with C. They always fire away from the Baldanders, so rotating them also changes their direction of fire. The options are invulnerable, so they can be used to shield the ship from enemy fire.

The Baldanders is equipped with a shield that can take multiple hits from enemy fire before it is destroyed. However, the ship is destroyed by colliding with objects such as terrain or asteroids, regardless of the shield strength remaining. The Baldanders revives in place after it is destroyed (as long as the player has extra lives remaining), except on the final stage, where the player must start the stage over from the beginning. Extra lives are awarded every one million points earned. There are no continues, so the game ends if the player runs out of lives.

Weapons

Curse, Weapons, Normal Shot.png

Normal Shot (ノーマル・ショット)
The initially equipped weapon. It is a single stream of bullets and cannot be upgraded.

Curse, Weapons, Clash.png

Curse, Items.png
Clash (クラッシュ)
A slow-firing cluster of gray, explosive crystals that scatter shrapnel in the opposite direction of their impact.

Curse, Weapons, Wide Shot.png

Curse, Items.png
Wide Shot (ワイド ビーム)
A helical beam that can shoot through every foreground object (except for the flying orange iron rock objects).

Curse, Weapons, V-Laser.png

Curse, Items.png
V-Laser (ブイ レーザー)
A spreadshot that fires in three directions.

Items

Curse, Items.png
Speed Up
Increases the movement speed of the Baldanders.
Curse, Items.png
Shield (シールド)
Fully restores the shield.
Curse, Items.png
Option (オプション)
Equips an option to follow the Baldanders and augment its fire, up to 2 at a time.
Curse, Items.png
Clash
Changes to the Clash weapon or upgrades it if already equipped.
Curse, Items.png
Wide Shot
Changes to the Wide Shot weapon or upgrades it if already equipped.
Curse, Items.png
V-Laser
Changes to the V-Laser weapon or upgrades it if already equipped.
Curse, Items.png
Missile
Adds homing missiles to the standard weapon fire.

Stages

Curse, Stage 1.png

Curse, Stage 1 Boss.png

  • Curse, Stage 1.png

  • Curse, Stage 1 Boss.png

Seneca Forest (セネカの森)

Curse, Stage 2.png

Curse, Stage 2 Boss 1.png

Curse, Stage 2 Boss 2.png

  • Curse, Stage 2.png

  • Curse, Stage 2 Boss 1.png

  • Curse, Stage 2 Boss 2.png

Over Seneca (セネカ上空)

Curse, Stage 3.png

Curse, Stage 3 Boss.png

  • Curse, Stage 3.png

  • Curse, Stage 3 Boss.png

Barcelia Forward Base (パルセリア先発隊基地)

Curse, Stage 4.png

Curse, Stage 4 Boss 1.png

Curse, Stage 4 Boss 2.png

  • Curse, Stage 4.png

  • Curse, Stage 4 Boss 1.png

  • Curse, Stage 4 Boss 2.png

Outer Space Guerilla Corps (宇宙空間遊撃隊)

Curse, Stage 5.png

Curse, Stage 5 Boss 1.png

Curse, Stage 5 Boss 2.png

  • Curse, Stage 5.png

  • Curse, Stage 5 Boss 1.png

  • Curse, Stage 5 Boss 2.png

Inside the Spaceship Mother (航宙母艦マザー内)

History

Curse was set to be released in North America by INTV Corporation, which had broken away from Mattel following the North American video game crash, and held the rights to the earlier Intellivision console. The game was one of the first non-Intellivision projects to be undertaken by the company (NES and Game Boy projects were also in development) and was announced in 1990. Despite being advertised, dated (for June 1990[4]) and even reviewed, the North American version did not materialise, probably due to the poor quality of the original Japanese release.

Production credits

  • Program: Shi, Shaka, J Kitayou, Tara
  • Design: Jiela, Oza
  • Music: Shaka
  • Special Thanks: Kitazawa, Takano
Source:
In-game credits
Curse MD credits.pdf
[5]


Digital manuals

Magazine articles

Main article: Curse/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Curse Trade Show Flyer.jpg
US trade show flyer
Curse Trade Show Flyer.jpg
Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert in Beep! MegaDrive (JP) #1989-11: "November 1989" (1989-XX-XX)
Logo-pdf.svg
Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert in Beep! MegaDrive (JP) #1990-02: "February 1990" (1990-01-08)
Logo-pdf.svg

Artwork

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
{{{{{icon}}}|L}} Division by zero.
Based on
0 review
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
1700 igr dlya Sega (RU)
80
[6]
Aktueller Software Markt (DE)
42
[7]
Beep! MegaDrive (JP) NTSC-J
63
[8]
Complete Guide to Consoles (UK)
81
[9]
Complete Guide to Consoles (UK)
71
[10]
The Complete Guide to Sega (UK)
70
[11]
Console XS (UK) NTSC-J
28
[12]
Computer & Video Games (UK)
85
[13]
Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U
73
[4]
Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 1 (RU)
40
[14]
Famitsu (JP) NTSC-J
58
[15]
Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK) NTSC-J
4
[16]
Mega Drive Fan (JP) NTSC-J
62
[17]
Mega Play (US) NTSC-U
70
[18]
MegaTech (UK) NTSC-J
70
[19]
Mean Machines Sega (UK)
70
[20]
Power Play (DE)
23
[21]
Sega Power (UK) NTSC-J
25
[22]
Sega Pro (UK)
25
[23]
Sega Pro (UK) NTSC-J
0
[24]
Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J
41
[25]
Tricks 16 bit (RU)
62
[26]
User (GR)
62
[27]
Sega Mega Drive
52
Based on
23 reviews

Curse

Mega Drive, JP
Curse MD JP Box.jpg
Cover

Technical information

Main article: Curse/Technical information.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 https://sega.jp/history/hard/megadrive/software_l.html (Wayback Machine: 2020-07-02 23:21)
  2. Beep! MegaDrive, "November 1989" (JP; 1989-XX-XX), page 7
  3. https://www.amusement-center.com/project/egg/game/?product_id=1114
  4. 4.0 4.1 Electronic Gaming Monthly, "July 1990" (US; 1990-xx-xx), page 16
  5. File:Curse MD credits.pdf
  6. 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 53
  7. Aktueller Software Markt, "Avril 1990" (DE; 1990-03-30), page 77
  8. Beep! MegaDrive, "February 1990" (JP; 1990-01-08), page 70
  9. Complete Guide to Consoles, "Volume Two" (UK; 1990-04-xx), page 22
  10. Complete Guide to Consoles, "Volume IV" (UK; 1990-11-xx), page 28
  11. The Complete Guide to Sega, "" (UK; 1991-05-xx), page 45
  12. Console XS, "June/July 1992" (UK; 1992-04-23), page 128
  13. Computer & Video Games, "May 1990" (UK; 1990-04-16), page 102
  14. Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 1, "" (RU; 1999-xx-xx), page 303
  15. Famitsu, "1990-01-05,19" (JP; 19xx-xx-xx), page 20
  16. Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "January 1993" (UK; 199x-xx-xx), page 91
  17. Mega Drive Fan, "December 1990" (JP; 1990-11-08), page 79
  18. Mega Play, "November/December 1990" (US; 1990-xx-xx), page 29
  19. MegaTech, "Xmas 1991" (UK; 1991-12-06), page 77
  20. Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 138
  21. Power Play, "3/90" (DE; 1990-02-19), page 103
  22. Sega Power, "October 1991" (UK; 1991-09-05), page 53
  23. Sega Pro, "December 1991" (UK; 1991-11-21), page 21
  24. Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 64
  25. Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 87
  26. Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 12
  27. User, "Ioúlios-Ávgoustos 1991" (GR; 1991-0x-xx), page 87


Curse

Curse MDTitleScreen.png

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Sega Mega Drive
Prototypes: 1990-06-26