Galaxy Force

n/a

Y Board Master System
Galaxy Force
System(s): Sega Y Board, Sega Master System
Publisher: Sega Enterprises, Ltd. Activision (US) Sega Enterprises, Ltd. (Europe) Tec Toy (Brazil)
Developer: Sega R&D 1 Sega R&D 2
Distributor: Ecofilmes (PT), Tec Toy (BR)
Peripherals supported: FM Sound Unit
Genre: Arcade
Number of players: 1
Release Date RRP Code JP 1988-04-"last ten days of month" ¥? ? US 1988-08 $? ? UK 1988-07 £? ? US 1989-10 QC-004 EU 1989 29001 PT 19xx UK 1989-12 £27.9527.95 29001 AU 19xx $69.9569.95 BR 19xx

Galaxy Force (ギャラクシーフォース) is a 1988 arcade game developed by Sega AM2 for Sega Y Board hardware. It is similar to other games released by the company at around this time (After Burner, Thunder Blade), being a third-person on-the-rails shooter reliant on sprite scaling effects.

As explained below, Galaxy Force is extraordinarily rare: the only known sightings of the game period are from 1988 video captures for its promotional videos later used for Sega Taikan Special, and a MAMEWorld thread from 2014 detailing the only known surviving board known to exist.

Gameplay

In its original form, Galaxy Force is a four-level rail shooter in which you fly across various planets shooting enemies. The player's energy depletes over time until it is game over, but energy can be replenished by destroying enemies and completing levels. After completing the 4 levels, the game loops back to the start.

Roughly two months after release, however, it was updated in the form of Galaxy Force II - a bug-fixed version of the game with extra levels. The vast majority of Galaxy Force cabinets were upgraded, and Galaxy Force II is often seen as the "definitive" version of the game. Finding the original Galaxy Force in the wild is virtually impossible. For nearly four decades, only one known Galaxy Force board has been reported to exist. No copies of the ROMs have been dumped. It is also very rarely mentioned by Sega - Galaxy Force II almost always gets priority, or is treated as the same game.

History

Upon release in Japan, Galaxy Force was earning 10,000 yen per day at test locations.

Versions

Galaxy Force II has been brought to several systems, but the original Galaxy Force was only ported to the Sega Master System, where it arrived in 1989. Though built by Sega, Activision handled distribution in the US, and though not released in Japan, it has an FM sound track intended for use with the Japanese-only FM Sound Unit.

The Master System Galaxy Force makes a number of significant cutbacks, including the scrapping of an entire stage and the energy meter, which in turn removes the time limit. Rotational effects have been removed entirely, and scaling is simplified, with much of the scenery removed in favour of waves of enemies. The net result is a game that plays more like the earlier Space Harrier, though is significantly shorter.

The United States release of the Sega Master System version's packaging infamously features the tagline "GRAPHICS THAT WILL KILL YOU".

Production credits

Main article: Galaxy Force/Production credits.

Digital manuals

• 

  Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name manual

Magazine articles

Main article: Galaxy Force/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Sega Y Board version

PDF

US flyer

PDF

JP flyer

Master System version

Print advert in VideoGames & Computer Entertainment (US) #11: "December 1989" (1989-1x-xx)

Print advert in Computer & Video Games (UK) #97: "December 1989" (1989-11-16)
also published in:

• Computer & Video Games (UK) #98: "January 1990" (1989-12-16)

Photo gallery

• 

  Cabinet

Physical scans

Sega Y Board version

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

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Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average
Publication Version Score Commodore User (UK) 80 Sinclair User (UK) 100

	90
Based on 2 reviews

Galaxy Force

Y Board, US
Manual

Y Board, JP

Master System version

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

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Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average

Publication Version Score ACE (UK) 82 Aktueller Software Markt (DE) 30 Complete Guide to Consoles (UK) 91 Complete Guide to Consoles (UK) 91 The Complete Guide to Sega (UK) PAL 91 Consoles + (FR) 85 Console XS (UK) PAL 86 Computer & Video Games (UK) 90 Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U 58 Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide (UK) 85 Game Mania (UK) 85 The Games Machine (UK) 60 Hobby Consolas (ES) 75 Joystick (FR) 28 Mean Machines (UK) 85 Mean Machines Sega (UK) 85 Megazone (AU) PAL 60 Power Play (DE) 32 S: The Sega Magazine (UK) 87 Sega Power (UK) PAL 75 Sega Pro (UK) 89 Sega Pro (UK) PAL 86 Tilt (FR) 60

	74
Based on 23 reviews

Galaxy Force

Master System, US
Cover
Cart Manual

Master System, EU
Cover

Master System, EU (Sega®)
Cover

Master System, BX†
Cover

Master System, PT
Cover

Master System, BR
Cover
Cart Manual

Technical information

ROM dump status

System	Hash	Size	Build Date	Source	Comments
?	CRC32 a4ac35d8 MD5 96042c7a53dc6f9de13b7a32fa3e4035 SHA-1 54fe2f686fb9ec3e34b41d58778118b11f920440	512kB		Cartridge (EU)
?	CRC32 6c827520 MD5 dbaac7c72eb3e0bf9e6d70b799d62799 SHA-1 874289a1e8110312db48c5111fbf8e70b2426b5f	512kB		Cartridge (US)

References

Galaxy Force
	Main page | Comparisons | Credits | Hidden content | Magazine articles | Reception Music: Galaxy Force (1988) Videos: Galaxy Force (1988) No results

Games in the Galaxy Force Series
Galaxy Force (1988) | Galaxy Force II (1988) | Sega Ages Galaxy Force II (1998) | Sega Ages 2500 Series Vol. 30: Galaxy Force II: Special Extended Edition (2007) | 3D Galaxy Force II (2013)
Galaxy Force related media
	Galaxy Force (1988) | Galaxy Force II & Thunder Blade Original Sound Track (2007) | Galaxy Force II & Thunder Blade (2017)
	Galaxy Force (1988)