The Ocean Hunter
From Sega Retro
| The Ocean Hunter | |||||
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| System(s): Sega Model 3 Step 2.1 | |||||
| Publisher: Sega | |||||
| Developer: Sega AM1 | |||||
| Distributor: Deith Leisure (UK) | |||||
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The Ocean Hunter (オーシャンハンター) is a rail shooting game developed by Sega AM1 and released in arcades in 1998. There was no home conversion, although C&VG magazine #207 mentions a rumoured Dreamcast port.
Contents
Gameplay
The Ocean Hunter is played by using two mounted turret-like light guns on the arcade cabinet, which vibrate when "shot" to provide realism. The game can be played with either one or two people simultaneously. The players take on the roles of Torel (Player 1) and Chris (Player 2), underwater adventurers searching for the Seven Great Monsters of the Seven Seas, hoping to collect the bounties placed on their heads. The players proceed to go throughout the game in a set path, shooting at various hostile ocean life (all of them based on real-life creatures) along the way. The game is played progressing through various levels, each with its own design and layout. Upon reaching the end of the level, a boss, each named after a famous mythological sea monster, is encountered. There are also dozens of mini-bosses in the game, many of them also named after sea monsters.
Story
A new civilization is flourishing in the seas of an alternate, steampunk world, but giant ocean monsters are attacking shipping vessels, harbors, humans and native marine life with increasing frequency. Ordinary marine predators such as sharks have begun to follow in the sea monsters' wake to scavenge what they could from the destruction caused. Frightened for their lives, the people issue bounties on the monsters' heads. Two brave youth, Torel and Chris, head out on their underwater scooters to defeat the horrible creatures and collect the bounty.
Stages
Baroque Sea
On the in-game map, this is in the East Pacific Ocean. Kraken is said to dwell within a sunken ship somewhere on the ocean floor.
Enemies
- Shortfin mako shark
- Orange sea snake
- Great barracuda
Mid-level Boss""
- White Death
- A great white shark seen chasing a diver a few moments after the stage begins. The adventurers have only a very short time to save the diver before he is killed.
- Sea Dragon
- A reptilian creature that is encountered if the diver being chased by White Death is rescued.
- Sea serpent
- A large, underwater snake that inhabits the same shipwreck as Kraken.
Boss
- Kraken
- A huge octopus, known for crushing ships in its powerful tentacles. Current records indicate that Kraken has attacked 4 ships and killed 185 people so far. The bounty on the capture or death of this sea monster is 5,000 G.
Luna Sea
On the in-game map, this is the Indian Ocean, specifically the Arabian Sea. Rumors say that Leviathan can be found at the underwater ruins of an ancient city.
Enemies
- Hammerhead shark
- Shortfin mako shark
- Stingray
Mid-level Boss
- Hydra
- Three moray eels that lunge out of their caves to attack their prey.
Boss
- Leviathan
- A huge megalodon that has rammed ships to pieces and swallowed fleeing divers whole. As of now, Leviathan has a record of sinking 11 ships and 364 deaths. The bounty on the capture or death of this massive shark is 8,000 G.
Tartarus Deep
On the in-game map, this is the North Atlantic Ocean, somewhere within the area around Bermuda. Charybdis could be encountered within the caves located in the deepest part of this ocean.
Enemies
- Gulper eel
- Lanternfish
Mid-level Bosses
- Scylla
- A giant squid colored a deep, shimmering purple that attacks those who approach Charybdis' territory.
- Naga
- A monstrously long giant oarfish that dwells within Charybdis' caves.
Boss
- Charybdis
- A huge anglerfish that has raided submarines along the so-called Depro sea route, of which two were sunk, and disrupted deep sea operations. The bounty on the capture or death of this creature is 10,000 G.
Texcoco Great Lake
On the in-game map, this is a fictional lake within the Amazon River basin. Ahuizotl could be found anywhere within this lake.
Enemies
- Red-bellied piranha
- Garpike
Boss
- Ahuizotl
- A plesiosaur whose attacks target lakeside settlements. So far, Ahuizotl has raided two towns and killed eighteen people, of which six were eaten. The bounty on the capture or death of this marine reptile is 12,000 G.
North Sea
On the in-game map, this is the Arctic Ocean, and home to the fifth Great Monster, Karkinos. The whale population of this ocean has been steadily decreasing since Karkinos' appearance.
Enemies
- Lamprey
- Jellyfish
Mid-level Boss
- Medusa
- A giant lion's mane jellyfish that is accompanied by a large swarm of its offspring, which are the size of normal jellyfish.
Boss
- Karkinos
- Named after the zodiac constellation of Cancer, Karkinos is a massive crab that has killed off nearly the entire whale population in the North Sea, along with fifteen divers who were investigating the incident. The bounty on the capture or death of this monstrous crustacean is 15,000 G.
West Ocean
On the in-game map, this is the South Atlantic Ocean. Most of the creatures encountered here are of prehistoric species thought to be long extinct.
Enemies
- Mosasaurus
- Dunkleosteus
- Pterygotus
- Parasites (within Midgardsorm):
- Anomalocaris
- Odontogriphus
- Opabinia
Mid-level Boss
- Basilosaurus
- One of the largest prehistoric marine mammals. It is the only sub boss that is not named after a mythical creature, instead being based on an extinct species of whale.
Boss
- Midgarsorm
- The only known existing specimen of a fictional species of giant earthworm that is wanted for the mysterious disappearances of numerous ships. It has been said to have swallowed over a thousand marine vessels, including ships and submarines, since antiquity. The bounty on the capture or death of this legendary creature is 18,000 G.
Panthalassa, the Sea of Evil
On the in-game map, this is in the Mediterranean Sea. Panthalassa is the last of the Seven Seas, and contains many sea monsters as well as the ruins of Poseidon's temple. A thunderstorm rages in this dark, deep, bleak level. Mid-level Bosses
- Cerberus
- Three large sharks similar to, but not as large as, White Death.
- Umibōzu
- A very large and surprisingly cunning octopus with the ability to camouflage itself.
- Black Dragon
- A black-skinned version of the Sea Dragon encountered in the Baroque Sea.
- Vritra & Kaliya
- A pair of giant oarfish that are seemingly much quicker than Naga.
Boss
- Rahab
- A fictional aquatic subspecies of the prehistoric ape Gigantopithecus, with the given scientific name of (Gigantopithecus thalassa cyclops). There are no records of the number of casualties he has caused, but the local authorities have endlessly speculated on this creature's true identity and species. The bounty on the capture or death of this chaotic and mysterious creature is 20,000 G.
When encountered, Rahab takes on three separate forms altogether. The first is Dagon, a giant ape-like humanoid with blue eyes and enormous limbs that usually walks on all fours. The second form is Poseidon, a tall, upright giant humanoid with blue eyes and pointed ears that attacks by emitting spheres of energy. He carries a large rusty trident. The third and true form is the demonic Rahab, a giant humanoid whose legs are fused into a tail, with sharp teeth, sharp claws on his hands, and long, flowing fins along his back. He has three red eyes, with one of them at the center of his forehead.
After defeating Rahab, the monster reveals himself to be the deity who had taken care of the sea and its denizens for countless millennia. At some point in time, Rahab fell into a slumber that lasted for many centuries until he was awakened by the predations of humanity upon the sea. Angered by humanity's pride and disregard for ocean life, Rahab created the other Great Monsters of the Seven Seas, except Midgardsorm, and deliberately caused natural marine disasters in an effort to humble humanity. After his story, Rahab admits defeat but speaks his final words - "All shall return to Chaos." The game ends with a slideshow of game sketches as the end credits roll by.
References
External links
- Template:KLOV game
- OCEAN HUNTER: THE SEVEN SEAS ADVENTURE The Boss/Mythology FAQ on GameFAQs
- StiGGe's and KismiKola's amateur but great site of The Ocean Hunter
Production Credits
Director & Planner: Shinichiro Okumoto
Assistant Director: Tomoyuki Nishimura, Tsuyoshi Yamasaki
Programmer: Kazunari Tsukamoto, Takashi Namba, Atsushi Ueno, Yoshiharu Suzuki, Yukio Tsuji, Tetsuro Maruta
Graphic Designer: Hiroyuki Taguchi, Hideyuki Katoh, Kazuhiro Takimoto, Toshihiro Andoh, Kazuya Kitazato, Yuuki Suzuki, Daisuke Tabayashi
Music composer & Sound effect: Masanori Takeuchi
Mechanism Designer: Seiji Ishii, Toshiya Yamaguchi, Takashi Nakajima
Electronic Designer: Tomoyuki Gotoh, Nobuto Kashiwagi with J
Cabinet Designer: Tetsuo Okabe, Keisuke Tsukahara
Special Thanks: Masao Yoshimoto, Kaori Fukano, Dean Harrington, Hitoshi Furukubo, Akiyoshi Shinpo, Mika Araki
Producer: Rikiya Nakagawa
Gallery
Standard cabinet
Deluxe cabinet
Super deluxe cabinet
Physical Scans
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