Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom

n/a

Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom

System(s): VCO Object, Apple II, Atari 2600, Atari 5200, Atari 8-bit, ColecoVision, Commodore 64, MSX, PC Booter, TI-99/4A, VIC-20, ZX Spectrum

Publisher: Sega

Developer: Sega

Distributor:

Parco Electrics (UK)

Genre: Shooting

Release	Date	RRP	Code
US	1983	$?	?

US	1983
EU	1983
UK (Cassette)	1983	£9.959.95
EU	1985
US	1984
EU	1983
US	1983
US	1983
US	1983

Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom is an early arcade game developed by Sega for VCO Object hardware. It uses the Buck Rogers comic book/television license, and stands as one of Sega's first licensed video games, along with Star Trek: Strategic Operations Simulator, both debuting in 1982. The game is adapted from the earlier Zoom 909, a largely identical game seen predominantly in Japan.

Gameplay

Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom is one of the earliest examples of a "rail" shoot-'em-up game. Gameplay is played in a pseudo-3D third-person perspective, with enemies and obstacles moving towards the camera. 2D sprites are scaled in real-time to give an illusion of depth - technology which would serve as a basis for a plethora of arcade games produced by Sega in the 1980s.

History

Legacy

Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom was brought to a wide variety of home consoles and computers between 1982 and 1985, including the Apple II, Atari 2600, Atari 5200, Atari 8-bit family, ColecoVision, Commodore 64, IBM PC (as a PC booter), TI-99/4A, VIC-20 and ZX Spectrum, each suffering slightly due to weaker hardware. Due to odd circumstances, the MSX received two ports of the game by different developers and publishers, one under the Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom name, and another as Zoom 909.

Gallery

Sit-down cabinet
Upright cabinet

Promotional material

VCO Object US flyer
Home versions US print advert
SegaArcadeGames DE PrintAdvert.jpg

Home versions DE print advert
SegaTheArcadeWinnersVarious C64Spectrum UK PrintAd.jpg

Commodore 64/ZX Spectrum versions UK print advert