Zero Wing

From Sega Retro

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Zero Wing Title.png

Zero Wing
System(s): Sega Mega Drive
Publisher: Toaplan
Developer:
Genre: Shoot-'em-Up

















Number of players: 1
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Mega Drive
JP 		¥8,0008,000 T-40023
Sega Mega Drive
EU 		1138-50

Zero Wing (ゼロウイング) is a 1989 arcade shoot-'em-up video game developed by Toaplan, and ported to the Sega Mega Drive in 1991 for Japan and Europe release. It is one of the few Mega Drive ports developed by Toaplan themselves.

While there are no gameplay differences between the arcade version and its ports, the Mega Drive port added an in-game storyline with cutscenes. This is all well and good, but the English translator chosen was the kind of guy who "thought" he knew English. Long story short, the English introduction is ridiculous to the point where "ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US." has become a meme that is far more popular than the game itself ever will be.

Aside from that, Zero Wing has a very different-sounding arrange of the original arcade soundtrack, focused around the popular Cube sound driver.

Gameplay

A and C shoot. B fires a suction beam that will trap enemies, allowing the ship to grab certain enemies. Letting go of B launches the enemy at high speeds, allowing you to destroy other enemies with it. Some heavy ships will pull the player ship down.

Enemies drop powerups when destroyed; the first powerup per life will always be subships that shoot with you but do not have the suction beam. The collectable items are:

  • red: spreadshot
  • blue: laser
  • green: homing shot
  • orb: strong bomb that can be releases by pushing B
  • speedup

The game has an autofire option, but a much higher firing rate can be achieved by rapidly tapping the buttons or using an autofire controller. Like a lot of other Toaplan games, this game also strangely defaults to the easy difficulty instead of normal

Production credits

Zero Wing Original Staff
  • 68k Side: T.Ota, H.Furukawa
  • Z80 Side: T.Uemura
  • Graphics: S.Nakaoka, N.Ogiwara, M.Hayashi, S.Nito
  • Music: T.Uemura, M.Yuge, T.Tomizawa
  • © Toaplan 1991.
Source:
In-game credits


Magazine articles

Main article: Zero Wing/Magazine articles.

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
93 №117, p60-62[2]
80 №1991-05, p27[3]
75 №, p83[4]
70 №133, [1]
92 №9
60 №1991-05, p42
86 №11, p48-51[5]
90 №9, p158[6]
86 №18, p182[7]
72 №5, p95
70 №9, p23
82 №5, p32-35
91 №10, p74-76[8]
79 №20, p70/71[9]
100 №23, p55
88 №33, p34
78 №6, p41[10]
77 №18, p68
86 №7, p70/71[1]
85 №1, p6[11]
80 №93, p53/54[12]
67 №7/92, p46[13]
Sega Mega Drive
 81
Based on
22 reviews
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
1700 igr dlya Sega (RU)
80
[14]
Aktueller Software Markt (DE)
72
[15]
Beep! MegaDrive (JP) NTSC-J
80
[16]
Console XS (UK) NTSC-J
77
[17]
Computer & Video Games (UK)
93
[2]
Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 7 (RU)
40
[18]
Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide (UK)
87
[19]
Famitsu (JP) NTSC-J
70
[20]
Games-X (UK)
92
[21]
Hippon Super (JP) NTSC-J
60
[22]
Hobby Consolas (ES)
86
[5]
Joypad (FR) PAL
90
[6]
Joystick (FR)
86
[7]
Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK) PAL
72
[23]
Mega Drive Fan (JP) NTSC-J
66
[24]
Mega (UK) PAL
70
[25]
Mega Force (FR)
80
[26]
MegaTech (UK)
82
[27]
MegaTech (UK) PAL
82
[28]
Mean Machines (UK)
91
[8]
Mean Machines Sega (UK)
91
[29]
Player One (FR)
79
[9]
Play Time (DE)
68
[30]
Sega Power (UK) NTSC-J
100
[31]
Sega Power (UK) PAL
88
[32]
Sega Pro (UK)
78
[10]
Sega Pro (UK) PAL
77
[33]
Sega Force (UK) PAL
86
[1]
Sega Opisaniy i sekretov (RU)
66
[34]
Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J
75
[35]
Super Gaming (US)
67
[36]
Supersonic (FR)
85
[11]
Tilt (FR)
80
[37]
Video Games (DE)
67
[38]
Sega Mega Drive
 78
Based on
34 reviews

Zero Wing

Mega Drive, EU
Zero Wing MD EU Box.jpg
Cover
ZeroWing MD EU Cart.jpg
Cart
Mega Drive, JP
Zerowing md jp cover.jpg
Cover
ZeroWing MD JP CartTop.jpg
Zerowing md jp cart.jpg
Cart
Zerowing md jp manual.pdf
Manual
Mega Drive, SE (rental)

References

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  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 File:SegaForce UK 07.pdf, page 72 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:SegaForce UK 07.pdf_p72" defined multiple times with different content
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 File:CVG UK 117.pdf, page 60 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:CVG UK 117.pdf_p60" defined multiple times with different content
  3. ↑ File:BeepMD_JP_1991-05.pdf, page 29
  4. ↑ File:SSM_JP_19950901_1995-09.pdf, page 85
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 File:HobbyConsolas ES 011.pdf, page 48 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:HobbyConsolas ES 011.pdf_p48" defined multiple times with different content
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 File:Joypad FR 009.pdf, page 158 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:Joypad FR 009.pdf_p158" defined multiple times with different content
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 File:Joystick FR 018.pdf, page 182 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:Joystick FR 018.pdf_p182" defined multiple times with different content
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 File:MeanMachines UK 10.pdf, page 74 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:MeanMachines UK 10.pdf_p74" defined multiple times with different content
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 File:PlayerOne FR 020.pdf, page 70 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:PlayerOne FR 020.pdf_p70" defined multiple times with different content
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 File:SegaPro UK 06.pdf, page 41 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:SegaPro UK 06.pdf_p41" defined multiple times with different content
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 File:Supersonic FR 01.pdf, page 6 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:Supersonic FR 01.pdf_p6" defined multiple times with different content
  12. ↑ File:Tilt FR 093.pdf, page 51
  13. ↑ File:VideoGames DE 1992-07.pdf, page 44
  14. ↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 349
  15. ↑ Aktueller Software Markt, "November 1991" (DE; 1991-10-11), page 139
  16. ↑ Beep! MegaDrive, "May 1991" (JP; 1991-04-08), page 27
  17. ↑ Console XS, "June/July 1992" (UK; 1992-04-23), page 137
  18. ↑ Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 7, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 291
  19. ↑ Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 118
  20. ↑ Famitsu, "1991-xx-xx" (JP; 1991-06-14), page 19
  21. ↑ Games-X, "21st-26th June 1991" (UK; 1991-06-21), page 36
  22. ↑ Hippon Super, "May 1991" (JP; 1991-04-04), page 42
  23. ↑ Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "January 1993" (UK; 199x-xx-xx), page 95
  24. ↑ Mega Drive Fan, "August 1991" (JP; 1991-07-08), page 123
  25. ↑ Mega, "June 1993" (UK; 1993-05-20), page 21
  26. ↑ Mega Force, "Mai 1992" (FR; 1992-05-05), page 76
  27. ↑ MegaTech, "May 1992" (UK; 1992-04-20), page 32
  28. ↑ MegaTech, "June 1993" (UK; 1993-05-20), page 93
  29. ↑ Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 143
  30. ↑ Play Time, "(8/9)/92" (DE; 1992-07-08), page 94
  31. ↑ Sega Power, "October 1991" (UK; 1991-09-05), page 55
  32. ↑ Sega Power, "August 1992" (UK; 1992-07-02), page 34
  33. ↑ Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 68
  34. ↑ Sega Opisaniy i sekretov, "14000 Opisaniy i sekretov" (RU; 2003-03-11), page 236
  35. ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 85
  36. ↑ Super Gaming, "Fall 1991" (US; 1991-xx-xx), page 8
  37. ↑ Tilt, "Septembre 1991" (FR; 1991-09-xx), page 53
  38. ↑ Video Games, "7/92" (DE; 1992-06-24), page 46
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