Insector X

n/a

Insector X

System(s): Sega Mega Drive

Publisher: HOT-B (JP), Sage's Creation (US), HiCom (KR)

Developer: HOT-B (programming: Genki?)

Licensor: Taito

Original system(s): Arcade boards

Genre: Shoot-'em-Up

Number of players: 1

Release	Date	RRP	Code
JP	1990-09-07	¥6,8006,800	T-28023
US	1990-10^[1]		47036
BR	1991
KR	199x		GM4001HG

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Insector X (インセクターＸ) is originally a 1989 side-scrolling shooter developed and published by Taito. HOT-B ported for the Sega Mega Drive on the following year, with HOT-B themselves publishing it in Japan and the Sage's Creation unit publishing it in the US. It is a port of the 1989 arcade title of the same name, which appears to have been meant as a followup to Cloud Master.

Gameplay

The game has the insect-like main character, Kai, going through a number of nature-based and cave environments. The player can collect a variety of powerups and weapon upgrades to defeat oncoming enemies and bosses. The plot is fairly simplistic and ultimately involves defeating the dark ruler queen, freeing the insect world from her power.

History

Development

The game has a strange history. HOT-B were originally contracted by Taito to produce a game called Insector X for arcades. The Family Computer port is entirely credited to Taito, but the Mega Drive port is almost entirely credited to Hot-B, with a small mention on the back of the US box being the only exception. Our best guess is that HOT-B bought the rights to Insector X in 1990 and produced this Mega Drive version. A similar situation seems to have happened with the otherwise unrelated Fire Mustang.

The port itself has an even stranger premise. The original arcade game used cute graphics with cartoony expressions, as does the Family Computer port. This Mega Drive port, on the other hand, has an almost complete aesthetic overhaul, now with a more serious player character and enemy force, and a completely replaced soundtrack. At the same time, most of the basic mechanics are the same, and enemy patterns are almost identical.

Release

The final retail version comes in 'June' and 'July' builds; differences are and release information is unknown.

Magazine articles

Main article: Insector X/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

PDF

US flyer

Print advert in Sega Visions (US) #2: "October/November 1990" (1990-xx-xx)
also published in:

Game Players Sega Guide! (US) #0101: "Vol. 1, No. 1: Fall 1990" (1990-10-xx)^[2]

Print advert in Beep! MegaDrive (JP) #1990-09: "September 1990" (1990-08-XX)

Print advert in Beep! MegaDrive (JP) #1990-11: "November 1990" (1990-10-XX)

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average

Publication

Version

Score

1700 igr dlya Sega (RU)

40

^[12]

Aktueller Software Markt (DE)

70

^[13]

Complete Guide to Consoles (UK)

74

^[4]

The Complete Guide to Sega (UK)

74

^[14]

Console XS (UK)

NTSC-J

94

^[15]

Computer & Video Games (UK)

77

^[5]

Electronic Gaming Monthly (US)

NTSC-U

78

^[1]

Famitsu (JP)

NTSC-J

68

^[16]

Joystick (FR)

78

^[6]

Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK)

80

^[7]

Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK)

NTSC

80

^[17]

Mega Drive Fan (JP)

NTSC-J

64

^[18]

MegaTech (UK)

NTSC

74

^[8]

Mean Machines Sega (UK)

74

^[19]

Power Play (DE)

70

^[9]

Raze (UK)

NTSC

80

^[10]

Sega Power (UK)

NTSC

75

^[20]

Sega Pro (UK)

95

^[11]

Sega Pro (UK)

90

^[21]

Sega Saturn Magazine (JP)

NTSC-J

47

^[22]

Tricks 16 bit (RU)

82

^[23]

Zero (UK)

81

^[24]

	75
Based on 22 reviews

Insector X

Mega Drive, US
Cover
Cart Manual

Mega Drive, JP
Cover
Cart

Mega Drive, BR
Cover
Manual

Mega Drive, KR (Hi-Com)
Cover
Cart

Mega Drive, KR (Samsung)
Cover

Technical information

ROM dump status

System

Hash

Size

Build Date

Source

Comments

✔

CRC32	70626304
MD5	77574085187602bf50dd1167da389f60
SHA-1	4f4ecff167d5ada699b0b1d4b0e547b5ed9964d5

512kB

1990-07

Cartridge (US)

✔

CRC32	9625c434
MD5	ae4322417c5827364837d04a2952facb
SHA-1	204351b97aff579853cdba646b427ea299b1eddf

512kB

1990-06

Cartridge (JP/KR)

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Electronic Gaming Monthly, "October 1990" (US; 1990-xx-xx), page 74
↑ Game Players Sega Guide!, "Vol. 1, No. 1: Fall 1990" (US; 1990-10-xx), page 5
↑ File:SSM_JP_19950901_1995-09.pdf, page 87
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 Complete Guide to Consoles, "Volume IV" (UK; 1990-11-xx), page 31
↑ ^5.0 ^5.1 Computer & Video Games, "November 1990" (UK; 1990-10-16), page 101
↑ ^6.0 ^6.1 Joystick, "Novembre 1990" (FR; 1990-1x-xx), page 114
↑ ^7.0 ^7.1 Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "September 1992" (UK; 1992-xx-xx), page 81
↑ ^8.0 ^8.1 MegaTech, "Xmas 1991" (UK; 1991-12-06), page 78
↑ ^9.0 ^9.1 Power Play, "12/90" (DE; 1990-11-16), page 158
↑ ^10.0 ^10.1 Raze, "December 1990" (UK; 1990-10-25), page 38
↑ ^11.0 ^11.1 Sega Pro, "Christmas 1991" (UK; 1991-12-12), page 61
↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 99
↑ Aktueller Software Markt, "November 1990" (DE; 1990-10-26), page 138
↑ The Complete Guide to Sega, "" (UK; 1991-05-xx), page 47
↑ Console XS, "June/July 1992" (UK; 1992-04-23), page 131
↑ Famitsu, "" (JP; 1990-xx-xx), page 1
↑ Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "January 1993" (UK; 199x-xx-xx), page 92
↑ Mega Drive Fan, "December 1990" (JP; 1990-11-08), page 79
↑ Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 139
↑ Sega Power, "October 1991" (UK; 1991-09-05), page 53
↑ Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 66
↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 87
↑ Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 17
↑ Zero, "December 1990" (UK; 1990-1x-xx), page 128

[:File:EGM_US_015.pdf_p74-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Electronic Gaming Monthly, "October 1990" (US; 1990-xx-xx), page 74

[:File:GPSG_US_01.pdf_p5-2] Game Players Sega Guide!, "Vol. 1, No. 1: Fall 1990" (US; 1990-10-xx), page 5

[:File:SSM_JP_19950901_1995-09.pdf_p87-3] File:SSM_JP_19950901_1995-09.pdf, page 87

[:File:CGtC_UK_04.pdf_p31-4] 4.0 ^4.1 Complete Guide to Consoles, "Volume IV" (UK; 1990-11-xx), page 31

[:File:CVG_UK_108.pdf_p101-5] 5.0 ^5.1 Computer & Video Games, "November 1990" (UK; 1990-10-16), page 101

[:File:Joystick_FR_010.pdf_p114-6] 6.0 ^6.1 Joystick, "Novembre 1990" (FR; 1990-1x-xx), page 114

[:File:MDAG_UK_01.pdf_p81-7] 7.0 ^7.1 Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "September 1992" (UK; 1992-xx-xx), page 81

[:File:MegaTech_UK_01.pdf_p78-8] 8.0 ^8.1 MegaTech, "Xmas 1991" (UK; 1991-12-06), page 78

[:File:PowerPlay_DE_1990-12.pdf_p158-9] 9.0 ^9.1 Power Play, "12/90" (DE; 1990-11-16), page 158

[:File:Raze_UK_02.pdf_p38-10] 10.0 ^10.1 Raze, "December 1990" (UK; 1990-10-25), page 38

[:File:SegaPro_UK_03.pdf_p61-11] 11.0 ^11.1 Sega Pro, "Christmas 1991" (UK; 1991-12-12), page 61

[12] 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 99

[:File:ASM_DE_1990-11.pdf_p138-13] Aktueller Software Markt, "November 1990" (DE; 1990-10-26), page 138

[:File:TheCompleteGuideToSega_UK.pdf_p47-14] The Complete Guide to Sega, "" (UK; 1991-05-xx), page 47

[:File:Console_XS_UK_01.pdf_p131-15] Console XS, "June/July 1992" (UK; 1992-04-23), page 131

[16] Famitsu, "" (JP; 1990-xx-xx), page 1

[:File:MDAG_UK_05.pdf_p92-17] Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "January 1993" (UK; 199x-xx-xx), page 92

[:File:Megadrive_Fan_1990-12.pdf_p79-18] Mega Drive Fan, "December 1990" (JP; 1990-11-08), page 79

[:File:MeanMachinesSega01UK.pdf_p139-19] Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 139

[:File:SegaPower_UK_23.pdf_p53-20] Sega Power, "October 1991" (UK; 1991-09-05), page 53

[:File:SegaPro_UK_18.pdf_p66-21] Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 66

[:File:SSM_JP_19950901_1995-09.pdf_p87-22] Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 87

[23] Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 17

[:File:Zero_UK_14.pdf_p128-24] Zero, "December 1990" (UK; 1990-1x-xx), page 128

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Insector X

From Sega Retro

Contents

Gameplay

History

Development

Release

Magazine articles

Promotional material

Physical scans

Technical information

ROM dump status

References