Uchuu Senkan Gomora

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UchuuSenkanGomora MDTitleScreen.png

Uchuu Senkan Gomora
System(s): Sega Mega Drive
Publisher: UPL
Developer:
Original system(s): Arcade boards
Developer(s) of original games: UPL
Genre: Shoot-'em-Up

















Number of players: 1-2
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Mega Drive
JP 		¥7,5007,500 T-42023

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Uchuu Senkan Gomora (宇宙戦艦ゴモラ), is a shoot-em-up by UPL, originally released in 1990 for the arcade, and then ported to the Sega Mega Drive in 1991.

The game has become a collector's item and is among the more expensive titles

Gameplay

Unlike most shooting games you controll a heavy battleship instead of a small efficient glider, resulting in slow paced gameplay unusual for the genre. A shoots your weapons; the laser weapon from your main ship can be charged by holding A. B allows you to take control of a beam shot. While B is held down, the D-pad will move a box-shaped target on the screen and A will shoot beam shots toward the target. This beam is multiple times stronger than the regular shot and can hit any position on the screen, for the cost of losing controly over the ship.C is listed as "PAD MODE", when this is activated, the score counter turns gray to indicate itÄs activated. In this mode, pressing -not holding- B switches between moving the ship and the box shaped target. In each level, you can get orbs which give you either subships that shoot weapons diagonally or certain powerups (such as an automatically moving beam target or doubling the size of your ship).

Pressing  START  at the title screen gives you a configuration menu where you can, among other things, choose to play one of two 2-player modes. Normal 2-player mode is 2-player cooperative (two ships on screen at once), while another option allows the second player to take control of the beam laser while you take control of the main ship.

History

While the arcade version was released overseas (in the US under license from American Sammy under the name Bio-Ship Paladin), the MD version was only released in Japan — however an American title screen is present in the ROM and displayable if the region is set to US, which may mean a US release was planned (this is unconfirmed).

It is UPL's only Mega Drive game — they would go bankrupt shortly after publishing it (the later Task Force Harrier EX was ported and published by Treco).

Versions

Considering the hardware it was ported to and small rom sizes of that time, the game can be considered a faithful port. All stages and bosses are present, the ending is identical. The game displays an unusual high amount of objects on screen. The Megadrive version's main differences are:

  • The game has a hard coded autofire limit, making autofire generally slower.
  • Bosses appear after a short phase (3-5 seconds) that allows one background layer to scroll out, not instantly.
  • All Graphics are a tad vertically compressed, likely to compensate for the arcade versions wide screen type resolution.
  • Some different colors for bosses, enemies and backgrounds. The reason is that the game uses 3 fixed 16 color palettes for Player ships, objects and all enemies, only the background color palette is swapped each stage.
  • More slowdown, although the arcade version isn't slowdown free either
  • Additional scrolling background layers in some stages.
  • Background music in the bio station and submarine base have been swapped for an unknown reason.

Production credits

  • Program Design: Mutaka Ai, Daikoku Hisaya
  • Character Design: Masayuki Suzuki, Shigeki Maeda, Ryuji Watamabe
  • Background Design: Aiko Hirosawa, Ryuji Watanabe
  • Sound Effect: Masato Takahashi
  • Director: Tsutomu Fuzisawa
  • Special Thanks: Toshio Arai, Isamu Yanagida, ...and UPL All Staff
  • Copyright ©1991 by: UPL
Source:
In-game credits


Magazine articles

Main article: Uchuu Senkan Gomora/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert in Beep! MegaDrive (JP) #1991-06: "June 1991" (1991-05-08)
Logo-pdf.svg

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
68 [1]
70 [2]
75 [3]
86 [4]
50 №146, [1]
30 №28
40 №1991-08, p89
71 [5]
51 №18, p64
Sega Mega Drive
 60
Based on
9 reviews
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
1700 igr dlya Sega (RU)
40
[6]
Aktueller Software Markt (DE)
37
[7]
Beep! MegaDrive (JP) NTSC-J
68
[8]
Consoles + (FR)
75
[9]
Console XS (UK) NTSC-J
71
[10]
Computer & Video Games (UK)
86
[4]
Famitsu (JP) NTSC-J
50
[11]
Games-X (UK)
30
[12]
Hippon Super (JP) NTSC-J
40
[13]
Joypad (FR) NTSC-J
56
[14]
Joystick (FR) NTSC-J
70
[15]
Mega Drive Fan (JP) NTSC-J
59
[16]
Sega Pro (UK) NTSC-J
71
[17]
Sega Pro (UK) NTSC-J
51
[18]
Sega Opisaniy i sekretov (RU)
55
[19]
Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J
70
[20]
Sega Mega Drive
 58
Based on
16 reviews

Uchuu Senkan Gomora

Mega Drive, JP
BSP MD JP Box.jpg
Cover
UchuuSenkanGomora MD JP CartTop.jpg
USG MD JP Cart.jpg
Cart

Technical information

ROM dump status

System Hash Size Build Date Source Comments

References

  1. ↑ Beep! MegaDrive, "September 1991" (JP; 1991-08-08), page 35 (37)
  2. ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 84 (86)
  3. ↑ Consoles +, "Novembre 1991" (FR; 1991-11-07), page 90/91 (90)
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Computer & Video Games, "December 1991" (UK; 1991-11-15), page 62
  5. ↑ Sega Pro, "December 1991" (UK; 1991-11-21), page 64 (66)
  6. ↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 55
  7. ↑ Aktueller Software Markt, "Februar 1992" (DE; 1992-01-10), page 116
  8. ↑ Beep! MegaDrive, "September 1991" (JP; 1991-08-08), page 35
  9. ↑ Consoles +, "Novembre 1991" (FR; 1991-11-07), page 90
  10. ↑ Console XS, "June/July 1992" (UK; 1992-04-23), page 127
  11. ↑ Famitsu, "1991-10-04" (JP; 1991-09-20), page 40
  12. ↑ Games-X, "31st October-6th November 1991" (UK; 1991-10-31), page 33
  13. ↑ Hippon Super, "August 1991" (JP; 1991-07-04), page 89
  14. ↑ Joypad, "Décembre 1991" (FR; 1991-11-19), page 88
  15. ↑ Joystick, "Novembre 1991" (FR; 1991-1x-xx), page 129
  16. ↑ Mega Drive Fan, "December 1991" (JP; 1991-11-08), page 91
  17. ↑ Sega Pro, "December 1991" (UK; 1991-11-21), page 66
  18. ↑ Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 64
  19. ↑ Sega Opisaniy i sekretov, "14000 Opisaniy i sekretov" (RU; 2003-03-11), page 27
  20. ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 86
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