Powerslave

n/a

Powerslave
System(s): Sega Saturn
Publisher: BMG Interactive (Japan, Europe), Playmates Interactive Entertainment (US)
Developer: Lobotomy Software
Original system(s): PC
Sound driver: SCSP/CD-DA (13 tracks)
Peripherals supported: Saturn 6 Player Adaptor (for Death Tank)
Genre: Action
Number of players: 1 (2-6 for Death Tank)
Official in-game languages: English Deutsch Français Español 日本語
Release Date RRP Code JP 1996-11-29 ¥5,800 (5,974)5,800e T-18001G US 1996-10-31 $59.9559.95 T-13205H EU 1996-09-26 81084-50 PT 199x STJSE0328 UK 1996-09-19 £44.9944.99 81084-50 PL 1996-11 219zł219 AU 199x FEXH00SSC
Non-Sega versions PlayStation

Powerslave, known as Exhumed in Europe and Seireki 1999: Pharaoh no Fukkatsu (西暦１９９９ ファラオの復活) in Japan, is a first person shooter game developed by Lobotomy Software and released for the Sega Saturn in 1996.

During development the game was known simply as Ruins.

Gameplay

Death Tank

The North American and Japanese versions of Powerslave contain a mini game called Death Tank that can be accessed if you collect all 23 dolls hidden in the game. The mini-game supports up to 6 players, which was increased up to 7 players in it's sequel, Death Tank Zwei, which can be found in Duke Nukem 3D.

History

Slave Driver game engine

The original version appeared on the PC as a Build engine game and featured many mechanics, levels and content that varied differently. This includes linear level design, in-game speech from the main character, and stock lives that once they've run out, the game ends for the player. When the game was brought to the Sega Saturn and PlayStation, the game was rebuilt from the ground up using a proprietary engine called Slave Driver which was able to render more complex levels, including rooms above other rooms, which was not possible on the Build engine. It also went through a major gameplay re-design thanks to the stronger hardware. The PlayStation and Sega Saturn versions put more focus on exploration and allow the player to replay stages. In order to progress, certain permanent power ups (e.g. magic sandals that allow higher jumps) need to be collected. The Slave Driver engine would become a framework for PC to console ports by Lobotomy Software including Duke Nukem 3D and Quake.

Versions

Powerslave was released on the Sega Saturn several months before its PlayStation counterpart, and for its time was a technical showpiece for the system. With better 3D performance, the PlayStation is able to add more visual effects, true transparency (negating the need for the checkerboard "mesh" pattern used for water), and performance improvements in some areas.

While the Saturn version is capped at 30FPS, the PlayStation can reach highs of 60FPS. As was common for 3D games at the time, however, both versions struggle to hold their desired numbers - the Saturn dropping to 20FPS in more hectic scenes, and the PlayStation also dropping to 30 or 20FPS on occasion. The Saturn version, while slower in this regard, is therefore able to output a more consistent frame rate, with its PlayStation counterpart being noticeably more variable as more frames are dropped.

The PlayStation version is also able to offer better lighting effects, however much of its level geometry has been paired back, with smaller, less complicated rooms being used throughout the experience (and some larger rooms being split up). While a new introduction area is added, several areas lose the sense of scale, to the point where some outdoor areas on the Saturn are indoors on the PlayStation.

The auto-aiming feature of the Saturn version of Powerslave is less effective on the PlayStation, making it harder to hit smaller targets. Also missing is any form of analogue control - while Saturn Powerslave supports the 3D Control Pad, neither Dual Analog or DualShock controllers are supported on Sony's machine.

Reportedly the red spiders were changed to blue scorpions to satisfy Sony's desire for PlayStation games to have unique content when ported from other platforms.

On the PC, Powerslave is an entirely different game, and while many assets are shared between the three versions, the PC has unique levels designed for the Build engine (which on the PC is most notable for powering Duke Nukem 3D, as well as Shadow Warrior and Blood). Powerslave uses an earlier version of the engine than Duke 3D, however, so there are no slopes in the game, and is much more linear in design than is console counterparts.

Death Tank is exclusive to the Saturn version of Powerslave.

Localised names

Also known as

Language	Localised Name	English Translation
English	Exhumed	Exhumed
English (US)	Powerslave	Powerslave
Japanese	西暦１９９９ ファラオの復活	Seireki 1999: Pharaoh no Fukkatsu

Screenshot

Main article: Powerslave/Comparisons.

Production credits

Powerslave and Seireki 1999: Pharaoh no Fukkatsu

TODO: there's a paragraph after the credits row of the Japanese version, translate/check if it's relevant

• Executive Producers: Brian McNeely, Paul Lange
• Game Design and Art Direction: Brian McNeely
• Game Programming: Ezra Dreisbach
• BREW World Editing Tool: David Lawson
• Music and Sound Effects: Scott Branston
• Design Team: Brian McNeely, Dominick Meissner, Ezra Dreisbach, Paul Knutzen, Paul Lange, Mark Coates, Jason Wiggin
• Texture and Ambient Object Art: Troy Jacobson, Joe Kresoja
• Creatures and Weaponry: John Van Deusen
• 3D Modeling: Kevin Chung, William Vallieres
• Cinema Scene and Map Art: Richard Nichols, John Van Duesen
• Art Team: Brian McNeely, Troy Jacobson, John Van Duesen, kevin Chung, Paul Knutzen, Richard Nichols, Erik Klokstad, William Vallieres, Joe Kresoja, Jason Wiggin
• Stage Design: Brian McNeely, Dominick Meissner, Paul Knutzen
• Object and Ambient Light Editing Tool: Jeff Blazier
• Peepshow Animation Tool: Paul Schreiber
• Additional Technical Support: Kurt Pfeifer, John Yuill, Paul Hagerud, John Schwab, Pat Schreiber
• Instruction Manual: Tom Kristensen
• Lobotomy Would Like to Thank: Jacqui Lyons, Marjacq Micro, PIE, Tommy Tellarico, Cheryl Hart, SEGA

Playmates Interactive Entertainment

• Executive Producer: David Luehmann
• Producer: Chris Archer
• Associate Producer: Carlos Rodriguez
• QA Manager: Rich Frey
• Lead Tester: Andrew, A. Brown
• Testers: David Ontiveros, Lee Jones, David Arranaga, James Martinez, Anthony Vasquez, Jose Zatarain, Leland Mah
• Sales Marketing: David Localio, Kelly Frey
• Technical Support: Jose Zatarain, Lee Jones
• PR: Ron Antonette, Nicole Rosenberg, Karen Trachtenberg
• Special Thanks: Richard Sallis, Thomas Chan, Sue Lucchino, Dabvid L. Hoffman, Scott Herrington, Playmate Toys

Source:

In-game credits

Exhumed

• Executive Producers: Brian McNeely, Paul Lange
• Game Design: Brian McNeely
• Additional Game Design: Dominick Meissner, Mark Coates, Jason Wiggin, Ezra Dreisbach
• Game Programming: Ezra Dreisbach
• BREW World Editing Tool: David Lawson
• Art and Environment: Troy Jacobson, Brian McNeely, John Van Deusen, Kevin Chung, Paul Knutzen, Richard Nichols, Eric Klokstad, Joe Kresoja, Jason Wiggin, Willian Vallieres
• Creatures and Weaponry: John Van Deusen
• Music and Sound Effects: Scott Branston
• Stage Design: Brian McNeely, Dominick Meissner, Paul Knutzen, Jason Wiggin, Mark Coates
• Additional Technical Support: Jeff Blazier, John Schwab, John Yuill, Paul Hagerud, Paul Schreiber, Pat Schreiber, Kurt Pfeifer
• Instruction Manual: Tom Kristensen
• Special THANKS! to: Jacqui Lyons, Marjacq Micro, Ian Mathias, Mike Brown, Ronya, Lonnie, Nasie, and of Course Sega

Source:

In-game credits

Magazine articles

Main article: Powerslave/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

{{gallery

Exhumed UK newspaper print advert

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Print advert in Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) #86: "September 1996" (1996-xx-xx)
also published in:

• Next Generation (US) #22: "October 1996" (1996-09-17)
• Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) #87: "October 1996" (1996-xx-xx)
• EGM² (US) #29: "November 1996" (1996-xx-xx)

|

Print advert in Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) #89: "December 1996" (1996-xx-xx)

|

Print advert in Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) #91: "February 1997" (199x-xx-xx)

|

Print advert in Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) #1996-21: "1996-21 (1996-12-13)" (1996-11-22)

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Print advert in Hobby Consolas (ES) #61: "Octubre 1996" (1996-xx-xx)

}}

Artwork

• 

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source Computer & Video Games (UK) 80 Famitsu (JP) 60 №416, p32 GameFan (US) 86 GamesMaster (UK) 89 №46, p51 Hobby Consolas (ES) 91 Joypad (FR) 92 Mega Force (FR) 93 Mega Fun (DE) 88 Mean Machines Sega (UK) 94 Player One (FR) 89 Sega Power (UK) 91 №83, p34-37 Sega Saturn Magazine (UK) 92 Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) 83 Sega Saturn Magazine (readers) (JP) 89 Video Games (DE) 86

	87
Based on 15 reviews

Sega Retro Average

Publication Version Score 576 KByte (HU) 91 Computer & Video Games (UK) 75 Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U 73 Famitsu (JP) NTSC-J 60 Freak (IL) 86 Fun Generation (DE) PAL 90 Gambler (PL) 87 GameFan (US) NTSC-U 86 GamePro (US) NTSC-U 100 GamesMaster (UK) PAL 89 Game Informer (US) NTSC-U 89 Gry Komputerowe (PL) 85 Hobby Consolas (ES) 91 Joypad (FR) PAL 92 LeveL (CZ) 86 MAN!AC (DE) PAL 85 Mega Force (FR) PAL 93 Mega Fun (DE) PAL 88 Mean Machines Sega (UK) PAL 94 Player One (FR) 89 Saturn Fan (JP) NTSC-J 62 Saturn Fan (JP) NTSC-J 64 Saturn+ (UK) PAL 91 Score (CZ) 80 Secret Service (PL) 80 Sega News (CZ) 95 Sega Power (UK) PAL 91 Świat Gier Komputerowych (PL) 85 Sega Saturn Magazine (UK) PAL 92 Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J 83 Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J 89 Total Saturn (UK) PAL 85 Total Saturn (UK) PAL 87 Video Games (DE) PAL 86

	85
Based on 34 reviews

Powerslave

Saturn, JP
Cover
Spinecard Disc Manual

Saturn, US
Cover
Disc Manual

Saturn, EU
Cover
Disc

Saturn, PT
Cover
Disc

Saturn, AU
Cover
Disc

Technical information

ROM dump status

System	Hash	Size	Build Date	Source	Comments
✔	CRC32 MD5 SHA-1	570,672,816		CD-ROM (EU)	81084-50 V1.000
✔	CRC32 MD5 SHA-1	524,049,120	1996-10-02	CD-ROM (JP)	T-18001G V1.003

Save data

To load and save data from the Ram Cart, the save file must be created on the internal battery back-up first, then moved over via the Memory Manager.

Saturn (NTSC-J) Save Data

Name	Comment	Blocks	Description
BMG_1999___	save games	11	Save data for progress.

Saturn (Powerslave) Save Data

Name	Comment	Blocks	Description
POWERSLAVE#	save games	11	Save data for progress.