Zoop
From Sega Retro
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Zoop | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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System(s): Sega Mega Drive, Sega Game Gear, Sega Saturn | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Publisher: Viacom New Media (US/EU) Media Quest | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Developer: Hookstone PanelComp | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sound driver: SCSP/CD-DA (6 tracks) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Genre: Action Puzzle[1], Puzzle[2] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Number of players: 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Zoop (ズープ) is a puzzle game developed by Hookstone for Viacom New Media and released on numerous platforms, including the Sega Mega Drive and Sega Game Gear in 1995 and the Sega Saturn in 1996.
Contents
Gameplay
Zoop is a puzzle game that is similar to the Taito arcade game Plotting. The player controls a colored shape that can move around a 4x4 square in the center of the screen. Lines of differently colored shapes (in red, green, violet, and blue) appear from four quadrant on each side of the square, pushing the shapes in front of them forward. A cursor appears to indicate where the next shape will appear. Two consecutive shapes never come in from the same quadrant. The goal is to destroy those shapes before they are pushed into the center square, which ends the game. Gameplay relies on timely color swapping and fast reaction times.
The player's shape can move in any direction using the D-Pad. The shape can shoot other shapes by zooming out of its square to hit them, then zooming back (facing the opposite direction when it returns). On the Mega Drive and Saturn versions, the shape is a triangle, and it shoots with ,
, or
. On the Game Gear version, the shape is a square with an arrow that indicates the direction that it is facing, and it shoots with
or
. Shooting a shape of the same color as the player's shape destroys it and awards points. All consecutive shapes of the same color that are behind the target shape are also cleared. More points are awarded when more shapes that are eliminated in a single move. If a shape of a different color from the player's current shape is hit, the player's shape switches colors with it, allowing the player to then eliminate shapes of that color, but the shape is not eliminated. When the player eliminates one or more same-colored shapes, if there is a different-colored shape behind them, it is hit, changing the color of the player's shape.
When enough shapes are eliminated, the level increases, which speeds up the gameplay and (before level 10) changes the background. The player's score is shown in the upper-left corner, a counter showing the number of shapes before the next level is shown in the upper-right corner, and the current level is shown in the bottom-right corner.
There are two modes, Continual and Level. Both are endless modes where the player can select a starting level between 1 and 9 and a difficulty level between 0 and 4. The game starts with shapes already on the grid when a difficulty level above 0 is selected. In a Continual game, after advancing to a new level, all the shapes remain on the grid; in a Level game, the grid is cleared whenever a new level begins.
Special shapes
If these special shapes are hit, they grant special effects. They do not end the game if they reach the center square.
Proximity Bomb | |
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Eliminates all shapes touching the next shape that the player hits. | |
Line Bomb | |
Eliminates the entire line of shapes, regardless of color. | |
Color Bomb | |
Eliminates all shapes in a quadrant that are the same color as the next shape that the player hits. | |
Bonus Spring | |
Collecting 5 clears all shapes on the grid. |
Versions
The Mega Drive, Game Gear, and Saturn versions of the game feature identical gameplay. The Saturn and PlayStation versions have enhanced visuals and sound. The Game Gear and Game Boy versions only use rectangles for shapes (unlike the other versions, which distinguish pieces by both color and shape) because of screen space constraints. The Game Boy port is the only version of the game with a multiplayer mode.
Production credits
Mega Drive version
- Designed in the UK by: Hookstone Ltd.
- Programmed in the UK by: PanelComp Ltd.
- Programmer: John Rocke
- Graphic Artists: Peter Tattersall, Malcolm Cooper, Ian Bowden
- Hookstone Worldwide Representation: John Cook, Bad Management
- Executive Producer: I. Kenneth Miller
- Managing Producer: N. Matthew Welton
- Producing Coordinator: Amanda P. Herman
- Technical Director: Jim Hanson
- Sound Producer: Steve Boyer
- Sound Coordinator: Cliff Falls
- Sound Support Software: Brian Schmidt
- Music Composition: Bobby Scumaci
- Additional Music Composition: Mark Davis
- Graphic Design: Higashi Glaser Design
- Additional Art and Animation: Jarod Pranno
- Development Support: Baki Allen, Greg Colton, Tom Hanson, Scott Lawrence, Gus Peterson, John Podlasek
- Packaging Design: Doublespace
- Manual Design: Beeline Group
- Special Thanks: Eugene Evans, Stephen Gass
Magazine articles
- Main article: Zoop/Magazine articles.
Promotional material
- Main article: Zoop/Promotional material.
Physical scans
Mega Drive version
Sega Retro Average | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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75 | |
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Based on 21 reviews |
Mega Drive, PT |
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Mega Drive, SE (Rental) |
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Saturn version
Sega Retro Average | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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61 | |
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Based on 6 reviews |
Game Gear version
Sega Retro Average | |||||||||
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59 | |
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Based on 1 review |
Technical information
- Main article: Zoop/Technical information.
References
- ↑ File:Zoop Saturn JP Box Back.jpg
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 https://sega.jp/fb/segahard/ss/soft_licensee2.html (Wayback Machine: 2020-03-20 23:05)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 GamePro, "December 1995" (US; 1995-xx-xx), page 88
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Mean Machines Sega, "December 1995" (UK; 1995-10-30), page 86
- ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "1996-14 (1996-08-23)" (JP; 1996-08-09), page 15
- ↑ File:Zoop MD US Manual.pdf, page 10
- ↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 276
- ↑ Consoles +, "Décembre 1995" (FR; 1995-1x-xx), page 136
- ↑ Cool Gamer, "9" (RU; 2002-10-13), page 246
- ↑ Hobby Consolas, "Enero 1996" (ES; 199x-xx-xx), page 66
- ↑ Joypad, "Décembre 1995" (FR; 1995-1x-xx), page 42
- ↑ MAN!AC, "12/95" (DE; 1995-11-08), page 79
- ↑ Mega Fun, "12/95" (DE; 1995-11-21), page 78
- ↑ Player One, "Décembre 1995" (FR; 1995-1x-xx), page 102
- ↑ Power Up!, "Saturday, December 02, 1995" (UK; 1995-12-02), page 1
- ↑ Sega Magazin, "Januar 1996" (DE; 1995-12-13), page 14
- ↑ Sega Power, "January 1996" (UK; 1995-11-16), page 38
- ↑ Sega Pro, "December 1995" (UK; 1995-11-02), page 55
- ↑ Sega Megazone, "Summer '95/'96" (AU; 1995-xx-xx), page 26
- ↑ Sega Opisaniy i sekretov, "14000 Opisaniy i sekretov" (RU; 2003-03-11), page 236
- ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "December 1995" (UK; 1995-11-24), page 92
- ↑ Sonic the Comic, "8 December 1995" (UK; 1995-11-25), page 12
- ↑ Todo Sega, "Diciembre 1995" (ES; 1995-1x-xx), page 40
- ↑ Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 310
- ↑ Video Games, "2/96" (DE; 1996-01-24), page 86
- ↑ Famitsu, "1996-12-06" (JP; 1996-11-22), page 1
- ↑ Fusion, "Volume 1, Number 5: December 1995" (US; 1995-1x-xx), page 116
- ↑ Saturn Fan, "1996 No. 24" (JP; 1996-11-15), page 187
- ↑ Saturn Fan, "1997 No. 2" (JP; 1997-01-17), page 70
- ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "1996-18 (1996-10-25)" (JP; 1996-10-11), page 225
- ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "Readers rating final data" (JP; 2000-03), page 15
- ↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly, "November 1995" (US; 1995-xx-xx), page 52
Zoop | |
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Main page | Comparisons | Hidden content | Magazine articles | Reception | Promotional material | Region coding | Technical information | Bootlegs
Prototypes: Prototype
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