Baku Baku Animal

n/a

ST-V NTSC-U NTSC-J PAL US/EU JP Master System Windows PC
Baku Baku Animal
System(s): Sega Titan Video, Sega Game Gear, Sega Saturn, Windows PC, Sega Master System
Publisher: Sega Tec Toy Sega PC
Developer: Sega AM3 Minato Giken Sega PC
Distributor: Worldwise Enterprise (TW)
Sound driver: SCSP/CD-DA (22 tracks)
Peripherals supported: Gear-to-Gear Cable Saturn Backup Memory
Genre: Puzzle
Number of players: 1-2
Release Date RRP Code JP 1995-04 ¥? ? JP 1995-11-10 ¥4,8004,800 GS-9040 JP (Satakore) 1997-04-25 ¥2,8002,800 GS-9144 US 1996-06-19 $39.9939.99 81501 EU 1996-05 MK81501-50 DE 1996-05 MK81501-50 PT 199x UK 1996-05 £44.9944.99 MK81501-50 PL 1996 AU 199x FBAK00SSC JP 1996-01-26 ¥3,8003,800 G-3378 US 1996-05 $29.9929.99 2451 EU 1996-06 2451-50 UK 1996-06 £29.9929.99 2451-50 BR 1996 025470 JP 1996-08-02 ¥5,800 (6,090)5,800 (6,090) HCJ-0103 JP (Ultra 2000 Series) 2000-12-08 ¥2,000 (2,100)2000e US 1996-09-05 85040 DE 199x MK-85040 UK 199x £44.9944.99 MK-85040 BR 199x TW 199x

Baku Baku Animal (ばくばくアニマル), known only as Baku Baku in some regions, is a falling block puzzle game released for the Sega Titan Video arcade hardware. The phrase "Baku Baku" is Japanese onomatopoeia meaning roughly "Chomp Chomp".

Baku Baku Animal was ported to the Sega Saturn and Windows PC in 1996. It was also one of the last titles released for the Sega Game Gear, released in the same year. In Brazil, Sega's distributor Tec Toy released a version for the Sega Master System in 1998, which is almost identical to the Game Gear version but with a reduced color palette and added borders. There was also a mobile phone release in 2002.

Curiously, artwork used in Baku Baku Animal was recycled in the PAL versions of Sonic CD (PC) and Sonic Jam.

Story

Polly and Gon

The King of a faraway land is seeking a Royal Zookeeper to tend to the many pets of the Princess. The King's Minister has arranged a contest to find the most capable person in the land for the job, and two young contenders, Polly and Gon, have entered.

Gameplay

Victory

Baku Baku Animal is a competitive two-player falling block puzzle game in which players compete to clear containers of blocks, similar in nature to Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo. The player must line up falling blocks of animals and foodstuffs. When an animal is aligned adjacent to a block of its favored food, the animal eats the food. All contiguous blocks of the food are consumed, along with corresponding animal blocks. Larger groups of connected food of the same type scores higher when eaten.

Blocks fall in pairs, which the player can position horizontally and rotate. Blocks are locked in place when they land on the bottom of the container or onto another block. Similar to Puyo Puyo, blocks are subject to gravity. A block falls to the block below it when it is placed over an empty space or when the block below it is eliminated. With correct positioning, it is possible to destroy two or more sets of food blocks in succession, thereby creating chains that send extra blocks to the opposing player to disrupt their play. When the container is filled with blocks, the player is defeated. The object of the game is to make one's opponent unable to place more blocks.

The game has a single-player mode where the player competes against computer-controlled opponents as well as a two-player mode where two players can challenge each other. Player one plays as Polly, and player two plays as Gon.

Blocks

The Saturn version lets the player decide how many different animals to use (3, 4, or 5, with a default of 4).

	Pandas
	Pandas are green blocks and eat bamboo.
	Dogs
	Dogs are blue blocks and eat bones.
	Rabbits
	Rabbits are red blocks and eat carrots.
	Monkeys
	Monkeys are yellow blocks and eat bananas.
	Mice
	Mice are purple blocks and eat cheese.
	BB Coins
	When they are dropped on a block, all blocks of that type disappear from the player's container. If they fall on two different types of blocks, both types disappear. Animals and their foodstuffs are treated as different types of blocks.

Stages

There are three difficulty levels (Beginner, Normal, and Expert), which feature different casts of opponents.

Normal

Gallopy

Silver Angela

Rival Soldier

Nurse Grape

T3

Gon

Minister

Queen

Princess

History

During development, the Western Game Gear version was known under the working title of Zany Zoo.

Production credits

Main article: Baku Baku Animal/Production credits.

Sega Titan Video version

• Producer: Yoshirou Akata
• Director: Yasushi Watanabe
• Original Plan: Isao Matsumoto
• Programmer: Hirokazu Itou, Bungo Ishida, Kenichi Hokari
• Artwork: Megumi Matsuda, Kazuko Noguchi, Naoko Shimizu, Minori Hisamatsu
• Music/SFX: Tetsuya Kawauchi
• Special Thanks: Ryouji Ochi, Hiroyuki Izuno, Everyone at AM3
• Presented by: Sega

Source:

In-game credits

Saturn version

Japanese version

• プロデュースした人: あかた よしろう
• かんとく: わたなべ やすし, うさみ ゆり
• プログラマー: いとう ひろかず, いしだ ぶんご
• びじゅつ: まつだ めぐみ, のぐち かずこ, しみず なおこ, ひさまつ みのり
• おんがく こうかおん: ときわ なおき, まつむら せいいちろう
• せいさく きょうりょく: かわうち てつや, まつもと いさお
• ぎじゅつ きょうりょく: おかもと ひろふみ, はっとり やすゆき, くすのき まなぶ, あらい けんじ
• せいさく しんこう: おがわ ともあき
• マニュアル さくせい: まつい ひろゆき, たなか ひろや, たけばやし はやと
• スペシャル サンクス: さとう かつひさ, おおみぞ のりこ, みやぐち たかし, AM3研のみなさん
• どうぶつのなづけおや
  • (ポチお): 石川 太一
  • (ミミーさん): 秀島 慧
  • (ウキータ): 島袋 文恵
  • (パン太郎): 井上 純一
• 協力: Vジャンプ

Source:

In-game credits (JP)

Overseas version

SOA Staff

• Producer: Kim Rogers
• Product Manager: Doria Sanchez
• Lead Tester: Rick Greer
• Asst. Leads: Kathleen Silkworth, Eugene Valenzuela, Alex Barreiro
• Special Thanks: Kristin Mallory, Cindy Hardgrave

SOJ Staff

• Super Dynamite Project Manager: Masanobu Tsukamoto
• Corpsified Overseas Coordinator: Ryoichi "Trueno" Hasegawa
• Bard of Unknown Nationality: Makoto "Mc" Nishino
• Directed by: Yasushi "Jackpot" Watanabe
• Programmed by: Hirokazu "Karaoke" Ito
• Hyper Special Digital Designer: Mayumi Moro
• Special Tempure Thanks: Mamoru "Sukiyaki" Sasaki

Original Version Staff

• Producer: Yoshiro Akata
• Director: Yasushi Watanabe
• Asst. Director: Yuri Usami
• Original Design: Isao Matsumoto
• Programmers: Hirokazu Ito, Bungo "Bingo" Ishida
• Digital Designers: Megumi Matsuda, Kazuko Noguchi, Naoko Shimizu, Minori Hisamatsu
• Sound/SE's: Tetsuya Kawauchi, Naoki Tokiwa, Seiichiro Muramatsu
• Special Thanks: Noriko Ichikawa, Ryuji Ochi, Hirofumi Okamoto, AM #3 Staff, and All the players

Sega Enterprises, Ltd. 1996.

Source:

In-game credits

---

• Producer: Kim Rogers
• Product Managers: Seth Gerson, Doria Sanchez
• Marketing Manager: Anne Moellering
• Lead Tester: Rick Greer
• Assistant Leads: Kathleen Silkworth, Eugene R. Valenzuela, Alex Barreiro
• Testers: Pedro Ponce, Tim Spengler, Nicole Tatem, Janine Cook, Sam Maciel, Lloyd Kinoshita, Rolef Conlan, Abe Navarro, Don Carmichael, Cesar Lemus, John Jansen, Lou DiSimone, Tony Lynch, Marcus Montgomery, Leonard Sayers, James Shea, Ricki Tai, Lorne Asuncion, Darin Johnston, Dermot Lyons, Mark Subotnick
• The Baku Den: Neil Cohen, Tim Dunley, Laura Schadach, John Gillin
• Packaging Creative:
  • Art Director: Bob Schonfisch
  • Art Firm: James Masi Design
  • Illustrator: Peter Bollinger
  • Production Manager: Eileen Sacman
• Special Thanks: Kristin Mallory, Cindy Hardgrave, Frontline Marketing
  • Manual: Wendy Dinsmore

Source:

US manual

Master System and Game Gear versions

• Producer: Kimberly Rogers
• Product Manager: Eric Dunstan
• Executive Director: Noboru Machida
• Director: Hideki Katagiri
• Planner: Tsutomu Morishita
• Designer: Hiroko Kato, Tsutomu Morishita
• Programmer: Kenichi Iwanaga, Noboru Honda
• Sound: Masahiro Ito
• Advisor: Hideo Yamaguchi, Nobuo Matsushima
• Lead Tester: John Jansen
• Assistant Lead Testers: George Sandoval, John James, Roger Deforest, Ward Farris
• Testers: Dave Paniagua, Eddie Ramirez, Jack Amato, Janine Cook, Joe Rousseu, Rick Greer, Scott Crisostomo, Squidlo, Tony Lynch
• Special Thanks: Akira Inoue, Akitatsu Saito, Atsuko Iwanaga, Bill Onderdonk, Chizuka Goto, Cindy Hardgrave, Kaori Hijiya, Kazuhiro Tanaka, Keiko Sueyoshi, Keiko Tamura, Masako Araki, Masayuki Ota, Michiya Kameda, Michiyo Morohoshi, Noriyuki Tabata, Osamu Shibamiya, Steve Goodale, Syuichi Sekimoto, Takashi Ueshima, Vy Nong, Yoko Yanagisawa, and You

Source:

In-game credits

Magazine articles

Main article: Baku Baku Animal/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Sega Titan Video JP flyer

Saturn print advert in Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) #1995-12: "December 1995" (1995-11-08)

Print advert in Sega Saturn Magazine (UK) #9: "July 1996" (1996-06-20)

Print advert in Sega Magazin (DE) #34: "September 1996" (1996-08-14)
also published in:

• Sega Magazin (DE) #35: "Oktober 1996" (1996-09-11)
• Sega Magazin (DE) #36: "November 1996" (1996-10-09)

Print advert in PC Gamer Po Polsku (PL) #6: "Grudzień 1996" (1996-xx-xx)

Artwork

• 

  Lion

• 

  Monkey

Physical scans

Sega Titan Video version

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

{{{{{icon}}}|L}}
Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average
Publication Version Score Computer & Video Games (UK) 80

	80
Based on 1 review

Baku Baku Animal

Sega Titan Video, JP
"Long" instructions
Cart Instuction card(s)

Sega Titan Video, JP (Rev. A)
"Long" instructions
Cart Instuction card(s)

Saturn version

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

{{{{{icon}}}|L}}
Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average

Publication Version Score CD Consoles (FR) PAL 40 Consoles + (FR) 90 Computer & Video Games (UK) 90 Famitsu (JP) NTSC-J 63 Fun Generation (DE) 70 Gambler (PL) 68 GameFan (US) NTSC-U 87 Game Players (US) NTSC-U 85 GamePro (US) NTSC-U 83 Game Informer (US) NTSC-U 61 Intelligent Gamer's Fusion (US) NTSC-U 67 Joypad (FR) 95 MAN!AC (DE) PAL 74 Maximum (UK) 75 Mega Fun (DE) NTSC-J 74 Mean Machines Sega (UK) NTSC-J 84 Mean Machines Sega (UK) PAL 90 neXt Level (DE) 70 Power Up! (UK) 88 Saturn Fan (JP) NTSC-J 73 Saturn+ (UK) NTSC-J 91 Sega Power (UK) NTSC-J 85 Sega Pro (UK) NTSC 92 Sega Saturn Magazine (UK) PAL 90 Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J 63 Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J 82 Total Saturn (UK) PAL 83 Video Games (DE) NTSC-U 67 VideoGames (US) NTSC-U 80

	78
Based on 29 reviews

Baku Baku Animal

Saturn, JP
Cover
Disc Manual Reg Card

Saturn, JP (Satakore)
Cover
Spinecard Disc

Saturn, US
Cover
Disc Manual

Saturn, EU
Cover
Disc

Saturn, PT

Saturn, AU
Cover
Disc

Master System version

Master System, BR
Cover

Master System, BR (newer)
Cover
Cart Manual

Game Gear version

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

{{{{{icon}}}|L}}
Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average
Publication Version Score Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U 74 Famitsu (JP) NTSC-J 55 Joypad (FR) 95 Mean Machines Sega (UK) PAL 88 Sonic the Comic (UK) PAL 90 VideoGames (US) NTSC-U 80

	80
Based on 6 reviews

Baku Baku Animal

Game Gear, JP
Cover
Cart

Game Gear, US
Cover
Cart Manual

Game Gear, EU
Cover
Cart Manual PCB

PC version

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

{{{{{icon}}}|L}}
Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average
Publication Version Score Computer & Video Games (UK) 50 Hacker (HR) 74 LeveL (CZ) 86 PC Gamer (US) 83 Secret Service (PL) 85

	76
Based on 5 reviews

Baku Baku Animal

PC, JP
Cover

PC, JP (Ultra 2000 Series)
Cover

PC, US
Cover
Manual Jewel Case

PC, EU
Cover
Disc Jewel Case Inlay

PC, BR
Cover
Jewel Case

PC, TW

Technical information

Main article: Baku Baku Animal/Technical information.

ROM dump status

System	Hash	Size	Build Date	Source	Comments
?	CRC32 35d84dc2 MD5 8a94ded3d95aa46dae8800b92e66d3ee SHA-1 07d8f300b3a3542734fcd24fa8312fe99fbfef0e	256kB		Cartridge (BR)
?	CRC32 10ac9374 MD5 f5f83e9e94cb99645c42cc4d41c0fb17 SHA-1 5145967d0a3632cf6bb1a9d58b2ef04faecd40db	256kB		Cartridge (EU)
?	CRC32 7174b802 MD5 55b9b96f12e1786dc293a1c45768f013 SHA-1 270e071342adb41406568e171df4959656ed02bf	256kB		Cartridge (JP)
?	CRC32 8d8bfdc4 MD5 3ff5a4888076e7a5905bc565563c3692 SHA-1 f4f31d08e17b9936dea621fef9b38e1cd067bef2	256kB		Cartridge (US)
✔	CRC32 MD5 SHA-1	594,576,192		CD-ROM (EU)	MK81501-50 V1.001
?	CRC32 MD5 SHA-1	621,727,680	1995-11-10	CD-ROM (JP)	GS-9040 V1.000
✔	CRC32 MD5 SHA-1	621,730,032	1995-11-10	CD-ROM (JP)	GS-9144 V1.001
?	CRC32 MD5 SHA-1	628,677,840		CD-ROM (US)	81501 V1.004

Track list

Saturn version

1. Data track

2. Osama to Daijin no Theme (2:31)
王様と大臣のテーマ

3. Yumemiru Ohimesama: Kawaii Pet (2:44)
夢見るお姫様 ～可愛いペット～

4. Bipalium Dance (2:40)
バイパリウムダンス

5. Nettaisei Kyuka Shokogun: Genjitu Touhi no BGM (2:39)
熱帯性休暇症候群 ～現実逃避のBGM～

6. Semarikuru Hirokazu (2:32)
迫り来るHIROKAZU

7. Game Over (0:08)
ゲームオーバー

8. Hurry Up! (0:47)
HURRY UP!

9. Semarikuru Shimekiri (1:02)
迫り来る締め切り

10. Yume No Hate Ha...?: Ending (1:56)
夢の果ては…？ ～エンディング～

11. Erabimasho (2:36)
選びましょう

12. 3Pun Fanfare: Shimekiri Ha Kyou (0:07)
3分ファンファーレ ～締め切りは今日～

13. Sonoato Pori ha? (0:59)
そのあとポーリーは？

14. Sekai Shiiku Senshuken no Theme (0:26)
世界飼育選手権のテーマ

15. Konchinu- (0:18)
コンチヌ～

16. Yumemiru Ohimesama: Kawaii Pet (Arrange) (2:11)
夢見るお姫様 ～可愛いペット SS版

17. Semarikuru Hirokazu (Arrange) (2:39)
迫り来るHIROKAZU SS版

18. Bipalium Dance (Arrange) (2:39)
バイパリウムダンス SS版

19. Sonoato Pori ha? (Arrange) (2:25)
そのあとポーリーは？ SS版

20. Nettaisei Kyuka Shokogun: Genjitu Touhi no BGM (Arrange) (2:29)
熱帯性休暇症候群 ～現実逃避のBGM～ SS版

21. Osama to Daijin no Theme (Arrange) (3:30)
王様と大臣のテーマ SS版

22. Hello! M.H (2:21)
Hello! M.H

23. upstart (2:15)
upstart

► Running time: 41:54

Extra content

This game has extra content which can be viewed when accessing the disc on a PC.

Saturn (JP) Extra files

Folder / File	Type	Size	description
README.TXT	TXT	8,659	Messages from the developers.

External links

• Sega of America webpage: PC
• Sega of Japan catalogue pages (Japanese): Saturn, PC