Pu-Li-Ru-La/Arcade Gears

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Pu-Li-Ru-La/Arcade Gears
System(s): Sega Saturn
Publisher: Xing Entertainment
Developer: Goo!
Licensor: Taito
Original system(s): Taito F2 System
Developer(s) of original games: Taito
Sound driver: SCSP/CD-DA (29 tracks)
Genre: Action
Number of players: 1-2
Release Date RRP Code JP 1997-08-28 ¥4,800 (5,040)4,800e T-26106G
Non-Sega versions Arcade FM Towns PlayStation

Pu-Li-Ru-La/Arcade Gears (プリルラ／アーケードギアーズ) is a remake of Taito's 1991 arcade beat-'em-up Pu-Li-Ru-La on the Sega Saturn released in 1997 by Xing as part of their Arcade Gears series of remakes in Japan.

Story

In a world named Radishland, time is kept flowing correctly because of Keepers who live deep beneath each village and perpetually turn a key. However, one day, a villain appeared and stole a time key to stop the time flow, then started attacking the towns one by one. Two kids named Zac and Mel are asked by an old man to defend their town and given magic wands. They embark on a journey to retrieve the time key.

Gameplay

Zac and Mel

The game is a beat-'em-up known for its surreal art style and bizarre enemy designs. It can be played by one or two players, with player one controlling the boy Zac and player two controlling the girl Mel. Both characters play identically and differ only in appearance. A second player can join the time at any point (at the cost of a credit) by pressing  START  on the other control pad. Each round consists of fighting through enemies until reaching the boss at the end of the area, which turns out to be a possessed Keeper who tells Zac and Mel where to go next. When enemies are defeated, they turn into animals and run off the screen, which can be collected (by walking over them before they run away) for bonus points.

Zac and Mel move in any direction on the 2D plane using the D-Pad. They can attack by bopping with their wands by pressing , which can be done up to three times in sequence. Though they can move in any direction, they can only attack to their left or right. They can reach forward for a longer-ranged bash by pressing + or + (but this cannot be chained into a sequence like the regular standing strike). They can swing the wand low from a kneeling position by pressing +, which is effective against smaller enemies. Any of these hits can be followed up with a back attack by pressing before the character retracts the wand. The back attack pulls the wand back, allowing the character to hit an enemy in front of them and an enemy behind them in quick succession. Zac and Mel jump by pressing and can attack in midair by pressing for a regular wand bash or + for a swing similar to the kneeling attack.

Zac and Mel can cast a spell by pressing , which is a powerful magic attack that damages multiple enemies at once. There are several magic spells; the spell that is cast depends on the last two digits of the player's score when the button is pressed, plus there is one special team magic spell that is cast when both players press at the same time. Casting a spell consumes a magic stock, which are depicted as magic wands next to the character's health bar. Each player starts with three magic stocks.

Each character has a health bar that goes down as they take damage from enemies. Characters are briefly invulnerable after being knocked down or after casting a magic spell. A character dies if his or her health bar is depleted but revives instantly if the player has extra lives remaining (which are shown as ties for Zac and bows for Mel). If the player runs out of lives, the game can only be continued at the cost of a credit. Both players start the game with three lives, which are separate, and four credits, which are shared, and cannot gain any more over the course of the game. Continuing gives the player another three lives and three magic stocks.

Magic spells

Zac and Mel are invulnerable for the duration of their magic spells.

	キラキラ魔法 (Sparkle Magic)
	Sparkles rain down onto enemies. This spell is used when the score ends in 00.
	ジミー召還 (Summon Fairy)
	A fairy swoops in and knocks all the enemies away. This spell is used when the score ends in 10 or 60.
	Rapman (ラップマン)
	A giant microwave falls from the sky, and Rapman runs out and starts wrapping enemies into balls and throwing them into the microwave. After he clears the screen, all of the enemies in the microwave are turned into animals. This spell is used when the score ends in 20 or 90. Animal Magic substitutes for this spell if used during a boss fight.
	ミカタ氏 (Mr. Mikata)
	A pink ghost dances around the screen, spinning and kicking enemies away. This spell is used when the score ends in 30 or 50.
	動物魔法 (Animal Magic)
	A stampede of animals runs across the screen, running into enemies. This spell is used when the score ends in 40 or 70.
	竜巻 (Tornado)
	A large tornado sweeps the screen, hitting enemies. This spell is used when the score ends in 80.
	ショックのパー (Shockwave)
	A massive explosion hits the stage from the map screen that normally precedes each round, which destroys all the enemies on the screen when the spell is cast (even bosses). This spell is used when both players cast their magic at the same time. It costs a magic stock from each player.

Items

	Flying Pumpkin
	Attack the pumpkin to release a fairy.
	Red Fairy
	Catch the fairy to partially restore lost health to Zac or Mel.
	Blue Fairy
	Catch the fairy to grant another magic stock to Zac or Mel.

Rounds

	Round 1
	Round 2
	Round 3
	Round 4
	Round 5
	Bonus Scene
	Round 6
	Round 7

Production credits

• Produce: Hidehiro Fujiwara
• Character: KAT, Zamakichi, Charry An Hirrcky, Ucky Kimura Taro, Anadori Gatashi Jiro, Wallside Magician Abe, W.Skeleton Yasu
• Sound: Team Zuntata, ( Karu ), ( Yack )
• Software: Iromust Tmr, Exit Karby, Magician Kaz
• Game Design: KAT, Zamakichi
• Hardware: Yasuhiro Shibuya
• Design: Mt.Mihara B.E.Umakboh
• Software Support: E.Takashi Kitabayashi, Ymot Yagi
• Special Thanks
  • (Character Design): Zak Munn, Masami Kikuchi, Mutter Tomy, E.Bang De Boo.M
  • (Model): E.Satoh Go 2, WEP, Y.S.Sayuri.K.U, Mt.Mihira B.E.Umakboh, Masami Kikuchi

Saturn Staff of XING

• Producer: Yoshio Kimura
• Project Manager: Amando Kuno
• Assistant: Naoji Iida, Shu Hiratoh

Staff of Goo!:

• Shigemi Kondou, Toshio Wakabayashi, FUK, Yoshiyuki Nakahara, Hirotaka "Hir" Katoh, Terumi Emori, Toshiaki Fujino, Osamu Sugano

Thank You For Your Playing!

• Presented by: Taito Corporation 1991/1997

Xing Inc.

Source:

In-game credits

Magazine articles

Main article: Pu-Li-Ru-La/Arcade Gears/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Print advert in Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) #1997-30: "1997-30 (1997-09-05)" (1997-08-22)

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

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Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average
Publication Version Score Famitsu (JP) NTSC-J 45 Saturn Fan (JP) NTSC-J 58 Saturn Fan (JP) NTSC-J 68 Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J 53 Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J 70

	59
Based on 5 reviews

Pu-Li-Ru-La/Arcade Gears

Saturn, JP
Cover
Spinecard Disc Booklet

Technical information

Main article: Pu-Li-Ru-La/Arcade Gears/Technical information.