Area 51

From Sega Retro

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Area51 title.png

Area 51
System(s): Sega Saturn
Publisher: Midway (US), GT Interactive (EU), Soft Bank (JP)
Developer:
Original system(s): Arcade boards
Sound driver: SCSP (1 track)
Peripherals supported: Virtua Gun
Genre: Shoot-'em-Up

















Number of players: 1-2
Official in-game languages:
  • English
  • Français
  • Deutsch
  • Español
    • Release Date RRP Code
    Sega Saturn
    JP     		¥5,8005,800 T-18613G
    Sega Saturn
    US     		T-9705H
    Sega Saturn
    EU     		T-25408H-50
    Sega Saturn
    BR     		191x34

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    Area 51 (エリア５１) is a 1995 arcade light-gun game developed by Mesa Logic and released by Atari Games. It was ported to the Sega Saturn in late 1996 by Tantalus Interactive and Perfect Entertainment and published by Midway, alongside versions for PlayStation and Windows PCs.

    Area 51 was followed by Maximum Force, produced by the same team at Mesa Logic, but with an entirely different setting.

    Gameplay

    Area 51 is an arcade, on-the-rails shoot-'em-up built around light guns. The graphics are pre-rendered, using human actors (similar to Mortal Kombat) for soldiers, and full motion video so simulate moving through the world.

    Versions

    The Saturn version of Area 51 is relatively close to its arcade counterpart, but chooses to present itself with an added border - a feature that remains through the entire experience and is absent from other versions. The resulting smaller field of view means that all 2D graphics and full motion video clips are rendered at a lower resolution than their arcade (and PlayStation) counterparts.

    The nature of disc-based media means transitions between scenes have a slight delay as the game loads in new data. This is particularly noticeable in the attract sequence.

    Magazine articles

    Main article: Area 51/Magazine articles.

    Promotional material

    Main article: Area 51/Promotional material.

    Physical scans

    Sega Retro Average 
    Publication Score Source
    42 №8, p71[3]
    73 №52, p76/77[2]
    69 №2, p75[4]
    72 №18, p62/63[5]
    81 №, p11[6]
    65 №94
    Sega Saturn
    		 67
    Based on
    6 reviews
    Sega Retro Average 
    Publication Version Score
    Ação Games (BR)
    80
    		[7]
    Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U
    56
    		[8]
    Freak (IL)
    82
    		[9]
    Gambler (PL)
    66
    		[10]
    GamePro (US) NTSC-U
    73
    		[11]
    Intelligent Gamer (US)
    42
    		[3]
    MAN!AC (DE) PAL
    56
    		[12]
    Mean Machines Sega (UK) PAL
    73
    		[2]
    Playmag (FR) PAL
    77
    		[13]
    Saturn Fan (JP) NTSC-J
    66
    		[14]
    Saturn Fan (JP) NTSC-J
    66
    		[15]
    Saturn Power (UK) PAL
    69
    		[4]
    Secret Service (PL)
    40
    		[16]
    Sega Magazin (DE)
    65
    		[17]
    Sega Power (GR)
    69
    		[18]
    Sega Saturn Magazine (UK) PAL
    72
    		[19]
    Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J
    67
    		[20]
    Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J
    81
    		[6]
    Ultra Game Players (US)
    65
    		[21]
    Sega Saturn
    		 67
    Based on
    19 reviews

    Area 51

    Saturn, US
    Area51 Saturn US Box Back.jpgArea51 Saturn US Box Front.jpg
    Cover
    Area51 Saturn US Disc.jpg
    Disc
    Area51 sat us manual.pdf
    Manual
    Area51 Saturn US RegCard.pdf
    Reg Card
    Saturn, EU
    Area51 Saturn EU Box.jpg
    Cover
    Area51 Saturn EU Disc.jpg
    Disc
    Saturn, JP
    Area51 Saturn JP Box Back.jpgArea51 Saturn JP Box Front.jpg
    Cover
    Area 51 (エリア５１) Saturn JP Spinecard.png
    Spinecard
    Area51 Saturn JP Disc.jpg
    Disc
    Saturn, BR
    Area51 Saturn BR Box Front.jpg
    Cover

    Technical information

    ROM dump status

    System Hash Size Build Date Source Comments
    Sega Saturn
    ✔
    CRC32
    MD5
    SHA-1
    		384,102,768 CD-ROM(EU) T-25408H-50 V1.000
    Sega Saturn
    ✔
    CRC32
    MD5
    SHA-1
    		384,102,768 1996-12-04 CD-ROM(JP) T-18613G V1.000
    Sega Saturn
    ✔
    CRC32
    MD5
    SHA-1
    		385,942,032 CD-ROM(US) T-9705H V1.000

    References

    1. ↑ File:CVG UK 185.pdf, page 48
    2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 File:MeanMachinesSega52UK.pdf, page 76 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:MeanMachinesSega52UK.pdf_p76" defined multiple times with different content
    3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 File:IntelligentGamer US 08.pdf, page 73 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:IntelligentGamer US 08.pdf_p73" defined multiple times with different content
    4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 File:SaturnPower UK 02.pdf, page 75 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:SaturnPower UK 02.pdf_p75" defined multiple times with different content
    5. ↑ File:SSM_UK_18.pdf, page 62
    6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Saturn no Game wa Sekai Ichi~i~i~i!: Satamaga Dokusha Race Zen Kiroku, SoftBank Publishing, page 13 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:SnGwSISDRZK Book JP.pdf_p13" defined multiple times with different content
    7. ↑ Ação Games, "Março 1997" (BR; 1997-xx-xx), page 8
    8. ↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly, "February 1997" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 58
    9. ↑ Freak, "2/97" (IL; 1997-xx-xx), page 1
    10. ↑ Gambler, "9/1997" (PL; 1997-xx-xx), page 1
    11. ↑ GamePro, "February 1997" (US; 1997-xx-xx), page 82
    12. ↑ MAN!AC, "02/97" (DE; 1997-01-08), page 80
    13. ↑ Playmag, "Mai 1997" (FR; 1997-0x-xx), page 116
    14. ↑ Saturn Fan, "1997 No. 3" (JP; 1997-01-31), page 177
    15. ↑ Saturn Fan, "1997 No. 6" (JP; 1997-03-14), page 110
    16. ↑ Secret Service, "Kwiecień 1997" (PL; 1997-xx-xx), page 32
    17. ↑ Sega Magazin, "März 1997" (DE; 1997-02-12), page 81
    18. ↑ Sega Power, "Októmvrios-Noemvrios 1997" (GR; 1997-xx-xx), page 61
    19. ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "April 1997" (UK; 1997-03-15), page 62
    20. ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "1997-03 (1997-02-14)" (JP; 1997-01-31), page 154
    21. ↑ Ultra Game Players, "February 1997" (US; 1997-01-28), page 74
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