| Vanguard | |
|---|---|
 Japanese arcade flyer of Vanguard. |
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| Developer(s) | TOSE[1] |
| Publisher(s) | SNK[2] [3] Centuri [4] Zaccaria [5] |
| Platform(s) | Arcade, Atari 2600, Atari 5200 |
| Release date(s) | 1981 |
| Genre(s) | Multi-scrolling shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Input methods | 4-way joystick, four buttons |
| Cabinet | Upright, cocktail (Cinematronics)[6] |
| Arcade system | M6502 (@ 930 kHz) Custom audio |
| Display | Vertical orientation resolution: 224 x 256 64 colors |
Vanguard (ヴァンガード) is a 1981 arcade game developed by TOSE,[1] and published by SNK in Japan in 1981[2] and later during the same year in Germany by the same publisher,[3] while it was licensed to Centuri for manufacture in North America in October 1981[4] and by Zaccaria in Italy during the same year,[5] putting SNK on the map in those regions. The game was also licensed to Cinematronics for conversion to cocktail arcade cabinets in North America.[6]
The game is known as one of the first scrolling shooters ever made and is additionally notable by being the first shoot 'em up where a player can shoot in four different directions. Also, unlike other comparable games at the time, Vanguard was unique in that the player must focus on avoiding obstacles while firing in order to survive; which made this game a precursor to Konami's Gradius and Irem's R-Type.[7] It also has the distinction of being the first colored game released by SNK.
Vanguard was followed up by a sequel, Vanguard II, which is similar to the original but with gameplay and graphical improvements; however, unlike the original, there were no home console nor computer ports of Vanguard II released.
Contents |
Plot
The Gond has been terrorizing nearby space colonies with its periodic raids of destruction. The time has come to put an end to his reign of terror. The player has been selected to pilot an advanced fighter ship with high offensive capabilities, and must enter the cave inside the asteroid where the Gond makes his home, and safely fly through every zone; the Mountain Zone, Rainbow Zone, Styx Zone, Stripe Zone, Bleak Zone, and the City of Mystery where the Gond is rumored to reside. The player must take the Gond out, and succeed in the mission. If unsuccessful, the colonies will be doomed.
Gameplay
Vanguard is very similar to Scramble, in the sense that the player controls a ship with a limited amount of fuel that constantly depletes. Some zones start off primarily as a horizontal scroller, but in some zones, the ship flies vertically. Also, at the end of each zone the player must defeat a boss that is guarded by two moving force fields with holes in them while scrolling vertically. There are a total of ten zones in the game: Mountain Zone, Rainbow Zone, Styx Zone, Rainbow Zone 2, Stripe Zone, Rainbow Zone 3, Bleak Zone, and the City of Mystery. The player loses a life once your fuel is gone, but gains more as enemies are destroyed. The player must constantly avoid colliding with the walls, which change in thickness all throughout the stages. The ship can independently fire lasers in any of the four cardinal directions using the four buttons. By securing the energy pods, a short time of invulnerability can be granted. This turns the ship effectively into a weapon, and the enemies change attack patterns to avoid the player.
Vanguard was ported by Atari Games to the Atari 2600 and Atari 5200 home consoles.
Vanguard uses a number of custom sound chips to produce digitized voices and custom synthesizer sounds. The speech is used to announce the name of the current level. Theme music composed by Jerry Goldsmith for the 1979 sci-fi film Star Trek: The Motion Picture, later utilized for Star Trek: The Next Generation, is borrowed as Vanguard's introductory theme. Vultan's theme from the 1980 movie Flash Gordon is used as the sound effect when a power-up is attained. A Vanguard unit appeared in the 1982 movie Jekyll and Hyde... Together Again.
References
- ^ a b Vanguard (video game) - giantbomb.com Retrieved on 2009-03-18
- ^ a b Japanese arcade flyer at The Arcade Flyer Archive Retrieved on 2009-03-18
- ^ a b German arcade flyer at The Arcade Flyer Archive Retrieved on 2009-03-18
- ^ a b North American arcade flyer at The Arcade Flyer Archive Retrieved on 2009-03-18
- ^ a b Italian arcade flyer at The Arcade Flyer Archive Retrieved on 2009-03-18
- ^ a b North American arcade flyer for the cocktail version at The Arcade Flyer Archive Retrieved on 2009-03-18
- ^ Timeline: The History of SNK - G4tv.com Retrieved on 2009-03-18
External links
- Vanguard at the Killer List of Videogames
- Vanguard guide at StrategyWiki
- Vanguard at the Centuri.net Arcade Database
- Vanguard at arcade-history
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