Designer(s) Fukumura Mizunaga Cabinet Standard and cocktail Initial release date December 1982 | Programmer(s) Fukumura Mizunaga Developer Sega | |
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Genre(s) MazeRun and gunVehicular combat gameTrain simulator Mode(s) Up to 2 players, alternating turns Similar SubRoc‑3D, Flashgal, Tac/Scan, Zektor, Buck Rogers: P | ||
Super locomotive
Super Locomotive is a side-scrolling train arcade video game developed by Sega and released in 1982.
Contents
Gameplay
The objective of the game is to guide a train from one station to next. Along the route, the player must avoid obstacles such as other trains, planes, red signals, trucks crossing intersections, and guide the train along multiple routes by changing tracks en route. The player is armed with a steam fire bullet for destroying airborne targets, and a temporary force field which protects the train for a limited period of time. The use of the bullets and shields rapidly deplete an energy bar which must be maintained between levels by picking up oil items en route. Upon completion of a level, a bonus stage is played which involves the train attempting to shoot as many airborne enemies within a finite time limited. The bonus awarded is dependent upon the number of enemies destroyed. The game then resumes on more challenging levels.
Soundtrack
The game's soundtrack features a chiptune rendition of Yellow Magic Orchestra's synthpop hit "Rydeen" (1979) playing throughout the main gameplay.
The same tune later appeared in several personal computer games, including Rabbit Software's Trooper Truck (1983) and Superior Software's Stryker's Run (1986), and as the Ocean Software loader theme for Daley Thompson's Decathlon (1984).
Reception
Computer and Video Games magazine reviewed the game in its September 1983 issue. They said it is an "enjoyable romp" with "a good setting" and "a marvelous rousing tune that adds immediately to the action."
Legacy
The game was reported to have a very limited production run with only 35 PCB boards printed. Of those, most remained in Japan, with the remainder exported to Sega Europe and all sold to UK customers. This means that the game was not natively present in either mainland Europe or the US.
This makes the game one of the most sought after boards, and prices reflect this scarcity.
While no official conversions of the game exist, the 1984 computer game Loco is heavily inspired by Super Locomotive. Rabbit Software's 1983 computer game Trooper Truck is also inspired by the game.
Photo of the PCB can be found here [1]