Pu-Li-Ru-La/Arcade Gears
From Sega Retro
Pu-Li-Ru-La/Arcade Gears | ||||||||||
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System(s): Sega Saturn | ||||||||||
Publisher: Xing Entertainment | ||||||||||
Developer: Goo![1] | ||||||||||
Licensor: Taito | ||||||||||
Original system(s): Taito F2 System | ||||||||||
Developer(s) of original games: Taito | ||||||||||
Sound driver: SCSP/CD-DA (29 tracks) | ||||||||||
Genre: Action[2][3] | ||||||||||
Number of players: 1-2 | ||||||||||
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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.
Contents
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
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) | |
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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 | |
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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 | |
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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
- Producer: Yoshio Kimura
- Project Manager: Amando Kuno
- Assistant: Naoji Iida, Shu Hiratoh
- 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
Magazine articles
- Main article: Pu-Li-Ru-La/Arcade Gears/Magazine articles.
Promotional material
Physical scans
Sega Retro Average | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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59 | |
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Based on 5 reviews |
Technical information
- Main article: Pu-Li-Ru-La/Arcade Gears/Technical information.
References
- ↑ http://gdri.smspower.org/wiki/index.php/Goo!
- ↑ File:PLRLAG Saturn JP Box Back.jpg
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 https://sega.jp/fb/segahard/ss/soft_licensee3.html (Wayback Machine: 2020-03-20 23:05)
- ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "1997-30 (1997-09-05)" (JP; 1997-08-22), page 96
- ↑ File:PuLiRuLaAG Saturn JP SSEnding.pdf
- ↑ Famitsu, "1997-09-05" (JP; 1997-08-22), page 1
- ↑ Saturn Fan, "1997 No. 16" (JP; 1997-08-xx), page 200
- ↑ Saturn Fan, "1997 No. 20" (JP; 1997-10-17), page 98
- ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "1997-29 (1997-08-22,29)" (JP; 1997-08-08), page 197
- ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "Readers rating final data" (JP; 2000-03), page 15
Pu-Li-Ru-La/Arcade Gears | |
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Main page | Comparisons | Hidden content | Magazine articles | Reception | Technical information |
Arcade Gears compilations | |
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Pu-Li-Ru-La/Arcade Gears (1997) | Gun Frontier Arcade Gears (1997) | Wonder 3 Arcade Gears (1998) | ImageFight & XMultiply: Arcade Gears (1998) | Edward Randy Arcade Gears (unreleased) |