Galactic Attack

From Sega Retro

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GalacticAttack title.png

Galactic Attack
System(s): Sega Saturn
Publisher: Acclaim, Taito (JP)
Developer:
Developer(s) of original games: Taito
Sound driver: SCSP/CD-DA (17 tracks)
Genre: Shoot-'em-Up

















Number of players: 1-2
Release Date RRP Code

Galactic Attack, known as Layer Section (レイヤーセクション) in Japan, is a shoot-'em-up published by Acclaim (US and UK) or Taito (Japan) for the Sega Saturn. It is the home conversion of Taito's 1993 arcade game RayForce, otherwise known as Gunlock, ported by Ving.

A Layer Section II was later released for Saturn; this is a port of the sequel to RayForce, RayStorm. The use of PlayStation-esque hardware also compelled a port to that platform, under the original RayStorm name.

The game can be played both in standard mode and "tate" mode, which requires the display to be rotated by 90°. Some scaling and scrolling background effects can be only seen in tate mode.

Gameplay

Galactic Attack is a vertical shoot-'em-up with a "space shooter" theme. The player is equipped with two basic weapons, and nothing else:

  • A standard shot which fires straight forwards when C is held, which can be powered up by collecting red and yellow items. While the game's outfire is alread very fast (presumeable a 1/15 frequency), a higher firing rate can be acchived by turning off the game's default autofire and using an autofire device.
  • A"Lock On Laser", which is used to target enemies in the background. A cursor in front of the player's ship automatically targets enemies up to a certain number, then pressing B fires missiles which destroy or damage all the targets simultaneously. The original maximum amount of targets is five, but this can be increased to eight by collecting blue-green slabs with an "L" on them. The higher the amount of locked on enemies, the higher the score bonus.

Tips and tricks

  • Increase credits: Credit is doubled to 8.
In title screen,  START  by holding Left+L+R+C.

Versions

  • Compared to the Arcade release, the music has been slightly altered and the graphics have been recolored at bit. The latters has probably been performed to make the game more suitable for displays used for home consoles
  • Bonus lives are given out at 500000 and 1000000 points rather than 1000000 and 2000000 points
  • According to Japanese BBS talk, the ported version is a bit easier than the Arcade counterpart, but no hard data has been presented
  • The reason for the name has been changed from RayForce to Layer Section is due to trademark issues.[2]

Production credits

Producer: Yukio Abe
Director: Yukio Abe, Tatsuo Nakamura
Game Design: Tatsuo Nakamura, Yukio Abe, Tomohisa Yamashita
Software: Tatsuo Nakamura, Shinji Soyano, Hikaru Taniguchi, Masao Kashino, Isao Ooyama
Character Graphics: Hideyuki Kato, Tomohisa Yamashita, Takayuki Isobe, Shinjirou Sugitani, Hiroyo Kujirai, Yasuhiro Noguchi
Screen Graphics: Hideyuki Kato, V.A.P, Peacock
Music & Sound Effects: Tamayo (Zuntata)
Sound Effects: Mu-Nakanishi (Zuntata)
Sound Direction: Tono (Zuntata)
Design Works: Kyoko Umezu
Hardware: Katsumi Kaneoka
Special Thanks: Yoshihisa Nagata, Yuji Iwasaki, Toshiaki Matsumoto, Takatsuna Senba, Takamasa Hori, VG Tokyo Lab., VG Osaka Lab., And, All Kumagaya Staff

Saturn's Staff

Producer: Takeo Shirasaka
Program: T.Kuribayashi (Ving), H.Iso (Ving), S.Morikawa (Ving)
Sound Director: Tamayo (Zuntata), Mu-Nakanishi (Zuntata)
Title Logo Design: Toshiki Sakai, J.Takemoto (Ving)
Special Thanks: Yosio Imamura, Norio Ichinohe, Masaki Yagi, Youichirou Kugimiya, Kiyoshi Watanabe, VG Kumagaya All Staff

Taito®
© Taito Corporation 1995
All Rights Reserved

Track list

1. [data track]  
2. The First Report (00:32) 
From: Opening demo
Composed by: TAMAYO (ZUNTATA)
3. On Standby (02:02) 
From: Start demo
Composed by: TAMAYO (ZUNTATA)
4. Penetration (03:02) 
Japan Penetration ~Mind Bomb~
From: Area 1
Composed by: TAMAYO (ZUNTATA)
5. G (04:02) 
Japan G ~雪のように降りしきる彼女の為に~
From: Area 2
Composed by: TAMAYO (ZUNTATA)
6. Vision (03:32) 
Japan Vision ~不確かな残像~
From: Area 3
Composed by: TAMAYO (ZUNTATA)
7. Cracking! (03:32) 
Japan Cracking! ~鏡の裂け目~
From: Area 4
Composed by: TAMAYO (ZUNTATA)
8. Into Darkness (03:02) 
Japan Into Darkness ~死にたくなる程、ロマンティックな闇~
From: Area 5
Composed by: TAMAYO (ZUNTATA)
9. Mobius (04:32) 
Japan Mobius ~永遠と並列~
From: Area 6
Composed by: TAMAYO (ZUNTATA)
10. The Plot Thickens (02:02) 
From: Area 7-1
Composed by: TAMAYO (ZUNTATA)
11. Quartz (03:02) 
Japan Quartz ~水晶~
From: Area 7-2
Composed by: TAMAYO (ZUNTATA)
12. Aggressiveness (03:02) 
Japan Experiment 1 : Aggressiveness
From: Boss 1-4
Composed by: TAMAYO (ZUNTATA)
13. Atrocity (03:32) 
Japan Experiment 3 : Atrocity
From: Boss 5-6
Composed by: TAMAYO (ZUNTATA)
14. The Fates (02:22) 
From: Last Boss 1
Composed by: TAMAYO (ZUNTATA)
15. Doomsday (08:02) 
From: Last Boss 2
Composed by: TAMAYO (ZUNTATA)
16. Q.E.P.D. (01:42) 
Japan Q.E.P.D. (Que En Paz Descanse)
From: Ending
Composed by: TAMAYO (ZUNTATA)
17. KP-4 (00:52) 
From: Name entry
Composed by: TAMAYO (ZUNTATA)
18. Reason For It (00:30) 
From: Game over
Composed by: TAMAYO (ZUNTATA)
Running time: 49:22

Promotional material

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
40 №11, p118/119[3]
95 №48, p134
86 №168, p42[4]
70 №28, p81
80 №353, p29
71
60 №3, p144
60 №38, p76/77[5]
75 №40, p90[6]
91 №60, p86/87
79 №75, p75
77 №53, p65
79 №3, p82/83[7]
87 №1995-10, p173[8]
91
Sega Saturn
76
Based on
15 reviews
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
CD Consoles (FR)
40
[3]
CD Consoles (FR)
20
[10]
Consoles + (FR)
95
[11]
Computer & Video Games (UK) NTSC-J
86
[4]
Edge (UK) NTSC-J
70
[12]
Famitsu (JP) NTSC-J
80
[13]
Fun Generation (DE)
70
[14]
GameFan (US) NTSC-J
87
[15]
GamePro (US) NTSC-U
80
[16]
Hobby Consolas (ES)
79
[17]
MAN!AC (DE) NTSC-J
71
[18]
MAN!AC (DE) PAL
71
[19]
Maximum (UK)
50
[20]
Mega Fun (DE) PAL
72
[21]
Mean Machines Sega (UK) NTSC-J
60
[5]
Mean Machines Sega (UK) PAL
75
[6]
Player One (FR)
91
[22]
Saturn Fan (JP) NTSC-J
81
[23]
Saturn+ (UK) PAL
72
[24]
Sega Magazin (DE) PAL
84
[25]
Sega Power (UK) NTSC-J
79
[26]
Sega Pro (UK) NTSC
77
[27]
Sega Saturn Magazine (UK) PAL
79
[28]
Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J
87
[29]
Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J
91
[9]
Última Generación (ES)
78
[30]
Video Games (DE) NTSC-J
62
[31]
Sega Saturn
74
Based on
27 reviews

Galactic Attack

Saturn, US
GalacticAttack US backcover.jpgGalacticAttack US cover.jpg
Cover
GalacticAttack Saturn US Disc.jpg
Disc
Galacticattack sat us manual.pdf
Manual
Saturn, EU
GalacticAttack EU cover.jpg
Cover
GalacticAttack Saturn EU Disc.jpg
Disc
Saturn, JP
LayerSection Saturn JP Box Back.jpgGalacticAttack JP cover.jpg
Cover
GalacticAttack Saturn JP Spinecard.jpg
Spinecard
LayerSection Saturn JP Disc.jpg
Disc
GalacticAttack SS jp manual.pdf
Manual
Saturn, JP (Satakore)
LayerSection Saturn JP Box Back Satakore.jpgGalacticAttack Saturn JP Box Front Satakore.jpg
Cover
GalacticAttack SS jp manual Satakore.pdf
Manual

References

  1. @nak1104ray on Twitter
  2. @nak1104ray on Twitter
  3. 3.0 3.1 File:CDConsoles FR 11.pdf, page 118 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:CDConsoles FR 11.pdf_p118" defined multiple times with different content
  4. 4.0 4.1 File:CVG UK 168.pdf, page 42 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:CVG UK 168.pdf_p42" defined multiple times with different content
  5. 5.0 5.1 File:MeanMachinesSega38UK.pdf, page 77 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:MeanMachinesSega38UK.pdf_p77" defined multiple times with different content
  6. 6.0 6.1 File:MeanMachinesSega40UK.pdf, page 90 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:MeanMachinesSega40UK.pdf_p90" defined multiple times with different content
  7. File:SSM_UK_03.pdf, page 82
  8. File:SSM_JP_19951001_1995-10.pdf, page 175
  9. 9.0 9.1 Saturn no Game wa Sekai Ichi~i~i~i!: Satamaga Dokusha Race Zen Kiroku, SoftBank Publishing, page 11 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:SnGwSISDRZK Book JP.pdf_p11" defined multiple times with different content
  10. CD Consoles, "Mars 1996" (FR; 1996-xx-xx), page 95
  11. Consoles +, "Novembre 1995" (FR; 1995-1x-xx), page 134
  12. Edge, "January 1996" (UK; 1995-11-30), page 81
  13. Famitsu, "1995-09-22" (JP; 1995-09-08), page 29
  14. Fun Generation, "01/96" (DE; 1995-12-20), page 67
  15. GameFan, "Volume 3, Issue 11: November 1995" (US; 1995-xx-xx), page 23
  16. GamePro, "March 1996" (US; 1996-xx-xx), page 75
  17. Hobby Consolas, "Febrero 1996" (ES; 1996-xx-xx), page 103
  18. MAN!AC, "11/95" (DE; 1995-10-11), page 48
  19. MAN!AC, "01/96" (DE; 1995-12-06), page 81
  20. Maximum, "January 1996" (UK; 199x-xx-xx), page 144
  21. Mega Fun, "01/96" (DE; 1995-12-20), page 71
  22. Player One, "Janvier 1996" (FR; 199x-xx-xx), page 86
  23. Saturn Fan, "1995 December" (JP; 1995-11-08), page 60
  24. Saturn+, "Easter/April 1996" (UK; 1996-03-07), page 60
  25. Sega Magazin, "Januar 1996" (DE; 1995-12-13), page 77
  26. Sega Power, "Christmas 1995" (UK; 1995-12-21), page 75
  27. Sega Pro, "January 1996" (UK; 1995-11-30), page 55
  28. Sega Saturn Magazine, "January 1996" (UK; 1995-12-15), page 82
  29. Sega Saturn Magazine, "October 1995" (JP; 1995-09-08), page 175
  30. Última Generación, "Febrero 1996" (ES; 1996-0x-xx), page 80
  31. Video Games, "11/95" (DE; 1995-10-25), page 87