Socket

n/a

Socket

Publisher: VIC Tokai

Developer: VIC Tokai, Graphic Research (sound)

Sound driver: GRC/later custom

Genre: Action

Number of players: 1

Release	Date	RRP	Code
JP	1994-03-25	¥7,8007,800	T-23033
US	1993-08-17		T-23046
KR	199x		GM94001JT

VRC

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Socket, known as Time Dominator 1st (タイムドミネーター 1st) in Japan, is a platform game released for the Mega Drive in 1993, developed and published by VIC Tokai. The game was released in Japan and North America, but not in Europe.

Story

It features a time travelling android duck as a protagonist named Socket (named Minute in the japanese version) hired to stop an evil time-travelling overlord known as the Time Dominator, who is the boss of each stage.

Gameplay

Socket borrows many elements from Sonic the Hedgehog and its sequels, causing it to be labelled as a "Sonic clone". Like Sonic there is an emphasis on speed, with the game offering several "High Speed Areas" in an attempt to woo fans of Sega's game. There are also "labyrinth" areas, which have a greater emphasis on exploration of the level. Items are collected by destroying capsules, similar to Sonic, and a time attack mode is offered.

and make Socket/Minute jump, while allows him to kick, acting the primary method of defense within the game. As the name may suggest, Socket/Minute requires electricity to keep going, and so must collect lightning bolts in order to stay alive. His health will otherwise deteriorate over time. Socket/Minute has a machine allowing him to travel through time, so each level is set in a different time period as well as setting.

Socket was the subject of mixed reviews at the time of release. Sega Zone gave the game the lowest possible score on the basis that it was a Sonic clone.

Levels

Stages in Socket follow a format rarely seen in other games - they are split into three "sub-stages", each sporting a different change of pace. The first sub-stage is merely called a "High Speed Area", playing to the fast speeds of Socket. High Speed Areas have their own set of graphics and could be seen as completely independent stages, but the game classes them as part of a three-Act stage. High speed areas presumably are what Socket must overcome in order to travel through time and reach his destination. In the Japanese version, the High Speed Areas are arranged differently.

The second sub-stage, now set in a specific time period, is deemed an "Athletic Area", resembling more of what the player might see in a Sonic the Hedgehog platformer. They are a more balanced mixture of running and jumping than the high speed areas.

The third and final sub-stage is called a "Labyrinth Area", and is much like the above aside from the fact that Socket needs to find a door (i.e. there is a need for exploration). Going through that door will inevitably put Socket up against the boss. Other doors will send him to a mini-game area.

	Emerald Forest

	Treasure Castle

	Olien Cavern

	Stone Age

	Antiquity

	Future

	Time Castle

Versions

Localised names

Also known as
Language	Localised Name	English Translation
English (US)	Socket	Socket
Japanese	タイムドミネーター 1st	Time Dominator 1st

Production credits

Director: Dark Side Toshi
Map Design: Lovely Nao, Good By Mitsu
Character Design: Dark Side Toshi, Bird West, Good By Mitsu
Main Program: Gantaro
Map Program: Honey Ishihara
Enemy Program: Norimono Hakubutsukan
Sound Composer: Fumito Tamayama, Yoko Suzuki, Shigenori Masuko, Yasuyuki Hamada
Planner: Toshi.Nao.Mitu

Source:

In-game credits

Magazine articles

Main article: Socket/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Print advert in Sega Visions (US) #15: "October/November 1993" (1993-xx-xx)
also published in:

Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) #52: "November 1993" (1993-xx-xx)^[1]

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average

Publication

Version

Score

1700 igr dlya Sega (RU)

40

^[5]

Beep! MegaDrive (JP)

NTSC-J

58

^[6]

Console Mania (IT)

89

^[7]

Cool Gamer (RU)

40

^[8]

Hippon Super (JP)

NTSC-J

60

^[9]

Mega (UK)

NTSC-U

41

^[10]

Mega Fun (DE)

NTSC-U

71

^[11]

Mean Machines Sega (UK)

NTSC-U

68

^[12]

Sega Power (UK)

NTSC-U

64

^[13]

Sega Pro (UK)

NTSC-U

84

^[14]

Sega Zone (UK)

NTSC-U

0

^[15]

Sega Saturn Magazine (JP)

NTSC-J

63

^[16]

Video Games (DE)

NTSC-U

72

^[17]

	58
Based on 13 reviews

Socket

Mega Drive, US
Cover
Cart

Mega Drive, JP
Cover
Cart Manual

Mega Drive, KR

Cart

Technical information

ROM dump status

System

Hash

Size

Build Date

Source

Comments

✔

CRC32	3c14e15a
MD5	9df8251cbfe05a47a5ff8fd9cf328b32
SHA-1	fee9eb272362bd6f36d552a9ebfd25f5f0db7d2f

1MB

1993-07

Cartridge (US)

✔

CRC32	7eba7a5c
MD5	5f43a98bcf064fd5789c188bba85b34f
SHA-1	c9358fb57314be5792af5e97748f7b886a7194d2

1MB

1993-07

Cartridge (JP)

References

↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly, "November 1993" (US; 1993-xx-xx), page 119
↑ Beep! MegaDrive, "October 1993" (JP; 1993-09-08), page 22 (24)
↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 85 (87)
↑ Mean Machines Sega, "March 1994" (UK; 1994-01-28), page 84-86 (84)
↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 212
↑ Beep! MegaDrive, "October 1993" (JP; 1993-09-08), page 24
↑ Console Mania, "Gennaio 1994" (IT; 199x-xx-xx), page 71
↑ Cool Gamer, "9" (RU; 2002-10-13), page 192
↑ Hippon Super, "October 1993" (JP; 1993-09-03), page 41
↑ Mega, "February 1994" (UK; 1994-01-20), page 38
↑ Mega Fun, "03/94" (DE; 1994-02-23), page 106
↑ Mean Machines Sega, "March 1994" (UK; 1994-01-28), page 84
↑ Sega Power, "February 1994" (UK; 1994-01-06), page 73
↑ Sega Pro, "February 1994" (UK; 1993-12-30), page 64
↑ Sega Zone, "January 1994" (UK; 1993-12-23), page 58
↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 87
↑ Video Games, "2/94" (DE; 1994-01-26), page 50

Socket
	Main page \| Comparisons \| Maps \| Credits \| Hidden content \| Magazine articles \| Reception \| Region coding \| Technical information \| Bootlegs No results

[:File:EGM_US_052.pdf_p119-1] Electronic Gaming Monthly, "November 1993" (US; 1993-xx-xx), page 119

[:File:BeepMD_JP_1993-10.pdf_p24_.2822.29-2] Beep! MegaDrive, "October 1993" (JP; 1993-09-08), page 22 (24)

[:File:SSM_JP_19950901_1995-09.pdf_p87_.2885.29-3] Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 85 (87)

[:File:MeanMachinesSega17UK.pdf_p84_.2884-86.29-4] Mean Machines Sega, "March 1994" (UK; 1994-01-28), page 84-86 (84)

[5] 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 212

[:File:BeepMD_JP_1993-10.pdf_p24-6] Beep! MegaDrive, "October 1993" (JP; 1993-09-08), page 24

[:File:ConsoleMania_IT_026.pdf_p71-7] Console Mania, "Gennaio 1994" (IT; 199x-xx-xx), page 71

[8] Cool Gamer, "9" (RU; 2002-10-13), page 192

[9] Hippon Super, "October 1993" (JP; 1993-09-03), page 41

[:File:Mega_UK_17.pdf_p38-10] Mega, "February 1994" (UK; 1994-01-20), page 38

[:File:MegaFun_DE_1994-03.pdf_p106-11] Mega Fun, "03/94" (DE; 1994-02-23), page 106

[:File:MeanMachinesSega17UK.pdf_p84-12] Mean Machines Sega, "March 1994" (UK; 1994-01-28), page 84

[:File:SegaPower_UK_51.pdf_p73-13] Sega Power, "February 1994" (UK; 1994-01-06), page 73

[:File:SegaPro_UK_28.pdf_p64-14] Sega Pro, "February 1994" (UK; 1993-12-30), page 64

[:File:SegaZone_UK_15.pdf_p58-15] Sega Zone, "January 1994" (UK; 1993-12-23), page 58

[:File:SSM_JP_19950901_1995-09.pdf_p87-16] Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 87

[:File:VideoGames_DE_1994-02.pdf_p50-17] Video Games, "2/94" (DE; 1994-01-26), page 50

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Socket

From Sega Retro

Contents

Story

Gameplay

Levels

Versions

Localised names

Production credits

Magazine articles

Promotional material

Physical scans

Technical information

ROM dump status

References