Blockout

From Sega Retro

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Blockout Title.png

Blockout
System(s): Sega Mega Drive
Publisher: Electronic Arts (US, Europe), Sega (Japan), Tec Toy (Brazil)
Developer:
Original system(s): PC
Sound driver: Electronic Arts/Rob Hubbard
Genre: Puzzle[1][2]

















Number of players: 1-2
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Mega Drive
JP
¥6,0006,000 G-4059
Sega Mega Drive
US
$49.9549.95[4] 705501
Sega Mega Drive
EU
E175SMX
Sega Mega Drive
UK
£34.9934.99[6][7] E175SMX
Sega Mega Drive
AU
Sega Mega Drive
BR
Non-Sega versions

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Blockout (ブロックアウト) is a puzzle game developed by California Dreams and published by Electronic Arts for the Sega Mega Drive in 1991. It has also been released for other consoles and computers.

The game can be seen almost as "3D Tetris". The game has a top-down perspective, with the primary objective being to clear "floors" rather than lines. Like Tetris, the player is given a series of shapes made up of cubes, which can be rotated on all three axes. Also like Tetris, if the player's pieces reach the top of the screen (i.e. some floors have gaps in them), the player will lose.

The formula behind Blockout has been recycled and rebranded numerous times, just like Tetris.

Production credits

  • Original Design by: Alexander Ustaszewski
  • Genesis Programming by: Edwin W. Reich, Jr., Steve Hayes
  • Graphics by: Gary Martin
  • Sound and Music by: Michael Bartlow
  • Technical Director: Richard Hicks
  • Produced by: Richard Robbins
  • Assistant Producers: Jeff Haas, John Manley
  • Special Thanks To: John Tomlinson
Source:
In-game credits
Blockout MD credits.pdf
[8]


Magazine articles

Main article: Blockout/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert in Mega Force (FR) #1: "Juillet/Août 1991" (1991-06-18)
Logo-pdf.svg
Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert in Velikiy Drakon (RU) #33 (1997-08-07)
also published in:
  • Velikiy Drakon (RU) #34 (1997-09-01)[9]
  • Velikiy Drakon (RU) #35 (1997-10-18)[10]
  • Velikiy Drakon (RU) #36 (1997-12-07)[11]
Logo-pdf.svg

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
{{{{{icon}}}|L}} Division by zero.
Based on
0 review
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
1700 igr dlya Sega (RU)
70
[12]
Beep! MegaDrive (JP) NTSC-J
65
[13]
Console XS (UK) PAL
76
[14]
Cool Gamer (RU)
60
[15]
Computer & Video Games (UK)
86
[16]
Famitsu (JP) NTSC-J
68
[17]
Game Mania (UK)
91
[18]
Gamers (DE)
67
[19]
Hippon Super (JP) NTSC-J
60
[20]
Hobby Consolas (ES)
82
[21]
Joystick (FR) PAL
85
[22]
Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK)
81
[23]
Mega Drive Fan (JP) NTSC-J
59
[24]
Mega (UK) PAL
67
[25]
Mega (UK) PAL
65
[26]
Mega Force (FR) PAL
70
[27]
MegaTech (UK)
91
[28]
MegaTech (UK) PAL
91
[29]
MegaTech (UK) PAL
88
[5]
Mean Machines (UK)
91
[30]
Mean Machines Sega (UK)
91
[31]
Power Play (DE)
74
[32]
Raze (UK) PAL
69
[6]
Sega Power (UK) PAL
89
[33]
Sega Power (UK) PAL
100
[34]
Sega Pro (UK) PAL
76
[35]
Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J
60
[36]
Tilt (FR)
70
[37]
Tricks 16 bit (RU)
78
[38]
Video Games (DE)
75
[39]
Sega Mega Drive
76
Based on
30 reviews

Blockout

Mega Drive, JP
Blockout MD JP Box.jpg
Cover
Blockout MD JP CartTop.jpg
Blockout MD JP Cart.jpg
Cart
Blockout MD JP Manual.pdf
Manual
Mega Drive, US
Blockout MD US Box.jpg
Cover
Blockout MD US Cart.jpg
Cart
Blockout MD US Manual.pdf
Manual
Mega Drive, US (cardboard)
Blockout MD US cb front.jpg
Cover
Mega Drive, EU
Blockout MD EU Box.jpg
Cover
Blockout MD US Cart.jpg
Cart
Blockout MD EU Manual.jpg
Manual
Mega Drive, AU

Mega Drive, BR
Blockout md br cover.jpg
Cover
Blockout MD BR Cart.jpg
Cart

Technical information

ROM dump status

System Hash Size Build Date Source Comments
Sega Mega Drive
CRC32 5e2966f1
MD5 c324d9a3cbfa530996b6ad202686627b
SHA-1 f6620d3b712f3bd333d0bb355c08cf992af6e12d
128kB 1991-06 Cartridge (US/EU) EA version

References

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NEC Retro has more information related to Blockout
  1. File:Blockout MD JP Box.jpg
  2. 2.0 2.1 https://sega.jp/history/hard/megadrive/software.html (Wayback Machine: 2020-07-20 09:51)
  3. https://groups.google.com/g/rec.games.video/c/m4jqg-zVjc4/m/CtgIp_BuV7sJ
  4. VideoGames & Computer Entertainment, "August 1991" (US; 1991-0x-xx), page 46
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 MegaTech, "August 1993" (UK; 1993-07-20), page 113
  6. 6.0 6.1 Raze, "October 1991" (UK; 1991-08-29), page 48
  7. Sega Power, "August 1991" (UK; 1991-07-04), page 23
  8. File:Blockout MD credits.pdf
  9. Velikiy Drakon, "" (RU; 1997-09-01), page 2
  10. Velikiy Drakon, "" (RU; 1997-10-18), page 78
  11. Velikiy Drakon, "" (RU; 1997-12-07), page 89
  12. 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 56
  13. Beep! MegaDrive, "November 1991" (JP; 1991-10-08), page 38
  14. Console XS, "June/July 1992" (UK; 1992-04-23), page 127
  15. Cool Gamer, "9" (RU; 2002-10-13), page 36
  16. Computer & Video Games, "July 1991" (UK; 1991-06-15), page 52
  17. Famitsu, "1991-11-08" (JP; 1991-10-25), page 38
  18. Game Mania, "May 1993" (UK; 1993-xx-xx), page 80
  19. Gamers, "Dezember/Januar 1993" (DE; 1992-11-19), page 101
  20. Hippon Super, "December 1991" (JP; 1991-11-05), page 88
  21. Hobby Consolas, "Octubre 1991" (ES; 1991-xx-xx), page 46
  22. Joystick, "Septembre 1991" (FR; 1991-0x-xx), page 189
  23. Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "January 1993" (UK; 199x-xx-xx), page 63
  24. Mega Drive Fan, "January 1992" (JP; 1991-12-07), page 101
  25. Mega, "June 1993" (UK; 1993-05-20), page 19
  26. Mega, "August 1993" (UK; 1993-07-15), page 83
  27. Mega Force, "Septembre/Octobre 1991" (FR; 1991-09-13), page 84
  28. MegaTech, "Xmas 1991" (UK; 1991-12-06), page 76
  29. MegaTech, "February 1992" (UK; 1992-01-20), page 49
  30. Mean Machines, "June 1991" (UK; 1991-05-29), page 68
  31. Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 137
  32. Power Play, "8/91" (DE; 1991-07-1x), page 128
  33. Sega Power, "August 1991" (UK; 1991-07-04), page 22
  34. Sega Power, "October 1991" (UK; 1991-09-05), page 52
  35. Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 64
  36. Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 87
  37. Tilt, "Septembre 1991" (FR; 1991-09-xx), page 86
  38. Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 27
  39. Video Games, "3/91" (DE; 1991-09-06), page 87


Blockout

Blockout Title.png

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Tetris and Tetris-like games for Sega systems/developed by Sega
Sega: Tetris (1989) | Flash Point (Mega Drive) (1989) | Bloxeed (1989) | Sega Tetris (1999) | Sega Ages 2500 Series Vol. 28: Tetris Collection (2006) | Tetris Giant (2010) | Puyo Puyo Tetris (2014) | Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 (2020)
Third-Party: Blockout (1991) | Tetris Plus (1996) | Tetris S (1996) | Tetris 4D (1998) | The Next Tetris: On-Line Edition (2000) | Tetris Kiwamemichi (2004) | Tetris The Grand Master 4: The Masters of Round (unreleased)
Unlicensed: Super Columns (1990) | Super Tetris (19xx) | Flashpoint (19xx)
Tetris related media
Music
Tetremix (1989) | Flash Point/Bloxeed (1990) | New Century (2006) | Puyo Puyo Tetris 1 & 2 Original Soundtrack (2020)