Difference between revisions of "Gaiares"
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| md_code_jp=T-49013 | | md_code_jp=T-49013 | ||
| md_rrp_jp=8,400e{{magref|bemega|1991-01|8}} | | md_rrp_jp=8,400e{{magref|bemega|1991-01|8}} | ||
| − | | md_date_us=1991-02{{magref|egm|20|18}} | + | | md_date_us=1991-03{{ref|https://groups.google.com/g/rec.games.video/c/mQhzybiPA0g/m/6KoVO6mzZG4J}}<!--1991-02{{magref|egm|20|18}}--> |
| md_rrp_us=69.95{{magref|gamepro|20|78}} | | md_rrp_us=69.95{{magref|gamepro|20|78}} | ||
| md_code_us=49066 | | md_code_us=49066 | ||
Revision as of 03:51, 17 January 2022
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| Gaiares | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| System(s): Sega Mega Drive | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Publisher: Renovation Game (Japan), Renovation Products (US) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developer: Telenet Japan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Genre: Shooting[1][2] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number of players: 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This short article is in need of work. You can help Sega Retro by adding to it.
Gaiares (ガイアレス) is a Sega Mega Drive horizontal shoot-'em-up developed by Telenet Japan. First published in Japan by Renovation Game in December 1990, it was later brought to the United States by Renovation Products the following February, and eventually brought to Europe later that year. One of the first Mega Drive games to utilize an 8 Megabit cartridge over the standard size of 4 Megabit, Gaiares (alongside Technosoft's Thunder Force III) was one of the earliest shoot-'em-ups to demonstrate the technical strengths of the 16-bit hardware.
Contents
Story
In the year 3000, humans have polluted Earth to such an extent that Gulfer, a group of space pirates, plan to use the pollution to fuel weapons of mass destruction. The United Star Cluster of Leezaluth feel the only way to stop this from happening is to blow the Sun up, but allows the humans one chance to save themselves: by sending Dan Dare (Diaz in Japan) in a special ship to stop Gulfer.
Aiding Dan in a special sub-ship is the TOZ System, run by Leezaluth emissary Alexis, which can steal powers from the space pirates's own ships. Should you succeed, Leezaluth will give the humans a new planet to inhabit.
Gameplay
changes movement speed. 
shoots. 
sends Alexis out straight ahead to take the weapon of the nearest enemy. You can keep taking the same type of weapon, which will increase that weapon's strength, until the type has been maxed out. Furthermore small capsules can be picked up to wipe out all enemies on screen or to install a shield that can absorb multiple enemy hits.
Some stages feature branching paths that can be selected by flying high or low on the screen.
History
The game's United States release shipped with a poster featuring the game's Western cover artwork.
A proper European release was planned by Ubisoft[6] but ultimately did not materialize, and Europe instead received the Japanese version with an additional multi-language manual.[7]
American advertising campaign
- Main article: Jamie Bunker.
In 1990, Renovation Products selected one of their game testers, Jamie Bunker, to be the spokesperson for the upcoming Sega Mega Drive game Gaiares' United States advertising campaign.[8] Bunker posed with the game's United States release in a series of three advertisements, with each labeling the seventeen-year old spokesman a "professional gamer". Contrasting with the often juvenile and exaggerative statements of other game advertisements of the day, Renovation Products' advertisements simply featured a visibly genuine Bunker presenting the game with a recommendation of its quality, and has become one of the Mega Drive era's most fondly-remembered advertising campaigns.
Development
During development, Gaiares was known by the name Aztion (アズシオン).[9]
A significant majority of the game's 8 Megabit size is dedicated to the storage of cutscene graphics.
Production credits
- Game Design: M.Yamamoto, K.Yokota
- Character Design: T.Iwata, K.Yokota
- Graphic Design: K.Yokota, T.Iwata, Y.Kuzumoto
- Program: M.Yamamoto
- Sound: S.Ogawa (Business Support Co., Ltd.)
- Special Thanks: K.Fukushima, Y.Fukushima, J.Fukushima, T.Fukushima, Y.Abe, T.Kinoshita, E.Kikuchi, T.Miura, T.Matsuzawa, A.Suzuki, Y.Shimizu, K.Ohta, Y.Yamauchi, T.Umezu
- (C) Telenet Japan 1990
- (C) Renovation Products 1990
Magazine articles
- Main article: Gaiares/Magazine articles.
Promotional material
- Main article: Gaiares/Promotional material.
Physical scans
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75 |
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| Based on 21 reviews | |
| Mega Drive, JP |
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 Cover
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  Cart  Manual |
| Mega Drive, US |
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 Cover
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 Cart  Manual  Poster  PCB |
| Mega Drive, EU (JAP Import) |
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Technical information
ROM dump status
| System | Hash | Size | Build Date | Source | Comments | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
1MB | 1990-12 | Cartridge (US/JP) |
External links
- Gaiares Is Getting A Physical Re-Release With The Help Of The Kid Who Promoted It 31 Years Ago article by Damien McFerran at Nintendo Life
- Gaiares Is Back! Pre-Order the Best 16-Bit Shooter Ever Made! video essay by Defunct Games at YouTube
References
- ↑ File:Gaiares MD JP Box.jpg
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 https://sega.jp/history/hard/megadrive/software_l.html (Wayback Machine: 2020-07-02 23:21)
- ↑ Beep! MegaDrive, "January 1991" (JP; 1990-12-08), page 8
- ↑ https://groups.google.com/g/rec.games.video/c/mQhzybiPA0g/m/6KoVO6mzZG4J
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 GamePro, "March 1991" (US; 1991-xx-xx), page 78
- ↑ Sega Force, "January 1992" (UK; 1991-12-12), page 10
- ↑ http://www.guardiana.net/MDG-Database/Mega%20Drive/Gaiares/#v393
- ↑ http://cinnamonpirate.com/2007/07/unpublished-the-real-jamie-bunker/ (Wayback Machine: 2010-10-30 20:12)
- ↑ File:Mdfan_JP_1990-08.pdf, page 79
- ↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 83
- ↑ Beep! MegaDrive, "January 1991" (JP; 1990-12-08), page 36
- ↑ Computer + Video Giochi, "Aprile 1991" (IT; 1991-xx-xx), page 46
- ↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly, "March 1991" (US; 1991-xx-xx), page 18
- ↑ Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 1, "" (RU; 1999-xx-xx), page 316
- ↑ Famitsu, "" (JP; 199x-xx-xx), page 1
- ↑ Hippon Super, "January 1991" (JP; 1990-12-04), page 43
- ↑ Joystick, "Mars 1991" (FR; 1991-0x-xx), page 124
- ↑ Mega Drive Fan, "March 1991" (JP; 1991-02-08), page 99
- ↑ Mega Play, "March/April 1991" (US; 1991-04-xx), page 42
- ↑ MegaTech, "Xmas 1991" (UK; 1991-12-06), page 78
- ↑ MegaTech, "February 1992" (UK; 1992-01-20), page 40
- ↑ Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 138
- ↑ Player One, "Décembre 1991" (FR; 1991-xx-xx), page 60
- ↑ Power Play, "4/91" (DE; 1991-03-15), page 128
- ↑ Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 65
- ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 86
- ↑ Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 15
- ↑ User, "Mártios 1992" (GR; 1992-0x-xx), page 83
- ↑ Video Games, "1/91" (DE; 1991-03-27), page 84
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