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U.N. Squadron

U.N. Squadron is a 1989 side-scrolling shooting game released by Capcom for the CPS arcade hardware and for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The game was released in Japan as Area 88 (Japanese: エリア88, Hepburn: Eria Hachi-Jū-Hachi),[2] and is based on the manga series of the same name, featuring the same main characters. Their mission is to stop a terrorist group known as Project 4. It was followed by a spiritual successor Carrier Air Wing.

U.N. Squadron
Sales flyer for the arcade version
Developer(s)Capcom
Publisher(s)Capcom
U.S. Gold (computers)
Director(s)Yoshiki Okamoto
Composer(s)Manami Matsumae
Platform(s)Arcade, Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Super NES, ZX Spectrum
ReleaseAugust 1989
SNES
Genre(s)Scrolling shooter
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer
Arcade systemCP System

Gameplay

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Pilot selection screen in U.N. Squadron

The game is a typical side scrolling shooter, going against the trend of other Capcom shooters, such as 1942 and 1943: The Battle of Midway, which are vertically scrolling shooters. Like other Capcom shooters, the player has an energy bar that is consumed over the course of a single life as the player sustains damage. This trait is highly uncommon among other comparable arcade-style shooters which normally use a system of reserve lives, where one of which is lost upon a single enemy hit. Before entering a level, the player can purchase special weapons or added defenses in the shop. The player earns money to buy weapons by destroying enemy planes and vehicles during levels and, when the level is finished, any unused weapons are converted back into money.

The player can choose between three mercenary pilots: Shin Kazama, Mickey Simon, and Greg Gates.[4] Each pilot flies a specific plane and has slightly different capabilities.

In the Super NES version, each pilot can use a range of planes. All pilots start out with $3000 and the basic F8 Crusader, and can buy other aircraft and weapons as they progress.

Development

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Capcom director Yoshiki Okamoto commented that the game was part of a broader strategy of Capcom at the time to appeal to a wider audience by using established characters from other media, as their original characters could be too niche.[5] In addition to Area 88, he cited games based on Willow and Tenchi wo Kurau as part of this strategy.[5]

Release

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Area 88 was ported to the home console Super NES and released in Japan on July 26, 1991.[2] In North America and Europe it was re-titled U.N. Squadron by Capcom.[6] The illustration for the U.N. Squadron poster was created by well known illustrator Marc Ericksen, the illustrator of the covers to Capcom's other games Mega Man 2 and Strider. A version for the Capcom Power System Changer was planned and previewed but never released.[7]

Reception

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In Japan, Game Machine listed U.N. Squadron on their September 15, 1989 issue as being the sixth most-successful table arcade unit of the month.[9] In North America, it was a major hit,[10] becoming the top-grossing software conversion kit on the RePlay arcade charts in February 1990.[11]

Upon its home console release, the Japanese gaming publication Weekly Famitsu gave the Super Famicom version a score of 28 out of 40.[2]

Entertainment Weekly gave the Super NES version of the game an A,[12] and picked the game as the #12 greatest game available in 1991.[13]

Super Gamer gave the SNES version an overall score of 93%, commending the graphics, aircraft selection, gameplay, and sound.[14]

Accolades

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IGN ranked U.N. Squadron 37th on its "Top 100 Super NES Games" list,[15] which made it the highest ranking side scroller shooter game on that list. In 2018, Complex listed U.N. Squadron 23rd on its "The Best Super Nintendo Games of All Time" list and called the game the best side scrolling shooter on the SNES.[16] In 1995, Total! rated the game 63rd on their Top 100 SNES Games list.[17]

References

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  1. ^ "Super NES Games" (PDF). Nintendo. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2012-07-25.
  2. ^ a b c d "エリア88 [スーパーファミコン] / ファミ通.com". www.famitsu.com. Archived from the original on 2018-06-30. Retrieved 2018-07-26.
  3. ^ "U.N. Squadron Release Data". GameFAQs. Archived from the original on 2013-08-09. Retrieved 2013-06-15.
  4. ^ Shintani, Kaoru (1991). U.N. Squadron Area 88 (エリア88) - Game Manual scan (PDF) (in Japanese). DAIPRO / Shogakukan (小学館) / CAPCOM. pp. 12, 13, 14. Retrieved 2024-03-10 – via The Internet Archive.
  5. ^ a b "Developer Interview Capcom Developer: Yoshiaki Okamoto, Noritaka Funamizu". Gamest (38). Shinseisha Ltd.: 10–29. (Translation) Archived 2017-05-31 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ Parish, Jeremy (2014-02-05). "Daily Classic: U.N. Squadron's SNES Identity Change". VG247. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
  7. ^ "カプコン アーケードオリジナルボード CPSシリーズ+CPSチェンジャー 限定販売決定!!". Club Capcom (in Japanese). Vol. 2. Capcom. Spring 1994. pp. 90–91.
  8. ^ "U.N. Squadron SNES Gamerankings review score". Archived from the original on 2019-05-05.
  9. ^ "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - テーブル型TVゲーム機 (Table Videos)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 364. Amusement Press. 15 September 1989. p. 21.
  10. ^ "Cover Story: "This Is the Good Time" – Capcom's CPS system brings success to the firm... and offers direction for a troubled video market". RePlay. Vol. 15, no. 7. April 1990. pp. 183–5.
  11. ^ "RePlay: The Players' Choice". RePlay. Vol. 15, no. 5. February 1990. p. 4.
  12. ^ "The latest video games". EW.com. Archived from the original on 2016-06-05. Retrieved 2018-11-03.
  13. ^ "Video Games Guide". EW.com. Archived from the original on 2017-02-19. Retrieved 2018-11-03.
  14. ^ "U.N. Squadron Review". Super Gamer (2). United Kingdom: Paragon Publishing: 124. May 1994. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  15. ^ "UN Squadron - #37 Top 100 SNES Games - IGN". Archived from the original on 2017-09-01. Retrieved 2017-09-01.
  16. ^ Knight, Rich (April 30, 2018). "The Best Super Nintendo Games of All Time". Complex. Retrieved 2022-02-11.
  17. ^ "Top 100 SNES Games". Total! (43): 46. July 1995. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
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