0:00:00.468,0:00:03.577 Passagem Secreta Presents 0:00:04.750,0:00:12.875 It's not a secret to anyone to say that Sega in the 80s was very successful in the arcades with games like Space Harrier, Hang-On and Out Run, 0:00:12.876,0:00:17.285 that sought new gaming experiences with spectacular graphics for its time. 0:00:17.586,0:00:23.674 These games have become classics constantly revived with new ports or even sequels. 0:00:23.675,0:00:27.135 However, there is a game of the company that belongs to this category, 0:00:27.136,0:00:30.400 but it always goes unnoticed by the lovers of old stuff. 0:00:30.401,0:00:34.790 Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the review of Galaxy Force II. 0:00:39.901,0:00:42.445 The machine, released in 1988, 0:00:42.446,0:00:45.995 offered a great alternative to the success After Burner was doing, 0:00:45.996,0:00:50.535 and like this game, it is a continuation which the original game was never released. 0:00:50.536,0:00:51.736 Sega's things, eh. 0:00:52.450,0:00:54.825 But instead of shooting down enemy fighters, 0:00:54.826,0:00:57.530 this time the player is put in control of a spacecraft 0:00:57.531,0:01:02.735 passing by various planets with the aim of overthrowing the oppressive empire and all that usual stuff. 0:01:03.236,0:01:05.840 But the gameplay is a bit more complex, take a look: 0:01:05.841,0:01:10.585 the spacecraft starts with a certain amount of energy that decreases constantly. 0:01:10.986,0:01:13.950 By defeating enemies with shots and lock-on missiles, 0:01:13.951,0:01:21.295 the player accumulates more bonus energy that on some key points of the stage is added to the remaining energy the spacecraft has. 0:01:21.596,0:01:25.750 The spacecraft also begins with a shield that after three or four attacks breaks up. 0:01:25.751,0:01:31.315 Thereafter, any shot, hit or catastrophe deducts directly from the energy of the spacecraft, 0:01:31.316,0:01:33.625 making things more complex than ever before. 0:01:42.250,0:01:46.065 The stages consist in parts in open field and others in a closed tunnel, 0:01:46.066,0:01:49.890 until you reach the core of the enemy base that must be immediately destroyed. 0:01:49.891,0:01:51.000 Very original, eh? 0:01:51.001,0:01:55.485 Early on, the game gives you the chance to choose which chapter to start, 0:01:55.486,0:01:58.445 and you can even do certain strategies through this scheme, 0:01:58.446,0:02:03.415 since you can choose a more difficult stage in the beginning, and then go to other less complicated later. 0:02:03.816,0:02:06.120 The control scheme of spacecraft is very interesting, 0:02:06.121,0:02:12.405 having a normal joystick and a special lever for acceleration and brakes, that is important at some times like this one. 0:02:13.706,0:02:18.605 The deluxe version of the arcade cabinet had a hydraulic system that moved according to the action, 0:02:18.606,0:02:22.695 showing once again the concern of Sega to offer an unique gaming experience, 0:02:22.696,0:02:26.540 culminating in the terrifying R360 a few years later. 0:02:31.700,0:02:33.095 >>Boy: I wanna get off! 0:02:33.250,0:02:36.720 >>Rafael Fernandes: Anyway, the graphics were sensational at the time, 0:02:36.721,0:02:41.565 using the maximum of the scale of sprites effects, rotation and any of that, 0:02:41.566,0:02:46.620 Galaxy Force had very advanced graphics and much originality of design. 0:02:46.721,0:02:49.435 It's really amazing how some elements of scenery 0:02:49.436,0:02:53.570 would only be seen in some console in a decent shape only a few years later. 0:02:53.971,0:02:55.300 On the other hand, the sound is great. 0:02:55.801,0:02:58.740 The sound effects of shots and explosions are very well done. 0:03:11.841,0:03:15.070 The game's soundtrack consists of great compositions, 0:03:15.071,0:03:19.001 that somehow the instrumentation of the arcade sound chip does not match. 0:03:35.900,0:03:39.125 Produced by Katsuhiro Hayashi and Koichi Namiki, 0:03:39.126,0:03:41.900 this one with mustache and beret (no references, of course), 0:03:41.901,0:03:45.250 the songs were rearranged in various ways by Sega, 0:03:45.251,0:03:49.890 like this arrangement of Beyond the Galaxy, the music of the first stage, done by the S.S.T. Band. 0:03:49.891,0:03:52.613 Galaxy Force Medley[br]Extracted from the S.S.T. Band Live History DVD 0:04:34.414,0:04:37.385 Given these positive features about the game, 0:04:37.386,0:04:41.640 why Galaxy Force is not as remembered as other classic Sega franchises? 0:04:41.641,0:04:45.525 Well, let's speculate: the game is difficult and too complicated; 0:04:45.526,0:04:49.215 of course you can say that After Burner drained the pockets of the players, 0:04:49.216,0:04:55.440 but it did not have a scheme of decreasing energy style that only replenished for every downed enemy and that was only supplied at key points on the map. 0:04:57.105,0:04:59.090 It was something much simpler than that. 0:04:59.091,0:05:03.325 I have the slight impression that this excess of complexity in the end condemned the game. 0:05:03.326,0:05:08.730 Now, a concrete fact which may have ended any chance of creating a franchise 0:05:08.731,0:05:11.890 is associated with the ports that Sega did for consoles. 0:05:11.891,0:05:15.630 It's okay that Galaxy Force has stunning graphics and special effects, 0:05:15.631,0:05:19.610 and would be almost impossible to replicate at home without a hell of a kludge. 0:05:19.611,0:05:25.275 However, rather than engage in doing something decent, like the ports of Out Run and After Burner, for example, 0:05:25.276,0:05:32.305 the company simply threw it all away and turned the Master System version into a game with totally meaningless existence, 0:05:32.306,0:05:34.395 as you can see in this freak there. 0:05:56.600,0:06:01.110 As if that were not enough, the Mega Drive version fell into the hands of a company called CRI, 0:06:01.111,0:06:04.615 that have done a job so badly that only a few could do such a thing. 0:06:05.016,0:06:08.200 The graphics, the sound, everything was downgraded to mediocre, 0:06:08.201,0:06:12.825 being comparable to Super Thunder Blade, one of the first games of the Mega Drive. 0:06:13.326,0:06:15.280 There is an excess of flicker and slowness, 0:06:15.281,0:06:19.125 and sometimes both are together, bringing the fear that the console will freeze forever. 0:06:26.855,0:06:33.235 The tunnels of the enemy bases ended up turning into ventilation ducts, and everything seems badly done and awful. 0:06:33.736,0:06:40.595 Undoubtedly these ports have served to sink the franchise, which could be at the same level of similar games from other companies, 0:06:40.596,0:06:42.685 such as Nintendo's Star Fox. 0:06:57.300,0:07:04.010 In short, Galaxy Force had excellent potential to move forward with sequels, but it just got wasted. 0:07:04.011,0:07:06.845 To those who want to enjoy the original arcade version, 0:07:06.846,0:07:11.480 there is a special version of this classic for the PlayStation 2, in the Sega Ages collection. 0:07:11.481,0:07:15.740 Released in 2007, the re-release has an extended version of the game, 0:07:15.741,0:07:19.700 supporting widescreen, with a rearranged version of the original soundtrack, 0:07:19.701,0:07:22.610 and graphics with various corrections and filters applied. 0:07:22.611,0:07:27.290 It's a good one for those who want to enjoy this lost classic amid Sega's buffoonery. 0:07:42.084,0:07:48.067 Produced by Rafael Fernandes[br]@rafafernandes64 0:07:49.270,0:07:55.554 http://passagemsecreta.com