Fantasy Zone (Rev A, unprotected)

Arcade Video game published 38 years ago:

Fantasy Zone (c) 1986 Sega Enterprises, Limited.

The Fantasy Zone is under attack by an army of ruthless, yet undeniably cute, alien enemies. A fearless space fighter by the name of 'Opa-opa' (a craft that is as cute as the game's enemies, featuring wings and feet - the latter appearing whenever the player flies down to ground level at the bottom of the screen) must stop the alien invasion to restore peace to the Fantasy Zone, as well as finding his missing father, 'Opapa', in the process.

Each level has a number of large, enemy generating ships, that produce a constant stream of enemies to attack the player. While the enemies the generators produce can either be shot or avoided, the generators themselves MUST be destroyed. Once the generators are gone, an end-of-level ship will appear that must be beaten to complete the level.

Fantasy Zone is rendered with the surreal, brightly coloured graphics that typify many Japanese videogames; with an equally abstract approach to in-game weapons: with that cartoon comedy staple, the 'anvil', making an appearance.

- TECHNICAL -

Runs on the Sega "System 16A" hardware.
Game ID: 317-5000

Players: 2
Control: 8-way joystick
Buttons: 2

- TRIVIA -

Fantasy Zone was released in March 1986.

The game's main character Opa-opa makes a cameo in 'Zillion' a science fiction anime T.V. series from the 80's, and in the Sega Dreamcast games Shenmue (1999) and Shenmue 2 (2001) as a collectable figurine.

The Stage 1 music was recycled in the Sega Mega Drive role-playing-game "Phantasy Star 4".

The shop music in Fantasy Zone, is recycled in several other Sega games such as 1988's Hot Rod, 1989's Out Run Turbo, and the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive port of Super Hang-On (the tune plays in the shop which is in the console exclusive career mode).

Soundtrack releases :
[JP] Feb 25, 1987 - Sega Game Music Vol.2 [28XA-108]
[JP] Oct 18, 2000 - Sega Game Music Vol.2 [Legend Series] [SCDC-00052]
[JP] Sep 11, 2008 - Fantasy Zone Ultra Super Big Maximum Great Strong Complete Album [WM-0604~7]

- UPDATES -

The music is incomplete in early Japanese version and completed in the US version.

- SERIES -

1. Fantasy Zone (1986, ARC)
2. Fantasy Zone II - Opa Opa no Namida [Model G-1329] (1987, Mark III)
3. Opa Opa [Model G-1343] (1987, Mark III)
4. Fantasy Zone Gear - OpaOpa Jr. no Bouken [Model T-44017] (1991, Game Gear)
5. Space Fantasy Zone (1991, PC-Engine CD)
6. Super Fantasy Zone (1993, Mega Drive)
7. Fantasy Zone II - The Tears of Opa-Opa (2008, PS2)

- STAFF -

Director/Main Planner: Yoji Ishii
Main Programmer: Shuichi Katagi
Music : Hiroshi Miyauchi

- PORTS -

* CONSOLES:
[JP] Sega Mark III (june.15, 1986) "Fantasy Zone [Model G-1301]"
[JP] Nintendo Famicom (jul.17, 1987) "Fantasy Zone [Model SS8-5300]"
[JP] NEC PC-Engine (oct.14, 1988) "Fantasy Zone [Model H49G-1001]"
[JP] Sega Saturn (feb.21, 1997) "Fantasy Zone [Sega Ages] [Model GS-9136]"
[JP] Sony PS2 (aug.28, 2003) "Fantasy Zone [Sega Ages 2500 Vol.3] [Model SLPM-62366]"
[JP] Sony PS2 (sept.28, 2008) "Fantasy Zone Complete Collection [Sega Ages 2500 Vol.33] [Model SLPM-62780]"
[US] Microsoft XBOX 360 (feb.10, 2009) "Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection [Model 68034]" : as an unlockable extra.
[KO] Sony PlayStation 3 (feb.10, 2009) "Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection" by SCEI : as an unlockable extra.
[US] Sony PlayStation 3 (feb.10, 2009) "Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection [Model BLUS-30259]" : as an unlockable extra.
[EU] Microsoft XBOX 360 (feb.20, 2009) "SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Collection [Model 384-40210]" : as an unlockable extra.
[EU] [AU] Sony PlayStation 3 (feb.20, 2009) "SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Collection [Model BLES-00475]" : as an unlockable extra.
[AU] Microsoft XBOX 360 (feb.26, 2009) "Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection" : as an unlockable extra.

* COMPUTERS:
[JP] MSX (1986) "Fantasy Zone [Model R55X5812]"
[JP] Sharp X68000 (aug.4, 1989) "Fantasy Zone [Model DP-3205012]"