Narc (rev 1.80)

Arcade Video game published 36 years ago:

NARC (c) 1988 Williams Electronics Games, Incorporated.

NARC is a graphically violent one or two-player side-scrolling shoot-em-up in which players take on the role of "Narcs"; futuristic police officers whose duty it is to either arrest or kill drug dealers, junkies and attack dogs as players fight to crush the criminal empire known as K.R.A.K.

The Narcs have both machine guns and rocket launchers at their disposal and players can also pick up (confiscate) discarded drugs and money to earn extra points. These are totaled up at the end of each level. On many stages a special colour-specific 'Keycard' needs to be found before players can progress to the next section of the level.

Narc's stages are as follows:
* The Junkyard
* K.R.A.K. Street
* The Bridge
* Sunset Strip
* Skyhigh's Nursery
* Downtown
* Red Level 1
* Blue Level 2
* Mr. Big's Office
* Inner Sanctum
* Jackpot!

- TECHNICAL -

Williams Z Unit hardware

Main CPU : TMS34010 (@ 6 Mhz)
Sound CPU : (2x) M6809 (@ 2 Mhz)
Sound Chips : Yamaha YM2151 (@ 3.57958 Mhz), (2x) DAC, HC55516 (@ 3.57958 Mhz)

Players : 2
Control : 8-way joystick
Buttons : 4

- TRIVIA -

NARC was released in December 1988 and was the first arcade game to use a 32-bit processor (TMS34010).

Max Force (Player One) was a part of Acclaim's (who made the NES version of NARC) 'Power Team' along with Tyrone ("Arch Rivals"), Kuros (Wizards and Warriors/Ironsword), Bigfoot (the monster truck) and Kwirk the tomato, in an animated series featuring the characters. Three of the NARC bosses : Mr. Big, Dr. Spike Rush and Joe Rockhead were the villains on the series.

Grunge band the Pixies released a cover of the tune from level 2-1 of this game in 1991 as 'Theme From Narc', as a B-side to the single 'Planet Of Sound'. It can also be found on the later 'Pixies Complete B-Sides' album.

A NARC unit appears in the 1990 movie 'Don't Tell Her It's Me', in the 1990 movie 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' and in the 1991 movie 'Terminator 2 - Judgment Day'.

- UPDATES -

REV 1.80
REV 2.00
REV 3.20
REV 4.00
REV 7.00

- TIPS AND TRICKS -

* While coming out of any door, move the joystick Left. IMMEDIATELY after your character appears, move the joystick Up. If you do everything correctly, your cop will be 'stuck' to the wall, and will be able to walk on the wall to the next stage.

* Specific Advice For The Same Trick : an easy way to get free lives is on the first level. Right after you leave the subway, keep your joystick pointed up. If you do this, you will 'stick' to the wall and nobody can touch you, though you can arrest tons of people (50 is the max). You can do this in other levels, though it does not seem to be as useful. One problem occurs right when you get out of the subway. There is a barrel which obstructs your path in/on the wall. You can just rocket it away if there are people behind the barrel (in respect to you). You can stay on the wall all the way to the passkey spot and into the door.

* To get ridiculous numbers of points and free men, you need to get to the end of the game, or at least where Mr. Big is. Once you've killed him (the little one *and* the big one), and you get to enter the treasure vault, just collect all the big gold blocks, and just wait. Don't do anything, just wait. After a while, the machine will send a pack of those annoying dogs after you. Let them kill you. You'll be sent back a stage in the game. And you have to fight your way back to the next 'bonus' exit door... once you do, mega-points and mega-men.

* Note the automatic teller machines present in a few places. March your character up to the machine and push into it; it should start spitting out money (evidence). Not HUGELY useful, but it's still kind of neat.

- STAFF -

Design Team : Eugene Jarvis (DRJ), George N. Petro (GNP), Todd Allen (TRA), Larry DeMar (LED), Jack E. Haeger (JEH), John Newcomer (JRN), Tim Elliott (TJE), Mark Loffredo (ML ), (LIN), Glenn Shipp (GWS), Al Lasko (AL ), (JRH), (J P), Doug Watson (DTW), (D P), Ray Czajka (RAY), Warren Davis (WBD), (KJF), (NDN), (J B), Steve Ritchie (SSR)

Music : Brian Schmidt (BLS), Marc LoCascio ('Busted Rap') (ML )
Audio system programming, Sounds, & Speech : Marc LoCascio

- PORTS -

* CONSOLES:
[US] Nintendo NES (aug.1990) "NARC [Model NES-NQ-USA]"
[AU] Sony PlayStation 2 (2004) "Midway Arcade Treasures 2"
[US] Microsoft XBOX (oct.11, 2004) "Midway Arcade Treasures 2 [Model MWO-3201W]"
[US] Nintendo GameCube (oct.11, 2004) "Midway Arcade Treasures 2 [Model DOL-GAYE-USA]"
[US] Sony PS2 (oct.11, 2004) "Midway Arcade Treasure 2 [Model SLUS-20997]"
[EU] Microsoft XBOX (oct.29, 2004) "Midway Arcadee Treasures 2"
[EU] Sony PS2 (oct.29, 2004) "Midway Arcade Treasure 2 [Model SLES-52844]"
[US] Microsoft XBOX (mar.22, 2005) "NARC" : as an unlockable.
[EU] Microsoft XBOX (may.27, 2005) "NARC" : as an unlockable.
[US] Sony PS2 (mar.22, 2005) "NARC [Model SLUS-20730]" : as an unlockable.
[EU] Sony PS2 (jul.1, 2005) "NARC" : as an unlockable.

* COMPUTERS:
[EU] Amstrad CPC (1990)
[EU] Atari 800 (1990)
[EU] Commodore Amiga (1990)
[EU] Commodore C64 (1990)
[US] Commodore C64 (aug.8, 1990)
[EU] Atari ST (1990)
[EU] Sinclair ZX Spectrum (1991)
[US] PC [MS Windows, CD-ROM] (feb.17, 2006) "Midway Arcade Treasures Deluxe Edition"
[EU] PC [MS Windows, CD-ROM] (feb.24, 2006) "NARC" : as an unlockable
[EU] PC [MS Windows, CD-ROM] (mar.17, 2006) "Midway Arcade Treasures Deluxe Edition" : by Zoo Digital Publishing

* OTHERS: