- Area 51 (arcade game)
Infobox VG
title= Area 51
caption= Screenshot of Area 51
developer=Mesa Logic
publisher=Atari Games
designer= Robert Weatherby
released= 1995
genre=First-person shooter
modes= Up to 2 players simultaneously
ratings= ESRB:M (Mature) 17+ (console/PC ports only),BBFC : 12
platforms= Arcade
input=Lightgun
cabinet= Standard
arcade system= CoJag
display= Raster, 320 x 240 pixels (Horizontal), 65534 colors"Area 51" is a
light gun arcade game released byAtari Games in 1995. [Matt Cabral, "Area 51": A History of Violence," "PlayStation: The Official Magazine" 004 (March 2008): 82-83.] It takes its name from theArea 51 military facility.Overview
The plot of the game involves the player taking part in a
military incursion to prevent aliens and alien-createdzombie s from taking over the Area 51 military facility.Description
This game takes the player through several sections of the facility, including a
warehouse and underground tunnels. The player must kill all of the genetically altered scientists and aliens without harming any allied STAAR team members (at the cost of one life point),however if nothing but three STAAR team members are shot, the Kron Hunter will be started, taking the role of a Hunter, sent by the Kron to eliminate the rebels. None of the actual aliens will appear until theoffice level.The game is notable for its use of
digitized video stored on an on-boardhard disk , and the bizarrely contrasting unrealisticgibs into which every enemy blows apart when shot, in exactly the same way. While enemies, innocents, and explosions are 2D digitized video sprites, the levels and vehicles are pre-rendered in 3D.Another interesting note about the game is its several "backdoors"; by shooting certain objects in the correct sequence players can unlock shooting exercises, weapon stashes, and gain bonus items that are not available in the main game plot.
The game's arcade board,
CoJag , is a modifiedAtari Jaguar with enhanced graphics and sound capabilities."Area 51" allows the players to start at the beginning of the game or warp ahead to the middle of the game.
Legacy
In 1998, Atari Games released an arcade sequel titled "" and re-released the first game as part of one machine called "Area 51"/"Maximum Force" duo that also included "
Maximum Force " . [ [http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?game_id=6908 Area 51/Maximum Force Duo Videogame by Atari Games (1998) - The International Arcade Museum and the KLOV ] ] In 2005, a first-person shooter was released that shares the name and uses the original as an inspiration was released for thePlayStation 2 ,Xbox , and PC. It featured a more sophisticated storyline and the voices ofDavid Duchovny ,Marilyn Manson , andPowers Boothe . In 2007, Midway released "" to multiple platforms.On
August 31 ,2004 ,Paramount Pictures announced that it had bought the world-wide film rights for the series.fact|date=March 2007 Billed as an action-packed thriller, producer Christine Peters was said to be collaborating with the game developers to help construct the film. OnSeptember 9 , "Variety" reported that Paramount had hired Dean Georgaris to write the screenplay and produce with partner Micheal Aguilar. It was to be under their Penn Station banner along with Christine Peters and Midway; [ [http://comingsoon.net/news/topnews.php?id=6320 Dean Georgaris Penning Area 51 - ComingSoon.net ] ] however, not much has been officially announced and the film's development current sets in an unknown status. [ [http://movies.ign.com/articles/755/755513p1.html IGN: IGN's Ultimate Games-to-Film Guide ] ]Ports
In 1996, the game was ported to the
PlayStation , Saturn, and PC. It was re-released on thePlaystation in 2001 byMidway as part of theirMidway Classics range.Tiger Electronics later developed a miniature, handheld version of the game with anLCD screen and small light gun.References
External links
* [http://www.arcade-history.com/index.php?page=detail&id=99 Area 51] at "Arcade-History"
* [http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/196623.asp Area 51] atGame Rankings
*
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