Giga Wing

Infobox VG
title = Giga Wing


developer = Takumi
publisher = Capcom
designer =
release = February 1999
genre = Manic shooter
modes = Single player, 2 player Co-op
cabinet = Upright
arcade system = CPS-2
display = Raster, 384 x 224 pixels (Horizontal), 4096 colors
input = 8-way Joystick, 2 Buttons
platforms = Arcade, Dreamcast

"Giga Wing" is a 1999 vertically scrolling shooter arcade game developed by Takumi and published by Capcom on their CPS-2 arcade system board and ported later that year to the Sega Dreamcast console. The arcade version is notable for using a horizontally aligned monitor (much like Treasure Co. Ltd's "Radiant Silvergun"), something that is considered rare for a vertical shooter.

Overview

"Giga Wing" takes place during a fictional war within a steampunk setting. The player controls one of four different futuristic aircraft and must destroy enemy aircraft, tanks, ships, and buildings using both guns and missiles mounted on the aircraft and a limited supply of bombs which damage or destroy all enemies on-screen when used. The game is based on the player(s) trying to destroy a medallion which possesses great power. Many of the bosses use the medallion as a weapon. At the end, it shows that an evil man who pilots a ship called the "Stranger" is the real person who is in control of the Medallion and you fight him three times as a mini-boss and as the last boss.

Gameplay

The player chooses one of four different craft and shoots through seven stages. Each game (on default settings) begins with three lives, and an extend can be earned in stage four if specific requirements are met. The option to continue is given when all lives are lost, although the seventh stage is only accessible if the player does not use any continues.

Basics

Each ship in "Giga Wing" has three attacks.
*Normal shot (Tap the A button): A spray of bullets that can be strengthened by collecting power-ups.
*Reflect Force (Hold the A button): An attack that reflects all enemy bullets and sends them back in the enemy's general direction, causing damage.
*Bomb (Press the B button): A large attack that nullifies all bullets on screen and causes great damage to all enemies.

Power-ups and bombs

Power-ups are released when certain ships containing them are destroyed. A maximum of three can be collected; they increase the power of the player's guns. The power-ups are shown as purple P's that bounce around the screen. Once the player is destroyed, the P's that have been collected come out of the destroyed ship and must be recollected to get the players power level back to its former state.

Each ship starts out with two bombs and up to seven can be collected. Each bomb left in reserve after any boss fight gives the player a bonus.

core multiplier system

The points received for destroying enemies are the product of their nominal value and the player's current "score multiplier", which is increased by catching the medals that some enemies and destructable scenery release when destroyed.

Catching the medals increases the current score multiplier by the current medal value, which in turn increases by 1, 5, 10, 20, or 100 multiplier points for every medal caught depending its type. For example, catching three "5 point" medals at the beginning of the game leaves the score multiplier at 31 (1+5+10+15) and the following medal will be worth multiplier points equal to its base value plus 30.

The score multiplier is reset to 1 when continuing after losing the last life; the current medal value is reset after losing each life.

Reflect Force

"Giga Wing" is notable for having, at times, literally hundreds of enemy bullets on screen. To prevent the player from being overwhelmed, the game features the Reflect Force. The Reflect Force is a reflective shield that is activated after the player holds the A button down for a short period of time. Any enemy bullets that come into contact with it are reflected back in the general direction it came from. If a shot is reflected and hits an enemy, it becomes a 1-point multiplier medal that can be collected; this is a major contribution to score.

Ridiculous scores

The reported world record score for "Giga Wing" is 291,252,468,839,040 points [Arcadia Magazine.] ; the score multiplier mechanic entails a lower limit to the average score for each enemy of many thousands or several millions of points, and end of level bonuses are scaled accordingly.

Rank system

Like other shooter games, "Giga Wing" contains a rank system. A player's 'rank' is determined by how well or badly they are playing, the game then adjusts the difficulty accordingly. It has been noted on one of Shmups.com'scite web | title=shmups.system11.org :: View topic - ST: Giga Wing | url=http://shmups.system11.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=73570&sid=5d403accd6703378351c67077540c190#73570 | accessdate=2007-08-06] strategy threads that "Giga Wing" contains a simple rank system that is influenced by how early a player dies in the game. If a player were to live on one life for a good duration of the game, then the bullets would begin to travel much quicker. On the other hand, if one were to die earlier in the game, the bullets would travel much slower. In fact, some players 'suicide' as soon as the game begins to take advantage of this.

Bosses

At the end of each level the player fights a boss character, such as a battleship, a huge bomber, or a building-sized tank. Destroying the boss is not necessary to complete the level, but the player will not receive the points bonus for it unless they shoot it down before the timer runs out.

oundtrack

The limited-edition GigaWing Original Soundtrack was released by Sony Music Entertainment.

Dreamcast features

The Dreamcast version of "Giga Wing" contains a few improvements over the arcade game, as well as a few bonus features:
*Slowdown present in the arcade version was eliminated
*Remixed music
*Character art has more detail
*Slightly changed minor enemy placement
*A score attack mode
*A gallery mode
*A fifth selectable plane (the Stranger) that is unlocked by either finishing the game with only one credit or by accessing a cheat code

References

External links

*KLOV game|id=7942
* [http://www.capcom.co.jp/newproducts/arcade/gigawing "Giga Wing"] at the official Japanese website of Capcom
*GameFAQs|id=575430|name="Giga Wing" (Arcade)
* [http://www.super-play.co.uk/index.php?content=2&gameid=99 "Giga Wing" replays] at [http://www.super-play.co.uk Super-Play.co.uk]