''Dive Alert: Becky's Version'' and ''Dive Alert: Matt's Version'' are

role-playing video game A role-playing video game (commonly referred to as simply a role-playing game or RPG, as well as a computer role-playing game or CRPG) is a video game genre where the player controls the actions of a character (or several party members) immers ...

s developed by

Sacnoth renamed in 2002, was a Japanese video game developer based in Tokyo. The company was founded in April 1997 by Hiroki Kikuta with funding from SNK; its staff, including Kikuta, were veterans of Square. While their first releases were the ''Di ...

for the Neo Geo Pocket Color. They were published by

SNK is a Japanese video game hardware and software company. It is the successor to the company Shin Nihon Kikaku and presently owns the SNK video game brand and the Neo Geo video game platform. SNK's predecessor Shin Nihon Kikaku was founded in 1978 ...

in 1999 in Japan and 2000 in North America. Following the exploits of protagonists Becky and Matt as they complete missions on a flooded Earth to gain access to the remaining land of Terra, the gameplay involves the protagonist completing missions by fighting monsters and underwater crafts. The Japanese version is compatible with the console's Wireless Link adaptor for online

multiplayer A multiplayer video game is a video game in which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time, either locally on the same computing system (couch co-op), on different computing systems via a local area network, or ...

matches, while the Western version is limited to use of the console's physical link cable. Sacnoth, a development partner for the console, produced the ''Dive Alert'' games in parallel with ''

Koudelka is a role-playing video game developed by Sacnoth for the PlayStation. The game was published by SNK in Japan in 1999, and by Infogrames internationally in 2000. Set in the haunted Nemeton Monastery in Wales, the plot follows protagonists K ...

'' for the

PlayStation is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...

. Staff included character designer Miyako Kato, co-composer Yoshitaka Hirota, and ''Koudelka'' staff member Satoru Yoshieda as director. ''Dive Alert'' was Sacnoth's debut title in Japan. Its North American release was delayed due to difficulties releasing the Wireless Link in the region. It saw generally negative reviews from critics, with many faulting its slow pace and game design.

Gameplay

''Dive Alert: Becky's Version'' and ''Matt's Version'' are

s in which players take control of each titular protagonist, the commander of a submarine fleet tasked with exploring the world-covering ocean. The two versions are mostly identical, but feature different ships, enemies and upgrades. Submarine designs can be collected for use in the fleet, and are logged in a compendium for each version. There are multiple gameplay modes, including the main story campaign; a free battle mode for collecting

experience point An experience point (often abbreviated as exp or XP) is a unit of measurement used in some tabletop role-playing games (RPGs) and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's life experience and progression through the game. Experi ...

s, materials and items; and a shooting minigame used to train players in the game's combat style. The game incorporates a

mode. If two consoles with the game installed are connected using the link cable, players can fight each other. The Japanese version allowed for online wireless multiplayer using the Wireless Link peripheral. The game is split into missions interspersed with cutscenes. Battles take place in the ocean, divided into four depth layers and portrayed using a circular radar screen, the player at the centre and enemies or other elements appearing around them. The area is scanned with two types of sonar, one to show accurate surroundings and one focusing on enemy units. The player submarine can be extensively customized, ranging from the engine to armor to weapon types. Players attack enemies using weapons such as torpedoes and anti-submarine missiles, with weapon choice and effectiveness depending on the current depth, in addition to mines and decoys to throw off enemies. The submarine has finite air and battery life, both replenished on the surface. If the player's health is reduced to zero, the game ends and must be restarted from the last save.

Synopsis

Earth was mostly submerged underwater due to an ancient catastrophe. The one remaining area of land is Terra, a supposed paradise managed by the

artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech re ...

CDH (Cur Deus Homo) that only admits the worthy, while other humans are artificially born and placed in self-contained ocean vessels around the world. The protagonist, either Matt or Becky, goes on a mission to prove themselves worthy of entry into Terra by defeating the Automan, hostile beings which populate the ocean. Guided by a Navicom connected to CDH, the protagonist fulfils several missions and runs into a group called the Resistance, led by Sally and the rogue captain Arahim. Eventually, CDH is revealed to be the product of an attempt to rectify the flooding, but the human population ended up fighting against itself. CDH, desperate to control the surviving population, manufactured the myth of Terra to keep humans in line, transforming those who qualified for life in Terra into the Automen to further the cycle. Terra itself is a ruined island with survivors living in fear of CDH. The protagonist, due to their skill, is singled out to destroy the Resistance and brainwashed using subliminal messaging to only believe its Navicom unit. Initially disbelieving, the protagonist defects and allies with the Resistance, prompting CDH to awaken guardians to kill them. Arahim, revealed to be one of CDH's creators, sacrifices himself to destroy it, allowing humanity including the protagonists to rebuild on Terra.

Development and release

The ''Dive Alert'' titles were developed by

, a video game company founded by

Hiroki Kikuta is a Japanese video game composer and game designer. His major works are ''Secret of Mana'', ''Trials of Mana'', ''Soukaigi'', and ''Koudelka'', for which he also acted as producer and concept designer. He has composed music for seven other game ...

with funding from publisher

, acting as one of their development partners for the Neo Geo Pocket Color (NGPC) handheld. ''Dive Alert'' was developed in parallel with ''

'' for the

. ''Koudelka'' program director Satoru Yoshieda acted as the game's director. The art was designed by Miyako Kato, while Matsuzo Machida (credited then as Matsuzo Itakura) was art director. The music was co-composed by Yoshitaka Hirota and Kazumi Mitome. Hirota had trouble creating the music as there were only three sound layers−the melody, the countermelody, and the bass line−and an additional sound effect channel used for drum beats. The titles were Sacnoth's first Japanese release, and formed part of the console's early game library. The game released in Japan on August 19, 1999. Originally scheduled for release the same year in North America, it was delayed due to difficulties certifying the Wireless Link adapter for release outside Japan. Ultimately it was released without access to the Wireless Link, which failed FCC certification. The lead characters' names were changed for North America; Becky was called Rebecca in Japanese, while Matt was originally called Burn. It was released in North America in April 2000. It was one of only two NGPC titles released outside Japan during the spring of 2000, and one of the last NGPC games released in North America.

Reception

In a preview article on the console's current and upcoming games, ''Gamers' Republic'' cited ''Dive Alert'' as an "interesting" title due to its use of wireless multiplayer. ''

GamePro Gamepro.com is an international multiplatform video game magazine media company that covers the video game industry, video game hardware and video game software in countries such as Germany and France. The publication, GamePro, was originally la ...

'' felt that the multiplayer element was the highlight and would be the main draw for players. The game was covered in the first issue of '' Mr Dreamcast'', where its uniqueness was noted but it was generally faulted for boring gameplay and dialogue. In Japanese gaming magazine ''

Famitsu formerly ''Famicom Tsūshin'', is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage (previously known as Gzbrain), a subsidiary of Kadokawa. ''Famitsu'' is published in both weekly and monthly formats as well as in the fo ...

'', the game was scored 23 out of 40 points. Craig Harris of ''

IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...

'' reviewed both versions, noting their near-identical content. He found it inferior to Sacnoth's later NGPC title ''

Faselei! is a tactical role-playing game developed by Sacnoth for the Neo Geo Pocket Color. It was published by SNK in 1999 in Japan and 2000 in the United Kingdom. A prospective North American release was cancelled when the console was pulled from sale ...

'', faulting the slow pace of gameplay and uninteresting battle UI. The magazine ''Pocket Gamer'', as part of a feature on the console for its first issue, was very negative about the title, saying its premise was wasted on uninteresting gameplay and poor dialogue despite good-looking cutscenes. Kurt Kalata, writing for ''

Hardcore Gaming 101 ''Hardcore Gaming 101'' is an online video game magazine founded by Kurt Kalata. Kalata established the site after graduating college, when he noticed the overabundance of game strategy guides, and felt that someone should create more books about ...

'', noted the lack of ''Dive Alert'' from the first ''Neo Geo Pocket Color Collection''.

Notes

References

{{Reflist, 30em, refs= {{cite video game, title=Dive Alert: Becky's Version, developer=

, publisher=

, date=2000, platform= Neo Geo Pocket Color, scene=Credits {{cite book, url=https://archive.org/details/Dive_Alert_Beckys_Version_2000_E_color/mode/2up, title=Dive Alert: Becky's Version, date=2000, publisher=

, edition=North American, type=Instruction manual {{cite web, url=http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/136/136710p1.html, title=Preview: Dive Alert, Becky's Version, author=Harris, Craig, website=

, date=2000-02-18, accessdate=2021-11-14, archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040622023541/http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/136/136710p1.html, archivedate=2004-06-22, url-status=dead {{cite web, url=http://www.sacnoth.co.jp/qanda/faq01.html, script-title=ja:Sacnoth Q&A, language=ja, website=Sacnoth, access-date=2018-07-08, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020627104057/http://www.sacnoth.co.jp/qanda/faq01.html, archive-date=2002-06-27, url-status=dead {{cite web, url=http://www.sacnoth.co.jp/text/co.html, script-title=ja:サクノス - 会社紹介, language=ja, website=Sacnoth, date=1999, access-date=2018-12-24, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990826074328/http://www.sacnoth.co.jp/text/co.html, archive-date=1999-08-26, url-status=dead {{cite magazine, title=An Interview with Norimasa Hirano, magazine=Gamers' Republic, issue=13, publisher=Millennium Publishing, date=June 1999, page=63, url=https://archive.org/details/Gamers_Republic_Issue_13/page/n63 {{cite web, url=http://ashandwildrose.sakura.ne.jp/about.html, script-title=ja:Ash & WildRose - About, language=ja, website=Ash And Wild Rose, accessdate=, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160502073743/http://ashandwildrose.sakura.ne.jp/about.html, archive-date=2016-05-02, url-status=live {{cite web, url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/qanda-sacnoth/1100-2630061/, title=Q&A: Sacnoth, author=Strohm, Alex, website=

GameSpot ''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...

, date=2000-09-19, access-date=2017-08-21, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010629165928/http://gamespot.com/gamespot/stories/news/0,10870,2630061,00.html, archive-date=2001-06-29, url-status=live {{cite web, url=http://dengekionline.com/soft/recommend/sh2/index.html, script-title=ja:インタビュー: 『シャドウハーツII』, language=ja, website= Dengeki Online, access-date=2018-12-22, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160527002743/http://dengekionline.com/soft/recommend/sh2/index.html, archive-date=2016-05-27, url-status=live {{cite web, url=http://www.geekgamer.it/2016/01/intervista-a-matsuzo-machida-e-miyako-kato-il-duo-creativo-dietro-alla-serie-shadow-hearts/, title=Intervista a Matsuzo Machida e Miyako Kato: il duo creativo della serie Shadow Hearts, author=Robuschi, Majkol, language=it, publisher=Geek Gamer, date=2016-01-02, access-date=2017-09-07, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308043952/http://www.geekgamer.it/2016/01/intervista-a-matsuzo-machida-e-miyako-kato-il-duo-creativo-dietro-alla-serie-shadow-hearts/, archive-date=2016-03-08, url-status=live {{cite web, url=https://www.squareenixmusic.com/features/interviews/yoshitakahirota.shtml, title=Interview with Yoshitaka Hirota, website=Square Enix Music Online, date=2005, accessdate=2021-08-29, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080830050040/https://www.squareenixmusic.com/features/interviews/yoshitakahirota.shtml, archive-date=2008-08-30, url-status=dead {{cite journal, title=Neo Geo Pocket Launch - Neo Geo Pocket Color, journal=Gamers' Republic, issue=13, publisher=Millennium Publishing, date=June 1999, page=65, url=https://archive.org/details/Gamers_Republic_Issue_13/page/n65 {{cite web, url=http://www.sacnoth.co.jp/products/, script-title=ja:サクノス - Products, language=ja, website=Sacnoth, access-date=2018-12-24, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010429060042/http://www.sacnoth.co.jp/products/, archive-date=2001-04-29, url-status=dead {{cite magazine, url=https://archive.org/details/neogeofreak0052/page/719/mode/2up, script-title=ja:ダイヴアラート, date=September 1999, magazine=Neo Geo Freak, pages=118–119, issue=52, publisher=Geibunsha, language=ja {{cite web, url=http://www.classicgaming.com/sngp/news/archive/newsarch_10_1999.htm, title=Archives: October 1999, website=Classic Gaming, date=1999, accessdate=2021-11-14, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020214171740/http://www.classicgaming.com/sngp/news/archive/newsarch_10_1999.htm, archive-date=2002-02-14, url-status=dead {{cite web, url=http://www.classicgaming.com/sngp/news/archive/newsarch_4_2000.htm, title=Archives: April 2000, website=Classic Gaming, date=2000, accessdate=2021-11-14, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021104054952/http://www.classicgaming.com/sngp/news/archive/newsarch_4_2000.htm, archive-date=2002-11-04, url-status=dead {{cite web, url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-history-of-snk/1100-6089278/, title=The History of SNK, author=Provo, Frank, website=

, date=2004-06-11, access-date=2018-12-24, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180426204523/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-history-of-snk/1100-6089278/, archive-date=2018-04-26, url-status=live {{cite magazine, url=https://archive.org/details/game-pro-presents-handheld-games-winter-1999/page/84/mode/2up, title=Dive Alert, magazine= GamePro Presents: Handheld Video Games, publisher=

IDG International Data Group (IDG, Inc.) is a market intelligence and demand generation company focused on the technology industry. IDG, Inc.’s mission is centered around supporting the technology industry through research, data, marketing technol ...

, date=Winter 1999, pages=84 {{cite magazine, url=https://archive.org/details/mr.-dreamcast-01/page/n51/mode/2up, title=Dive Alert, magazine= Mr Dreamcast, issue=1, publisher=

Future plc Future plc is an international multimedia company established in the United Kingdom in 1985. The company has over 220 brands that span magazines, newsletters, websites, and events in fields such as video games, technology, films, music, photogr ...

, date=March 2000, page=52 {{cite magazine, script-title=ja:ネオジオポケットカラー - ダイヴアラート, date=August 1999, magazine=

, issue=559, publisher=

Enterbrain , formerly , is a Japanese publisher and division of Kadokawa Future Publishing founded on 30 January 1987 as . Magazines published by Enterbrain are generally focused on video games and computer entertainment as well as video game and strategy ...

, language=ja {{cite magazine, title=Review: Dive Alert, date=May 2000, magazine=

Game Informer ''Game Informer'' (''GI'', most often stylized ''gameinformer'' from the 2010s onward) is an American monthly video game magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of video games and associated consoles. It debuted in August 1991 w ...

, issue=85, publisher=

GameStop GameStop Corp. is an American video game, consumer electronics, and gaming merchandise retailer. The company is headquartered in Grapevine, Texas (a suburb of Dallas), and is the largest video game retailer worldwide. , the company operates 4,5 ...

{{cite magazine, url=https://archive.org/details/pocket-gamer-issue-01-2000/page/62/mode/2up, title=Dive Alert, date=2000, magazine=Pocket Gamer, issue=1, page=63, publisher=

Imagine Media Future US, Inc. (formerly known as Imagine Media and The Future Network USA) is an American media corporation specializing in targeted magazines and websites in the video games, music, and technology markets. Headquartered in New York City, ...

{{cite web, url=http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/162/162977p1.html, title=Review: Dive Alert, Matt's Version, author=Harris, Craig, website=

, date=2000-05-02, accessdate=2021-11-14, archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040618094643/http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/162/162977p1.html, archivedate=2004-06-18, url-status=dead {{cite web, url=http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/166/166710p1.html, title=Review: Dive Alert, Becky's Version, author=Harris, Craig, website=

, date=2000-05-02, accessdate=2021-11-14, archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040616031354/http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/166/166710p1.html, archivedate=2004-06-16, url-status=dead {{cite web, url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/neogeo-pocket-color-selection-vol-1/, title=NeoGeo Pocket Color Selection Vol. 1 - Switch (2021), author=Kalata, Kurt, website=

, date=2021-03-24, accessdate=2021-11-15, archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210324164802/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/neogeo-pocket-color-selection-vol-1/, archivedate=2021-03-24, url-status=live 1999 video games Neo Geo Pocket Color games Role-playing video games SNK games Submarine simulation video games Video games featuring female protagonists Video games scored by Yoshitaka Hirota Video games set in the future Video games with alternative versions Video games developed in Japan