is an
arcade
Arcade most often refers to:
* Arcade game, a coin-operated game machine
** Arcade cabinet, housing which holds an arcade game's hardware
** Arcade system board, a standardized printed circuit board
* Amusement arcade, a place with arcade games
* ...
shooter game
Shooter video games or shooters are a subgenre of action video games where the focus is almost entirely on the defeat of the character's enemies using the weapons given to the player. Usually these weapons are firearms or some other long-range ...
developed and released in 1983 by Tehkan (now known as
Tecmo
, was a Japanese video game corporation founded in 1967. It had its headquarters in Kudankita, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Chiyoda, Tokyo. Its subsidiary, Tecmo Inc, was located in Torrance, California. Tecmo was formerly known as Tehkan.
Tecmo is known for ...
).
Gameplay
The gameplay involves the player controlling a fixed turret on a tank shooting oncoming alien enemies through a
cross-hair
A reticle, or reticule also known as a graticule, is a pattern of fine lines or markings built into the eyepiece of an optical device such as a telescopic sight, spotting scope, theodolite, optical microscope or the screen of an oscilloscope ...
target. A certain number of enemies must be destroyed to progress to the next stage. The original arcade cabinet was a cocktail table.
The game employs the use of
pseudo-3D
2.5D (two-and-a-half dimensional) perspective refers to gameplay or movement in a video game or virtual reality environment that is restricted to a two-dimensional (2D) plane with little to no access to a third dimension in a space that otherwise ...
graphical effects to give the illusion of a three-dimensional landscape. However, the player's tank is fixed in a single location, whereas the enemies can move across the landscape.
Release
The arcade game was released in Japan in 1983. In North America, it was demonstrated at AMOA 1984.
The game was ported and published by
Sony Corporation
, commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...
in 1984 for
MSX computers.
In 2005, Senjyo was re-released exclusively on the
Xbox
Xbox is a video gaming brand created and owned by Microsoft. The brand consists of five video game consoles, as well as applications (games), streaming services, an online service by the name of Xbox network, and the development arm by the na ...
, as part of the
Tecmo Classic Arcade
''Tecmo Classic Arcade'' is a collection of classic Tecmo arcade games for the Microsoft Xbox. This collection was released on September 13, 2005 in the U.S., October 21, 2005 in Europe and October 27, 2005 in Japan, and contains all of the games ...
collection.
Reception
In Japan, ''Game Machine'' listed ''Senjyo'' on their January 1, 1984 issue as being the second most-successful new table arcade unit of the month.
Zelmo of ''Video Games'' magazine reviewed the arcade game following its AMOA 1984 demonstration, comparing the gameplay favorably with the 1983
Atari 2600
The Atari 2600, initially branded as the Atari Video Computer System (Atari VCS) from its release until November 1982, is a home video game console developed and produced by Atari, Inc. Released in September 1977, it popularized microprocessor- ...
games ''
Battlezone'' and ''
Robot Tank
''Robot Tank'' is a 1983 video game for the Atari 2600 similar in design to Atari's '' Battlezone'' arcade game, and more so to its 2600 port. It was written by Alan Miller and published by Activision.
Gameplay
The player remotely controls a ...
'' while praising the "very nice" graphics, effects and "three-dimensional" landscape. However, the reviewer said the player's "restricted movement" compared to "the maneuverability of the various enemies" made it "frustrating" and could limit the game's arcade audience, concluding that, for "the home this effort would have some promise, but as an arcade game it might be just a little off base."
References
{{reflist
External links
GameFaqsCoinop.orgGames Database
1983 video games
Arcade video games
Fixed shooters
MSX games
Tecmo games
Video games developed in Japan