is a 1990
horizontal-scrolling shooter video game developed by
Wolf Team
, formerly known as , was a Japanese video game development company founded in 1986. The company was renamed in 2003 when Telenet Japan sold part of its stake and made Namco the majority shareholder. Namco Tales Studio was originally the primary d ...
and published by
Telenet Japan
was a Japanese video game and software developer founded in October 1983 by Kazuyuki Fukushima. The company had several video game divisions including: Wolf Team, Laser Soft, Reno, Renovation Products, Riot, Commseed, and Telenet Jr. Telenet J ...
for the
Sharp X68000
The is a home computer created by Sharp Corporation. It was first released in 1987 and sold only in Japan.
The initial model has a 10 MHz Motorola 68000 CPU, 1 MB of RAM, and lacks a hard drive. The final model was released in 1993 wit ...
computer. Versions for the
Sega CD
The Sega CD, released as the in most regions outside North America and Brazil, is a CD-ROM accessory for the Sega Genesis produced by Sega as part of the fourth generation of video game consoles. It was released on December 12, 1991, in Japan ...
and
Sega Genesis were released later on, the latter renaming the game ''Sol-Deace''. The player takes control of the titular starship as it must prevent a malfunctioning supercomputer from enslaving all of mankind. Gameplay involves shooting down enemies and avoiding projectiles, while collecting power capsules to increase the Sol-Feace's abilities. The Sol-Feace also has dual cannons that can fire shots diagonally.
The game's soundtrack was composed by
Motoi Sakuraba
is a Japanese composer and keyboardist. He is known for his numerous contributions in video games, such as for '' Tales'', '' Star Ocean'', ''Mario Golf'', '' Mario Tennis'', '' Golden Sun'', and ''Dark Souls'' series, as well as several other a ...
, who would later work on the ''
Tales'' series for
Namco
was a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company, headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo. It held several international branches, including Namco America in Santa Clara, California, Namco Europe in London, Namco Taiwan in Kaohsiung, ...
. Alongside Micronet's ''
Heavy Nova'', it was also one of the first launch titles for
Sega CD
The Sega CD, released as the in most regions outside North America and Brazil, is a CD-ROM accessory for the Sega Genesis produced by Sega as part of the fourth generation of video game consoles. It was released on December 12, 1991, in Japan ...
in Japan, and was made as the console pack-in game in North America. ''Sol-Feace'' was met with mixed reviews from critics, who praised its fast-paced action, graphics and soundtrack but criticized its lack of originality and subpar quality compared to other similar games on the market.
Sunsoft
, stylized as SUNSOFT, is a Japanese video game developer and publisher.
Sunsoft is the video games division of Japanese electronics manufacturer Sun Corporation. Its U.S. subsidiary operated under the name Sun Corporation of America, though, a ...
owns the rights to ''Sol-Feace'' after their acquisition of
Telenet Japan
was a Japanese video game and software developer founded in October 1983 by Kazuyuki Fukushima. The company had several video game divisions including: Wolf Team, Laser Soft, Reno, Renovation Products, Riot, Commseed, and Telenet Jr. Telenet J ...
's intellectual properties in 2009.
Gameplay
''Sol-Feace'' is a horizontal-scrolling shooter. Controlling the titular starship, the player is tasked with preventing a malfunctioning supercomputer before it enslaves all of mankind.
The objective of each stage is to destroy incoming enemies and avoiding their projectiles.
The Sol-Feace has a pair of dual cannons that can be modified to either point forwards, backwards or diagonally, and can be arranged parallel to each other.
Shooting small capsules will leave behind power-up items that upgrade the Sol-Feace's abilities when collected — these include homing missiles, a piercing laser, and a wide shot.
The game is composed of six stages, including mechanical bases, destroyed star vessels and the planet
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a mass more than two and a half times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined, but slightly less than one-thousandth t ...
— each of these end with a boss fight that must be defeated in order to progress, which have a weak point that must be shot at to inflict damage.
The final stage has the player fighting against the supercomputer antagonist.
Between stages are animated cutscenes that help explain the game's plot, with the Sega CD release giving these full voice acting.
Development and release
''Sol-Feace'' was originally released for the
Sharp X68000
The is a home computer created by Sharp Corporation. It was first released in 1987 and sold only in Japan.
The initial model has a 10 MHz Motorola 68000 CPU, 1 MB of RAM, and lacks a hard drive. The final model was released in 1993 wit ...
home computer on November 22, 1990. It was developed by Japanese studio
Wolf Team
, formerly known as , was a Japanese video game development company founded in 1986. The company was renamed in 2003 when Telenet Japan sold part of its stake and made Namco the majority shareholder. Namco Tales Studio was originally the primary d ...
and published by their parent company,
Telenet Japan
was a Japanese video game and software developer founded in October 1983 by Kazuyuki Fukushima. The company had several video game divisions including: Wolf Team, Laser Soft, Reno, Renovation Products, Riot, Commseed, and Telenet Jr. Telenet J ...
. Music for the game was composed by
Motoi Sakuraba
is a Japanese composer and keyboardist. He is known for his numerous contributions in video games, such as for '' Tales'', '' Star Ocean'', ''Mario Golf'', '' Mario Tennis'', '' Golden Sun'', and ''Dark Souls'' series, as well as several other a ...
, who later helped work on the ''
Tales'' series for
Namco
was a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company, headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo. It held several international branches, including Namco America in Santa Clara, California, Namco Europe in London, Namco Taiwan in Kaohsiung, ...
. It was ported to the
Sega CD
The Sega CD, released as the in most regions outside North America and Brazil, is a CD-ROM accessory for the Sega Genesis produced by Sega as part of the fourth generation of video game consoles. It was released on December 12, 1991, in Japan ...
in 1991 as one of the console's first launch titles in Japan, alongside Micronet's ''
Heavy Nova'',
and was made the pack-in game for the North American release — the latter version was published internationally by
Sega.
A
Sega Genesis cartridge version was released in 1992 and published by
Renovation Products
was a Japanese video game and software developer founded in October 1983 by Kazuyuki Fukushima. The company had several video game divisions including: Wolf Team, Laser Soft, Reno, Renovation Products, Riot, Commseed, and Telenet Jr. Telenet J ...
, renaming the game to ''Sol-Deace''.
The rights to ''Sol-Feace'' are owned by
Sunsoft
, stylized as SUNSOFT, is a Japanese video game developer and publisher.
Sunsoft is the video games division of Japanese electronics manufacturer Sun Corporation. Its U.S. subsidiary operated under the name Sun Corporation of America, though, a ...
, following their acquisition of Telenet Japan's intellectual properties in 2009.
Reception
''Sol-Feace'' was met with mixed reviews from critics; while some praised the game's visuals, fast-paced gameplay and soundtrack, others criticized its lack of originality and for being subpar compared to other shoot'em up titles available.
''
Computer and Video Games'' magazine criticized the gameplay for lacking originality, unfavorably comparing it to games such as ''
Hellfire'' and ''
Gynoug
, known in North America as ''Wings of Wor'', is a 1991 scrolling shooter video game developed by Masaya and published by NCS Corporation for the Sega Genesis. The game was released in North America and Europe in 1991 and in Japan on January 25, 1 ...
'', adding that much of the game's mechanics and features were done better on other
Sega Genesis games beforehand.
''
Wizard'' stated it offered nothing new to the shoot 'em up genre,
while ''
Retro Gamer
''Retro Gamer'' is a British magazine, published worldwide, covering retro video games. It was the first commercial magazine to be devoted entirely to the subject. Launched in January 2004 as a quarterly publication, ''Retro Gamer'' soon became ...
'' said it was a "below par" launch game for the console, saying it was simply the Genesis version with a new CD soundtrack "tacked-on".
''
GamePro'' wrote for the Sega Genesis release that the power-up items weren't as impressive as those in titles such as ''
Thunder Force III'', while also disliking the game's short length.
In a retrospective review, ''
AllGame
RhythmOne , previously known as Blinkx, and also known as RhythmOne Group, is an American digital advertising technology company that owns and operates the web properties AllMusic, AllMovie, and SideReel.
Blinkx was founded in 2004, went publ ...
'' disliked the sound effects for being mediocre and its music for being average.
In a more positive light, ''
Electronic Games
An electronic game is a game that uses electronics to create an interactive system with which a player can play. Video games are the most common form today, and for this reason the two terms are often used interchangeably. There are other common ...
'' called the Sega CD conversion a "solid side-scrolling shooter" for its sound effects, graphics and fast action-based gameplay, adding that Sega should be commended for making the game a pack-in for the peripheral.
''GamePro'' liked the Sega Genesis version's detailed visuals and pumping soundtrack, as well as its stage designs.
They also wrote that the game could be a contender for a "shoot'em up award" had it existed in the magazine.
''Computer and Video Games'' stated that the Sega CD version was not a "total waste of money", complementing its sound effects, fast speed, music and cutscenes,
while ''AllGame'' thought the version's dual-cannon mechanic was an interesting gameplay concept.
''AllGame'' also praised its frantic gameplay and colorful visuals, concluding that it was worth trying out at the very least.
Notes
References
{{Authority control
1990 video games
Pack-in video games
Science fiction video games
Sega CD games
Sega Genesis games
Sharp X68000 games
Shoot 'em ups
Side-scrolling video games
Telenet Japan games
Video games scored by Motoi Sakuraba
Wolf Team games
Sega video games
Single-player video games
Video games developed in Japan