is a

video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...

for the

Sega 32X The 32X is an add-on for the Sega Genesis video game console. Codenamed "Project Mars", it was designed to expand the power of the Genesis and serve as a transitional console into the 32-bit era until the release of the Sega Saturn. The 32X us ...

released in 1995. It was developed by

Sega is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Its international branches, Sega of America and Sega Europe, are headquartered in Irvine, California and London, r ...

and

Red Company is a video game developer and publisher based in Japan. Originally founded in 1976 as (though it did not begin doing business until 1985), it was reorganized and succeeded by a new company on December 4, 2000, under its current moniker of Red ...

and published by Sega.

Story

In ''Tempo'', the titular

grasshopper Grasshoppers are a group of insects belonging to the suborder Caelifera. They are among what is possibly the most ancient living group of chewing herbivorous insects, dating back to the early Triassic around 250 million years ago. Grasshopp ...

character Tempo and his friend, Katy, star on the Major Minor Show as they climb the top of the tower to defeat King Dirge.

Gameplay

The stages are presented as performances on a musical variety show like

Soul Train ''Soul Train'' is an American musical variety television show. It aired in syndication from October 2, 1971, to March 25, 2006. Across its 35-year history the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists. The series w ...

. The game uses hand-drawn graphics for the backgrounds and sprites.

Reception

On release, ''

Famicom Tsūshin 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 ...

'' scored the game a 30 out of 40. Though they commented on the lack of originality in the gameplay, ''

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 ...

'' concluded that ''Tempos "dazzling" background graphics, rich soundtrack, and extremely low difficulty make it "a perfect game for novices." In ''

GameFan ''GameFan'' (originally known as ''Diehard GameFan'') was a publication started by Tim Lindquist, Greg Off, George Weising. and Dave Halverson in September 1992 that provided coverage of domestic and import video games. It was notable for its ex ...

'' magazine,

Dave Halverson Dave Halverson is an American video game journalist who has been the founder, publisher, and editor-in-chief of ''GameFan'' (where he wrote reviews as E. Storm, Skid and Takahara), ''Gamers' Republic'', ''Play'', and currently the new versions of ...

, Nick Rox and K. Lee rated the game 79, 80, and 88, respectively. '' Next Generation'' reviewed the game, rating it two stars out of five, and stated that "none of tsgood qualities keep ''Tempo'' from missing the beat and being yet another poor 32X effort." Four reviewers for the Japanese ''Sega Saturn Magazine'' gave it scores of 6,4,6,7, for an average of 6.25. In a retrospective review, IGN gave the game 7 out of 10.

Sequels

In part because it was released on the failed 32X add-on, it failed to find an audience. Sega tried again with two more games: a spinoff titled ''Tempo Jr.'' in 1995 for the

Game Gear The is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console released by Sega on October 6, 1990, in Japan, in April 1991 throughout North America and Europe, and during 1992 in Australia. The Game Gear primarily competed with Nintendo's Game Boy, ...

, and a sequel titled ''

Super Tempo is a 1998 Japanese video game for the Sega Saturn. It followed ''Tempo'' for the Sega 32X and ''Tempo Jr.'' for the Game Gear. The game uses stylized 2D cartoon graphics. Plot In the winter music world, the Prince of Music World is kidnapped an ...

'' in 1998 for the

Sega Saturn The is a home video game console developed by Sega and released on November 22, 1994, in Japan, May 11, 1995, in North America, and July 8, 1995, in Europe. Part of the fifth generation of video game consoles, it was the successor to the succ ...

. ''

'' scored ''Tempo Jr.'' an 18 out of 40.NEW GAMES CROSS REVIEW: TEMPO Jr.. Weekly Famicom Tsūshin. No.333. Pg.33. 5 May 1995.

Notes

References

{{reflist 1995 video games Red Entertainment games Sega video games 32X games Platformers Sega 32X-only games Video games developed in Japan Single-player video games