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Salamander (version D)

 
Arcade
Arcade
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Salamander (version D)

| 1986
Genre:
Style:
Theme: Space, Science-Fiction, Aliens
Description:


Notes:
Release type:
Developer: Konami
Controls/Input Device: Control(joy8way), Buttons(2)
Number of Players: 2
Rating:
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SoundMix: Stereo
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Mameinfo.dat entry:
0.37b10 [Yochizo]


WIP:

- 0.147u2: hap fixed clone Omega Fighter Special. The game fails to boot or finish post. After showing bad rom errors, the game resets.

- 0.147u1: Fixed maincpu rom loading.

- 0.122u7: Fixed gfx1/2/3/4/5 rom loading.

- 0.89u3: Changed Z80 CPU2 clock speed to 5MHz.

- 0.37b10: Yochizo added 'Omega Fighter' (UPL 1989) and clone Omega Fighter Special.

- 21st November 2000: Yochizo fixed some graphics bugs in the Omega Fighter / Atomic Robo-kid driver.

- 8th November 2000: Yochizo sent in a driver for Omega Fighter and Atomic Robo-kid.

- 25th April 1999: Dumped Omega Fighter Special.


LEVELS: 8 (restarts once)


Other Emulators:

* FB Alpha

* JFF

* Raine


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Romset: 2016 kb / 8 files / 457.8 zip


Credits Mameinfo and Mametesters Project Robert J. Rabgno et al.
History.dat entry:
Salamander (c) 1986 Konami.

Salamander is a 1 or 2 player sequel to 1985's superb shoot-em-up, "Nemesis". While it retained the same basic gameplay and feel of its predecessor (particularly the superb and innovative weapons system), Salamander featured both superior graphics and a more imaginative approach to level design. The earliest example of the latter appears towards the end of the very first level, in which imposing, organic obstructions grow before the players' eyes. The game's third level - the infamous 'lava' level - is another good example of Salamander's superb design; with huge solar flares constantly erupting both above and below the player's ship that must be carefully navigated to avoid instant loss of life. Salamander introduced further variety to the action with the introduction vertically-scrolling levels, which alternated with the standard side-scrolling levels.

Salamander's weapon power-up system is as follows :
* SPEED UP : Five speed levels.
* MISSILE : Press missile button to launch.
* LASER : Your forward rockets turn into deadly lasers.
* RIPPLE LASER : Use shoot button to fire.
* FORCE FIELD : Protect your ship with barriers.
* MULTIPLE : Increase your fire power by up to four times.

Multiple special powers can be obtained, but the LASER cannot be used in conjunction with the RIPPLE Laser.

- TECHNICAL -

Konami Nemesis Hardware
Game ID : GX587

Main CPU : MC 68000 @ 10Mhz / G400 Bios
Sound CPU : Zilog Z80
Sound chip : 2x AY-3-8910 psg

- TRIVIA -

Salamander was released in July 1986 in Japan. It is known in US as "Lifeforce", but it was re-released one year later in Japan as "Lifeforce [Model GX587]" (June 1987).

Salamander is the game that inspired Ikeda Tsunemoto (Toaplan>Cave) to develop the 'Danmaku'; the shot patterns seen in "Donpachi" et al.

Note: The kanji on the Japanese version title screen actually reads 'Sa Ra Man Da', meaning 'Sand Gauze Wide Snake'. This is an example of 'ateji', where Japanese artists use the phonetic value of a character to fit the game's name allowing them to write the name in kanji as opposed to a kana.

The first boss in Salamander appears as BRAIN GOLEM in "Kyukyoku Sentai Dadandarn".

Soundtrack releases:
[JP] [Cassette] Dec. 16, 1986; Original Sound of Salamander [KHY-1012]
[JP] [Cassette] Nov.21, 1987; Original Sound of Gradius & Salamander [Battle Music Collection]
[JP] [Audio CD] (Nov.21, 1987) Original Sound of Gradius & Salamander [Battle Music Collection]
[JP] Nov. 21, 1988; Original Sound of Salamander [BY12-5019]
[JP] May 25, 1992; Salamander Again - Konami Kukeiha Club [KICA-7601]
[JP] May 21, 1998; Salamander - Kukeiha Club Pro-Fusion [KICA-7702]
[JP] Apr. 09, 2003; Salamander Arcade Soundtrack [KOLA-030]
[JP] Sep. 22, 2011; Konami Shooting Collection [LC-2039~48]

The story between the different versions of Salamander differs. While the story in the arcade original is not entirely clear, the Famicom version claims a large creature named Zelos (possibly the serpent often pictured on the game's cover art) is preparing to swallow your planet whole, and you must stop it from the inside out. The US arcade follows primarily the same story. the Japanese LifeForce may have a more surgery-related story, involving the removal of an unwanted virus or microbe from the body. The MSX version of Salamander differs the most from any of these. Basically, a prophecy from long ago comes true when an army attacks Latis and it's surrounding planets. They have created a barrier around Latis, and the only way to undo it is by activating a 'crush below' system created by ancient Latisians.

- TIPS AND TRICKS -

* Bypass the mini-boss in stage 6: In stage 6 (Zelos's fortress if you're playing Salamander or the brain area if you're playing Life Force), there is a mini-boss section consisting of multiple boss ships that fire sets of 4 lasers. Move your ship all the way to the top of the screen and you will be safe until this section ends. This glitch does not work in the Japanese re-release version of the game (the one with a purple background in attract mode).

- SERIES -

1. Gradius [Model GX400] (1985)
2. Salamander [Model GX587] (1986)
3. Gradius II - GOFER no Yabou [Model GX785] (1988)
4. Gradius III - Densetsu Kara Shinwa-e [Model GX945] (1989)
5. Nemesis '90 Kai (1993, Sharp X68000)
6. Salamander 2 (1996)
7. Solar Assault - Gradius (1997)
8. Solar Assault - Revised (1997)
9. Gradius Gaiden (1997, Sony PlayStation)
10. Gradius IV - Fukkatsu (1998)
11. Gradius Generation (2001, Nintendo Game Boy Advance)
12. Gradius V (2004, Sony PlayStation 2)
13. Gradius Neo (2004, NTT DoCoMo i-mode Phones)
14. Gradius Neo Imperial (2005, NTT DoCoMo i-mode Phones)
15. Gradius Wide (2007, NTT DoCoMo i-mode Phones)
16. Gradius Rebirth (2008, Nintendo Wii)

- STAFF -

Game programmers : Hiroyasu Machiguchi, Mitsuo Takemoto, Toshiaki Takahori, Ikuko Minowa
Video graphics designers : Jun Sakurai, Miki Yoshikata, Ikuko Bando
Sound editors : Yoshiaki Hatano, Miki Higashino
Engineer : Yasushi Furukawa

- PORTS -

* Consoles :
Nintendo Famicom [JP] (September 25, 1987) "Salamander [Model RC821]"
NEC PC-Engine [JP] (December 6, 1991) "Salamander [Model KM91002]"
Sega Saturn [JP] (June 19, 1997) "Salamander Deluxe Pack Plus [Model T-9520G]"
Sony PlayStation [JP] (July 3, 1997) "Salamander Deluxe Pack Plus [Model SLPM-86037]"
Sony PSP [JP] (January 25, 2007) "Salamander Portable [Model ULJM-05219]"
Nintendo Wii [Virtual Console] [JP] (September 11, 2007) PC-Engine version
Sony PSP [JP] (March 13, 2008) "Salamander Portable [Konami The Best] [Model ULJM-05322]"
Nintendo Wii [Virtual Console] [JP] (January 12, 2010) MSX version

* Computers :
MSX [JP] (December 26, 1987) "Salamander [Model RC758]"
Sharp X68000 [JP] (October 1988) "Salamander [Model CZ-218AS]"
Commodore C64 [US] [EU] (1988)
Sinclair ZX Spectrum [EU] (1988)
Amstrad CPC [EU] (1988)
NEC PC-9801 [JP] (1992) Salamander

* Others :
Mobile Phone [CN] (2009) Salamander

- CONTRIBUTE -

Edit this entry: http://www.arcade-history.com/?&page=detail&id=2297&o=2


Licensed from Alexis Bousiges under a CC Attribution 3.0 License
cheat.dat entry:
00000000 80380 00000099 FFFFFFFF Infinite Lives PL1
00000000 80500 00000000 00000040 Invincibility PL1
00000000 803C0 00000099 FFFFFFFF Infinite Lives PL2
00000000 80530 00000000 00000040 Invincibility PL2
60000000 00000 00000000 00000000
00000000 83006 00000000 FFFFFFFF Sound Test Timer Stop [PL2 Start]Next Code

Credit Pugsy's MAME Cheat file
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