Cratermaze
Encyclopedia
Cratermaze is a video game released in 1990 for the TurboGrafx-16
video game console
. The game was re-released by Hudson Soft
for the Virtual Console
on August 13, 2007 in North America, and on August 17, 2007 in Europe and Australia.
Cratermaze was a variation of the Japanese games Booby Kids (released for Famicom
) and Kid no Hore Hore Daisakusen (1987), an arcade game
released by Nihon Bussan
. A number of contemporary reviews compare the maze-like gameplay
to Hudson's Bomberman
series.
with four of his friends when they are captured by the villain Zenzombie. He travels through various eras in time (modern, samurai
, future, World War II
and prehistory), collecting treasure to open doors to the next era, and kills enemies by digging holes and burying the enemies. Every 15 of the game's 60 levels, Opi rescues one of his friends. Levels 30 and 60 are boss
levels where an enormous enemy floats around the screen who can kill Opi with a single touch.
In the Japanese version, the game starred Doraemon
instead of Opi; Opi's friends are replaced with other Doraemon characters.
TurboGrafx-16
TurboGrafx-16, fully titled as TurboGrafx-16 Entertainment SuperSystem and known in Japan as the , is a video game console developed by Hudson Soft and NEC, released in Japan on October 30, 1987, and in North America on August 29, 1989....
video game console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
. The game was re-released by Hudson Soft
Hudson Soft
, formally known as , is a majority-owned subsidiary of Konami Corporation is a Japanese electronic entertainment publisher headquartered in the Midtown Tower in Tokyo Midtown, Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, with an additional office in the Hudson Building in Sapporo. It was founded on May 18, 1973...
for the Virtual Console
Virtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
on August 13, 2007 in North America, and on August 17, 2007 in Europe and Australia.
Cratermaze was a variation of the Japanese games Booby Kids (released for Famicom
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
) and Kid no Hore Hore Daisakusen (1987), an arcade game
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
released by Nihon Bussan
Nihon Bussan
Nihon Bussan Co., Ltd. is a Japanese video game manufacturer, commonly known as Nichibutsu . The company uses an owl sign for the company's official logo. The company has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka....
. A number of contemporary reviews compare the maze-like gameplay
Gameplay
Gameplay is the specific way in which players interact with a game, and in particular with video games. Gameplay is the pattern defined through the game rules, connection between player and the game, challenges and overcoming them, plot and player's connection with it...
to Hudson's Bomberman
Bomberman
Bomberman is a strategic, maze-based computer and video game franchise originally developed by Hudson Soft. The original game was published in 1983 and new games in the series are still being published to this day. Today, the commercially successful Bomberman is featured in over 70 different games...
series.
Overview
In the game, the hero Opi is traveling through timeTime travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
with four of his friends when they are captured by the villain Zenzombie. He travels through various eras in time (modern, samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
, future, World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and prehistory), collecting treasure to open doors to the next era, and kills enemies by digging holes and burying the enemies. Every 15 of the game's 60 levels, Opi rescues one of his friends. Levels 30 and 60 are boss
Boss (video games)
A boss is an enemy-based challenge which is found in video games. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight...
levels where an enormous enemy floats around the screen who can kill Opi with a single touch.
In the Japanese version, the game starred Doraemon
Doraemon
is a Japanese manga series created by Fujiko F. Fujio which later became an anime series and an Asian franchise...
instead of Opi; Opi's friends are replaced with other Doraemon characters.