Terra Diver
Encyclopedia
is a vertically scrolling shooter game released by Raizing
in 1996. The game is unusual in that, rather than using a 3:4 aspect ratio to simulate the arcade feel of other shooters, it uses a horizontal monitor (4:3) in the style of Giga Wing
and Radiant Silvergun
.
Hitoshi Sakimoto confirmed that a re-release of the soundtrack should be released by the end of 2010 under the Basiscape label.
Each ship has two different lock-on weapons that function as web-designed laser targets. Once an enemy enters the web's range, the player can destroy the enemy or multiple enemies can be destroyed via homing lasers or multiple fire-balls.
, innumerable trade companies team up with NASA
and begin initiating space programs dedicated to finding resources outside the planet Earth. Mining facilities are established in different areas outside of Earth, particularly on large asteroids near the Moon
and most especially on Mars
. Various resources are found from these areas and distributed to Earth which aid in the world economy. The largest company that is established from this is the Jin-Sei (Exhausting Star) Corporation set in Japan which is worth 1 trillion in New Yen investments, founded by the Miama family.
However, after years of space resource distribution, the separate companies started initiating attacks that would dominate other company’s resources. The strongest of these attacks started on Martian colonies established by the second largest company on Earth, Eight Luck Interstellar Development Inc., which banded with smaller companies across Earth including ones in China, England, and America. Eight Luck planned on claiming Mars for its own so as to monopolize on the outsourcing of minerals as well as developing terraformed areas.
In response to these attacks, the Jin-Sei formed a union with the JSDF (known in the future as JDF) and began working on a space fighter program organized by Defensive Section 2 of the JDF known as the Scarlet Lotus Team (SOQ for short), which utilized a unique laser technology fighting system known as NALS (Non-blind spot All range Laser System) in combat. The threat of eco-terrorism was on the rise as out-spoken ecosystem protectionism groups opposed the company's outsourcing of materials; these were used as subsequent cover-up stories to hide the company war waging between Jin-Sei and Eight Luck from public awareness.
Made up of the best fighters adapted to this combat system as well as innumerable stamina strengthening tests for space travel, the SOQ are sent in to defend company territory from rival companies on Earth and space at all costs.
colored cast, as part of the PlayStation release.
Anti-Space Anti-Ground satellite Shin-Sen
Grapple Strategy Attack tank 'Don-Ryu' (Storm Dragon)
General Purpose Strategy Aggressive space craft 'Akitaka'
Polar Region Strategic Transport attack plane 'Kaihou' (Sea Phoenix)
High Altitude Relay and Attack plane 'Bakuzan'
Later on in the system's lifetime, Soukyugurentai Otokuyo was released, which was a slightly enhanced port that fixed up some bugs when playing the game on an American unit with the Pro Action Replay, and included a playable demo of Battle Garegga
.
8ing/Raizing
Eighting Co., Ltd. is a Japanese video game company mainly known for its shoot 'em ups and its fighting games....
in 1996. The game is unusual in that, rather than using a 3:4 aspect ratio to simulate the arcade feel of other shooters, it uses a horizontal monitor (4:3) in the style of Giga Wing
Giga Wing
Giga Wing is a 1999 vertically scrolling shooter arcade game developed by Takumi and published by Capcom on their CPS-2 arcade system board and ported later that year to the Dreamcast console. The arcade version is notable for using a horizontally aligned monitor Giga Wing is a 1999 vertically...
and Radiant Silvergun
Radiant Silvergun
is a vertically scrolling shooter video game, developed by Treasure. It was released in arcades on the ST-V platform in 1998 and subsequently ported to the Sega Saturn, with added cutscenes by noted animation studio Gonzo...
.
Hitoshi Sakimoto confirmed that a re-release of the soundtrack should be released by the end of 2010 under the Basiscape label.
Gameplay
Terra Diver is a vertical-scrolling shooter. The player picks one of three different ships - red, green or blue - each with their own pilot, fire pattern and laser web. Each ship has a standard gun and a bomb, but the most distinctive of these aspects is the laser-web: holding down the button for the standard gun will release a lock-on laser-web traditionally shaped as a cone or semicircle, which will destroy the enemies it locks onto after releasing the buttons.Each ship has two different lock-on weapons that function as web-designed laser targets. Once an enemy enters the web's range, the player can destroy the enemy or multiple enemies can be destroyed via homing lasers or multiple fire-balls.
Story
After exhausting the Earth’s resources, particularly fossil fuelFossil fuel
Fossil fuels are fuels formed by natural processes such as anaerobic decomposition of buried dead organisms. The age of the organisms and their resulting fossil fuels is typically millions of years, and sometimes exceeds 650 million years...
, innumerable trade companies team up with NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
and begin initiating space programs dedicated to finding resources outside the planet Earth. Mining facilities are established in different areas outside of Earth, particularly on large asteroids near the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
and most especially on Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
. Various resources are found from these areas and distributed to Earth which aid in the world economy. The largest company that is established from this is the Jin-Sei (Exhausting Star) Corporation set in Japan which is worth 1 trillion in New Yen investments, founded by the Miama family.
However, after years of space resource distribution, the separate companies started initiating attacks that would dominate other company’s resources. The strongest of these attacks started on Martian colonies established by the second largest company on Earth, Eight Luck Interstellar Development Inc., which banded with smaller companies across Earth including ones in China, England, and America. Eight Luck planned on claiming Mars for its own so as to monopolize on the outsourcing of minerals as well as developing terraformed areas.
In response to these attacks, the Jin-Sei formed a union with the JSDF (known in the future as JDF) and began working on a space fighter program organized by Defensive Section 2 of the JDF known as the Scarlet Lotus Team (SOQ for short), which utilized a unique laser technology fighting system known as NALS (Non-blind spot All range Laser System) in combat. The threat of eco-terrorism was on the rise as out-spoken ecosystem protectionism groups opposed the company's outsourcing of materials; these were used as subsequent cover-up stories to hide the company war waging between Jin-Sei and Eight Luck from public awareness.
Made up of the best fighters adapted to this combat system as well as innumerable stamina strengthening tests for space travel, the SOQ are sent in to defend company territory from rival companies on Earth and space at all costs.
Ships and pilots
In addition to these three pilots, a fourth playable yellow fighter was added to the original three ship, RGBRGB color model
The RGB color model is an additive color model in which red, green, and blue light is added together in various ways to reproduce a broad array of colors...
colored cast, as part of the PlayStation release.
SOQ 004 - Toryu (Dragon Slayer)
Pilot: Kaoru Yashida. Department manager of the Defensive Section 2 and one of the most talented SOQ fighters in the line. Though being the oldest and most experienced of her team-mates, she is also the most advanced member of her team in regards to bone strengthening and neurological enhancements, making her the optimum fighter pilot in deep-space combat. Despite facing social nuances such as a bitter divorce and starting a new family, she is a confident woman who forgets her worries in her work.- Color: Red
- Speed: Quick
- Shot pattern: Straight + Diagonal Angle fire
- NALS Webs:
- Ei-Dou: semi-circle web, laser fire
- Pin-Point: cone web, incendiary fire
SOQ 010 - Shiden (Purple Lightning)
Pilot: Ryota Mikazuki. The newest and youngest member of the SOQ Defensive Section 2 and has been with the Jin-Sei’s defense program for a year. Has excelled in physical training as well as the NALS fighting system, proving to be an excellent pilot with a strong and boisterous spirit under a moody facade. What few people know about him however is that he is one of President Miama’s sons; he went into hiding years ago for being unable to ventilate his feelings and emotions about the family company which he could not confront his father with.- Color: Blue
- Speed: Average
- Shot pattern: Wide-Spread fire + Miniature-Homing Missile launchers
- NALS webs:
- All Range: full circle web, centralised electric fire
- Bou-Ryu: semi-circle web, laser fire
SOQ 025 - Houga (Phoenix Fang)
Pilot: Rika Kunimura. Her primary role in the Jin-Sei is Defense Plans & Operations chief assistant. She has had previous experience with the NALS fighting system since her school days, but because of her quarrelsome and independent nature she was issued to the Lunar surface mining facility for the company. During an attack on the facility, she was called into action by the main office and because of her excellent combat skills during a time of emergency was promoted to the SOQ. Her argumentative and liberal views are rooted in the fact that she is partly Swedish on her mother's side and was raised that way; this may explain why her speech and behavioral patterns are misinterpreted by her companions, but deep down she is a very compassionate woman.- Color: Green
- Speed: Slow
- Shot pattern: Heavy fire + Dual Directional guns
- NALS webs:
- Random: multi-directional cone web, incendiary fire
- Mu-Sou: cone web, laser fire
SOQ 026 - Oubu (Yellow Warrior)
Pilot: Tetsuo Shimoniida- Color: Yellow
- Speed:
- Shot pattern:
- NALS webs:
- ?
- ?
Bosses
Flying Wing bomber 'Kokubetsu'- US Air Force owned jet bomber with a great bomb and fire capacity. Eight Luck imitated it, and developed Kokubetsu. It was the strongest fighter responsible for an attack against the Jin-Sei main office districts of Tokyo.
Anti-Space Anti-Ground satellite Shin-Sen
- Eight Luck owned satellite that serves as a multi-attack unit against space and ground forces on Earth. The satellite was actually used to organise the prior surprise attack on Tokyo.
Grapple Strategy Attack tank 'Don-Ryu' (Storm Dragon)
- An alarmingly fast and destructive Chinese military owned tank armed with various guns and dual flame-throwers shaped like dragon heads (hence the Japanese name).
General Purpose Strategy Aggressive space craft 'Akitaka'
- A massive mech that is armed with innumerous guns, particularly two frontal cannons that can fire up to three different weapons. This mech was stationed at the Jin-Sei owned lunar asteroid satellite Heaven Source.
Polar Region Strategic Transport attack plane 'Kaihou' (Sea Phoenix)
- It is remodeling of the Military transport aircraft made in UK. and, VTOL attack aircraft Kai-En is stored in the hangar.
High Altitude Relay and Attack plane 'Bakuzan'
- A massive secret weapon stationed at Eight Luck attack HQ on Mars capable of multiple attack directions.
Releases
Terra Diver was originally an ST-V arcade game, so it received a near-perfect Sega Saturn release. It also received a PlayStation port, which was nearly perfect (it had a slight loss of graphical clarity and some additional slowdown).Later on in the system's lifetime, Soukyugurentai Otokuyo was released, which was a slightly enhanced port that fixed up some bugs when playing the game on an American unit with the Pro Action Replay, and included a playable demo of Battle Garegga
Battle Garegga
is a vertically scrolling shoot 'em up arcade game released by 8ing/Raizing in 1996.-Battle Garegga New Version/Type 2:It is a version without hidden fighters, Extended Mode, Harder Mode, Stage Edit, Special mode, and with different enemy bullets.-Story:...
.