Summary
- Release Year: 1981
- Genres: Arcade, Shooter
- Platforms: Arcade, MSX, Sharp X1, Sharp X68000, Wii
- Developers: Namco
- Publishers: Dempa Shimbunsha, Micomsoft, Midway Games
Bosconian (1981)
Bosconian is a vertically scrolling shoot-’em-up arcade game developed and released by Namco in 1981. The player controls a small fighter ship that must destroy enemy bases and ships to score points and progress through the game. Bosconian was one of the first arcade games to feature a semi-transparent mini-map, which helped players identify the location of enemy bases.
The game is set in the year 2142, when the Earth is threatened by an alien invasion. The player takes control of a Bosconian fighter ship, one of the last remaining defenses against the alien armada. The player’s ship can move in eight directions and can fire both forward and backward.
Each level of Bosconian consists of a number of green space stations that must all be destroyed to advance to the next level. Each station consists of six cannons arranged in a hexagon, surrounding a central core. The player must either destroy all six cannons or shoot the core to destroy a station. In later levels, the core is capable of defending itself.
In addition to enemy bases, the player must also avoid or destroy asteroids, mines, and a variety of enemy missiles and ships. Enemies occasionally launch formation attacks — destroying the leader causes all remaining enemies to disperse, but destroying all enemies in a formation scores extra bonus points. A spy ship (worth a random bonus value) also appears occasionally, which must be destroyed or the enemies will go berserk.
Bosconian was a critical and commercial success, and is considered to be one of the classic arcade games of the early 1980s. The game has been ported to a number of home platforms, including the Atari 2600, ColecoVision, and Commodore 64.
Gameplay
Bosconian is a vertically scrolling shoot-’em-up game. The player controls a small fighter ship that can move in eight directions and can fire both forward and backward. The player’s ship can also launch a limited number of bombs, which can be used to destroy enemy bases and ships.
The goal of Bosconian is to score as many points as possible by destroying enemy bases and ships. The player scores points for destroying each enemy base, as well as for destroying enemy ships and other obstacles. The player also receives bonus points for destroying all enemies in a formation, and for destroying the spy ship.
Bosconian is a challenging game, and the difficulty increases as the player progresses through the levels. The enemy bases become more difficult to destroy, and the player must contend with a greater number of enemy ships and obstacles.
Graphics and sound
Bosconian’s graphics are simple but effective. The game’s backgrounds are black, and the player’s ship and the enemy ships and bases are all rendered in bright colors. The game’s animation is also smooth, and the game runs at a fast pace.
Bosconian’s sound effects are simple but effective. The game’s sound effects include the sound of the player’s ship firing its lasers, the sound of enemy ships exploding, and the sound of the player’s ship being destroyed. The game’s music is also catchy and upbeat.
Legacy
Bosconian is considered to be one of the classic arcade games of the early 1980s. The game was a critical and commercial success, and it has been ported to a number of home platforms. Bosconian has also been praised for its simple but effective gameplay, its smooth animation, and its catchy music.
Bosconian has been cited as an influence on a number of later shoot-’em-up games, including Gradius and R-Type. The game’s semi-transparent mini-map has also been adopted by a number of other shoot-’em-up games.
Bosconian remains a popular game today, and it is still enjoyed by fans of classic arcade games. The game is available on a number of retro gaming platforms, and it can also be played online.
Review Score
8/10
Art
Cover Art
Screenshots
