RF Generation Message Board

Sega is no stranger to arcade shoot-em-up games, as demonstrated by early hits, such as Zaxxon, its sequel Super Zaxxon, or the lesser known Star Jacker. Sega didn't stick with the genre that long, though, as the market had become flooded during the early 1980's arcade boom. The story goes, that someone in a position of power at Sega saw Konami's success with Gradius in Japan in 1985, and decided Sega needed to have their own, similar game. Designer Yoji Ishii was given the task, and rather than make a clone, he took the design in a very different direction, adopting a free-scrolling approach, like Williams' Defender, and giving the game a very bright, colorful look, paired with a set of very cute, whimsical characters, and a very fantastical setting, which became the game's namesake. That game, of course, is Sega's classic, Fantasy Zone.

Fantasy Zone was a success in the arcade, and appeared on many consoles and home computers during the 1980's and early 90's, including the Famicom, NES, Sega Master System, MSX, Sharp X68000, TurboGrafx-16, and more. It received an arcade-perfect port on the Sega Saturn in 1997, as well as receiving multiple iterations on the PlayStation 2. The arcade version is unlockable in Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection for PS3 and Xbox 360, received a 3D port on the Nintendo 3DS, and has now been given the M2 Sega Ages treatment on the Nintendo Switch. With so many ways to play, there's no excuse to sit this one out. Join the RF Generation Shmup Club as we team up with Opa-Opa, and fight off an enemy invasion on multiple planets, as we play Fantasy Zone in May 2020!

Participants:
MetalFRO
Addicted
douglie007
FauxMacho
shaggy
zoydo
Normatron
petezilla

High Scores

SMS:
NES:
Famicom:
TurboGrafx:
Arcade:

I will join this... love the game

Welcome aboard, Doug!

Nice, I'll join on Switch and if things open back up, maybe a day at the arcade.

Very cool! Jealous of anyone who can actually play it in the arcade. I don't believe I've ever seen it in the wild.

I actually have this for the SMS so I'm in!

Sweet! Welcome to the Shmup Club :D

Welcome to the party pal!

I've never been a big fan of Fantasy Zone.  But it's on several SEGA collections and i got a copy for PCE, so i join in. Maybe i find some love for it.

Excellent!

So how does this work?  We just trying to beat the game or post a high score?

Both! Let us know which version you're playing, maybe talk about your experience with that version, or the game in general. Let us know what you like, don't like, etc. and share your impressions of the game. And then yes, post your high scores, when you have them, and if you beat the game, post an end screen or credit roll, so we can revel in your success and celebrate with you :D

So I opened up my copy and found this clipping a magazine:
[img width=700 height=933]https://i.imgur.com/sZVFgsd.jpg[/img]

It may help you guys out.  I tired to do it but can't get $10,000 :laugh:

If anyone if interested the reverse side has a level select for a Mickey Mouse game on the NES.

Awesome find, shaggy! I had not heard of that tip before. This will be great for practice, though I would say play it straight/legit w/o using this, for submitting a score ;)

So, I'm playing the SMS version.  I read through the manual and it wasn't pleasant.  It seems to be lacking in detail.

I don't like the speed that my ship moves around at.  It's to fast and slippery to me so I don't think the engine upgrades will work for me.  I got some extra weapons and didn't know they were timed which really makes a point of getting a weapon useless.  I figured out that initially the shop comes out after you get $2,000 but after that I don't know when it comes out.  

At first I thought I needed a special weapon to destroy the bases because the noise it makes is a noise that sounds like it was "blocked".  Through luck I figured out that your regular shots can destroy the bases.  Same with the bosses, I didn't if I was hitting them.  Again, I thought maybe I needed to use a special weapon but I was able to defeat the first boss (with many shots).  

There are a lot of improvements that could be made for this game/version.  I wonder how the NES game plays out.  I'm wondering if maybe you are supposed to get a weapon and not use it except for the boss but then that brings up the next question, when does the select (SEL) come so you can change weapons?

I'm not particularly enjoying this game.  I know it gets a lot of love but at the moment, I don't get why.

I made it to level 3 and got 41,000 points.  I'll have to take a picture next time.

That was my feeling, wasn't sure if using it would be counted.  I want to know if someone was able to do it as I can't yet.

I started playing the SMS version the other day and enjoying it so far. The snowmen boss is pretty hectic!
[img width=700 height=525]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EW-bWtfXYAAAlcN?format=jpg&name=large[/img]

Protip: I figured out that you need to hit the first boss in the mouth in order for the hit to count.

Hope it's not to late to toss my name in the hat! I'm on the switch - sega ages version.

I understand your frustrations here, because I think I experienced them as a kid, the first couple times I played the game. All except for the speed thing - the NES version, which was the first I played, has a very slow default speed, and you absolutely have to get a Big Wing, at a minimum, to get a workable speed. The weapon time-out is frustrating, as is the fact that they all cost more each time after you buy them. This is an area where I wonder what the design team was going for, because the limited use case really makes it very strategic, as to when you buy and use a weapon. For me, areas where there are too many fast enemies to deal with are when I'll grab a 7-way (5-way in the NES version), just to help me clear the field. Otherwise, sometimes the Wide Beam helps with that. The Laser is iffy, depending on the version. I always liked it before, but playing the game now, I'm not sure it's any more powerful than your default shot, and might be a bit of a red herring.

Level 3 is nothing to sneeze at, this early in the month, so don't be disheartened by that. I'd say that's good progress already, considering that some of the game's RNG can be unforgiving, particularly in the spacing of the bullet spread/shower that the stage 2 boss throws out.

My current Hi Score:

[img width=700 height=525]https://i.imgur.com/pgG9Tuu.jpg[/img]

What is RNG? 

Does anyone know what triggers the SEL to come out?  I haven't been buying weapons at all.  Just using the normal gun.  I haven't been using the bombs, either.  Has anyone been using bombs at all?

Sorry, RNG = Random Number Generator. In essence, a randomization of certain elements. When that stage 2 boss throws out all the bullets from the top, they rain down in a non-specific, very random sort of pattern. That's likely because a RNG was programmed into the game to create that effect. RNG is the generic term used for random game elements. Regarding weapons, I buy them sometimes, mostly when I feel like I need an edge of some kind. I always get the double bomb, so I can drop 2 in rapid succession, because it does help with being able to occasionally pick off an enemy, or for some bosses (stage 3 is a good example), bombs are the preferred weapon. The shop comes out at certain $$ thresholds, I believe, but it appears to be different in some versions. The first time, it seems to come out when you get a certain amount of money, but I'm not sure it's the same across versions. It seems to be somewhere just below $2000, so around $1800 or $1900 is where I've seen it the most. I used to think you had to destroy at least 2 "bases" beforehand, but that's not the case. In the arcade and TurboGrafx versions, the shop seems to appear more often than in some of the other console ports.

With the changes between the versions, and what appears to be some scoring inconsistencies with each, I think what we'll do is have separate categories for each console version, and then arcade conversions/ports will fall into the same category, so the Saturn version, the PS3/360 arcade port on Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection, and the Switch port should all be equal. The rest of the versions will each have their own score category, so everyone feel free to try as many versions as you like or have access to, and let's get some competition up in here!

For SMS, the first shop comes out at $2,000.

I was watching your stream from a few days ago and your ship movement in the NES version is slow!  I like that the NES version has the map of the bases!  Something that is really beneficial.

I tried getting the Twin Bombs like you suggested and that really helps with destroying the bases.

Yes, the default NES speed is very slow. Since that's the version I grew up, I assumed that was how it was with the other versions, but so far, it seems like only the NES version has Opa-Opa moving at a snail's pace up front. The others are faster from the start, though I still get at least the Big Wing, to get a little more speed right off the bat. And yes, the map in the NES version is based on the map from the original arcade version. It's curious that the Tengen NES version includes that, but the Sunsoft Famicom port, and SMS port don't.

Here are my scores so far, I really do suck at shooters...  first is from the sonic collection on 360 and next is the SMS. [img width=700 height=476]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200506/b761f29819c48470fe947feb5760ccc8.jpg[/img][img width=641 height=441]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200506/ff8ac1009d6df4107fcfe4af90054574.jpg[/img]

Don't be discouraged, Doug - those are respectable scores for this early in the month. My primary focus has been on shooters the last couple years, so it's not unheard of that I would have improved. It's a difficult game, and there's definitely some randomness with certain elements that makes it a bit unfair, at times, so just keep trying, and you'll get there. Good stuff so far!

The lack of continue sucks tho

I posted this the other day to Twitter, but my latest high score on SMS:
[img width=700 height=525]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EXNrPZJWkAAoyaZ?format=jpg&name=large[/img]

It does, because it means practicing the later levels means grinding it out. This is an instance where playing on a mini console or emulator might be a good idea, because the ability to use savestates can certainly help learn the strategies for the more difficult levels and bosses.

@Duke.Togo - great score progress!

I managed to get my new PB on stream, while reaching the final boss, and nearly completing the game, with only the last 2 mini-dudes left to take out. I'm really close to clearing this TurboGrafx version!

Well, died right at the start of level 4.  Got this score:

[img width=700 height=933]https://i.imgur.com/E2H5eTX.jpg[/img]

Stage 4, good progress! Looks like you're acclimating to the game nicely :D

After watching one of your streams I picked up a few tips but I can't get over how quickly it moves but have gotten a bit used to it.  I'm still not really digging the game and I think it's for three reasons: the game ends so quickly to me, I can't pause the game because I'm playing on the SMS and the pause button is on the system(my finger needs to take a rest!), and I like shooters more like Life Force and Gradius.

Hello, I finally got involved with a shmup club! Super Fantasy Zone on the mega drive was one of the first games I played, didnt even realise you had to destroy the bases for a long time...
Cleared the game on switch with a score of 2,334,300.
https://twitter.com/petezilla87/status/1259118178082230272?s=20

7 way shot is definitely your friend through the later levels.

Way to go petezilla, awesome stuff.

My best so far is 130360. I can get to level 5, once so far have I faced the bracket of snowmen, but didn't get past that.
I haven't worked out to much strategy, I need to get some more time into the game. I'd love to clear it by the end of the month though.

Playing the Sega Ages Switch version.

I wanted to check out how may loops the game has and how that effects the game, looks like it'll just loop more or less infinitely! Have a peek at this madness
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0248sPO6wXk

@shaggy - looks like you need one of these things: https://segaretro.org/Rapid_Fire_Unit

@petezilla - welcome to RF Generation, and great job on the clear! Looks like yours is currently the score to beat, at least on the arcade version. I'll have to scope that video after work :D

@FauxMacho - thanks for jumping into the play-through! Great progress so far, getting to stage 5 already. That snowman boss can be difficult, but very doable. I haven't made it that far on an arcade conversion yet, but have found it to be reasonable on the TurboGrafx version.

Great stuff, everyone!

I got close to a clear again last night, though I struggled a bit with the boss rush. Pretty sure I'll crack it, though. One thing that always gets me is the random nature of the way the seeds that the stage 2 boss shoots out will fall down - there's no telling how that will space out, and sometimes, it seems as though there's no legitimate place to squeeze through, so you're just out of luck.

So I've put in a LOT of time the past few days and got a clear this afternoon!
 
I got 4,248,380 on the Switch version. I play on the default 'New' version.

I think the end scoring bonus is related to how much Gold you still have. I cleared with $193,600. I've seen some videos with $300k+ get a 6 million point bonus. My 2nd lap was a bit of a gaff on my part. I should have stocked up on lives immediately. instead, I died prematurely in the second level and that was the end of the run. I believe I made it to final stage without losing a life on the first lap.

@MetalFRO on that second stage boss I had more success when I started moving around more. By bombing when you are moving forward the bombs travel farther, so I surge toward the boss, throw bombs at it and move back. Then I think just coincidentally, it's easier for me to find gaps since I'm already moving. I only need reaction time to stop in the right place, instead of needing to react to start moving to a gap and then stopping in it. I know we are playing different versions though, and I saw on your stream you go for Big Wings and I use Jet Engine.

wow, we got to much the same point but you pretty much doubled my score!
I'm spending too much on 7 ways.

Stage 2 boss can be a bit rng..

@petezilla Yeah, the stage 2 boss RNG can be brutal. Maybe moving around will help the seeds not to cluster too much, so it's worth a try. But I've noticed that sometimes, they're so close together, it's nearly impossible to find an opening.

@FauxMacho - great job on the clear, and what a score! Interesting that the money ties into the endgame score bonus, but it makes perfect sense. If I manage to get good enough to no-miss one of the versions, I assume I'll find that to be worth the effort, with what my final score is likely to be. Looks like we have some good competition going this month, which is awesome!

You know, I do have one somewhere.  I just don't know where.  And that would be cheating!

I went back for seconds last night and furthered my score to 4,532,700. I only bought two extra lives, only buying a life when I lost a life. Originally I would buy lives as soon as I could but as I got better that wasn't needed.

For the 2nd stage boss, explore using a bomb like the Flash (Smart?) Bomb. This bomb would work well for any segmented boss like the twin dragons/arms and the snowmen. Ideally for the snowmen I blast it all away with the 7way in mere seconds, but if I only have the twin shooter there is an interesting strategy. The next row of snowmen can only shoot when the two smaller ones directly in front have been eliminated. So try to kill every other snowman, then kill the rest. Do this a little slowly so all those tiny bullets move past before the next row starts shooting. By doing this and focusing equally on dodging, it becomes much more manageable and you'll find yourself always with a path through the bullets and never trapped.

I'm loving the Sega Ages release. The only other one I have is Virtua Racing. The rankings are great for getting motivation for improving, and the top 50 have replays so you can watch how the best play.

Thanks for the tip on the snowman boss, FauxMacho! I know I had seen something like that before, but I didn't know the specifics. I'll have to explore that, for sure. Great score - you're definitely the one to beat now!

@shaggy - it's not cheating at my age; it's saving myself from the inevitability of carpal tunnel  :slick:

Looks like Nefarious Wes decided to jump in, and provided a score via Twitter:


https://twitter.com/nefarious_wes/status/1261196622936956932?s=21

He played the TurboGrafx version, and got a clear!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Beat it for the first time ever last night on TG-16! And a no-death run, too! I spammed the hell out of the heavy bomb for the last two parts of the final boss and that did the trick. Funny thing is, when the second loop begins, you have zero lives, and I was on such a high from beating it that I died on the first stage. No biggie as I'm very pleased with my score. Gonna try and do it on NES now.

Great work on the clear, Wes! I haven't managed to clear it on the TurboGrafx (or any version, for that matter), but I've come close a couple times. I just can't get to that final boss with my heavy bombs in tact. I'll get there, though, I just have to keep trying. How's everyone else faring?

I did it! I finally got a clear, on the SMS version, of all things. I cleared the first loop, and managed to make it to stage 6 in the 2nd loop, so I'm pretty happy about that, as well as the score I managed to achieve. It's not as impressive as Wes's score, but for a first clear, and on a version with some pretty aggressive enemy AI/behavior, I'll take it! Final score was 5,693,900.

Here's the run - keep in mind, I'm coming off a frustrating run, so I'm a little salty in the beginning :D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TX8m1BegYAQ

Awesome, man! Does the SMS version reset your lives to zero on the second loop like the TG-16 version? I tried the NES version the other day and got halfway through the boss rush.

No, you continue with the number of lives that you had when you beat the boss, so it has an edge in that sense, it would seem!

Well, I didnt get a lot play time, so my first scores were still my best

Spent a little time with the Famicom version yesterday and here is my score:
[img width=700 height=525]https://i.imgur.com/rLNPI0a.jpg[/img]

It looks really good, but the difficulty seemed pretty aggressive. Very impressive version for the hardware.

135,500 on Switch with default settings.

I have some foggy memories of this game from back in the day. I had a friend who had it on SMS circa 1990. I think I was aware of the golf game trick from him. I really enjoyed revisiting this game. I thought it came out for Genesis in North America, but I may be confusing it with Fantasy Zone 2.

Unfortunately, we didn't get anything Fantasy Zone on the Genesis on North America, aside from the unlockable level in Arnold Palmer Tournament Golf.

I played another round last week and tried to shoot more enemies for points in the first two stages instead of going straight for the bosses. But it didn't work out too well, couldn't get a new PB.
 
As i mentioned Fantasy Zone just isn't my cup of tea.
I just don't get used to my ship being centered in the middle of the screen, so i always run into the enemies.
I still enjoyed the boss fights and the art style..... and the music will probably never leave my brains again.

Congrats on your 1cc's everyone!

Thanks for the final thoughts, zoydo! Not all these games are for everyone, so it's okay to not like every game we play. That's part of why we're doing this - when you find the games you really latch onto, hopefully you'll be motivated to keep playing, and improve :)

I did a make-up stream tonight, since I was feeling a bit ill last night, so I did the thing where you unlock the Fantasy Zone mini-game in Arnold Palmer Tournament Golf, by hitting the ball 100 times on the first hole, w/o sinking it, which results in an instant game over. At the Game Over screen, you basically enter a variant of the Konami code, and you're taken to a FZ mini game, where you get one life, and a single screen with enemies constantly coming at you, and 2 outposts to destroy. The game stops once you destroy a certain number of enemies, but because your score is constantly rising while you survive, I found a safe spot after destroying one of the bases, and just hung out there and bombed enemies. Your bombs don't drop all the way down the screen, and you can destroy enemy bullets with them, so it's very rudimentary, but it shows promise of what a FZ conversion for the Genesis might have been like, at least in an early stage. Sadly, it was not to be. But here's my high score, just for fun!