Terra Diver, known in japan as Soukyugurentai (蒼穹紅蓮隊, Azure Sky Red Lotus Corps) is a Shoot 'em Up game developed by Raizing and originally released in 1996 for the Sega Titan (STV) Arcade platform. It was ported to the Sega Saturn in 1996 by Electronic Arts and to the PlayStation in 1997 by Data East.
Gameplay[]
Terra Diver is a vertically scrolling shoot 'em up which utilizes a horizontally-oriented monitor, unlike other Raizing shooters which use a vertically-oriented one.
The first button is used for shooting. By quickly tapping it the player's ship will fire the main weapon, a fast-firing forward gun which can be upgraded by picking up power up icons. By holding the button the player will activate the NALS ("Non-blind-spot All-range Laser System"), which creates a three-dimensional grid either around or in front of the ship, depending on it's format. As long as the button is held all enemies that pass through the grid will be locked on up to a certain limit, so upon releasing the button the ship will fire lasers or plasma which will home onto all locked targets. The NALS can target enemies both on the foreground and background, but the player becomes unable to shoot while it's active.
The second button is used for bombs. Pressing it will consume one bomb in the player's stock, creating a powerful explosion in front of the ship. If the NALS is active when the player uses a bomb it will instead create smaller cluster explosions onto the targeted enemies. By pressing the third button the player can change between the two NALS modes of the ship.
Ports[]
Terra Diver was originally ported to the Sega Saturn in 1996 by Electronic Arts in Japan only. This is a Arcade perfect port, given that the Sega Titan Arcade board the game originally ran in was a modified Saturn. This version adds the usual options to change the game's difficulty and number of lives and bombs, as well as a practice mode and gallery.
The game would later be ported to the Sony PlayStation in 1997 by Data East, also only in Japan. Titled Soukyugurentai Oubushutsugeki (蒼穹紅蓮隊 黄武出撃, Azure Sky Red Lotus Corps: Golden Soldier Sortie), this version adds a new ship and final stage which are exclusive to this version, a female narrator as well as a new CGI opening, cutscenes between the stages and endings.
Story[]
After exhausting the Earth’s resources, particularly fossil fuel, 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 JDF and began working on a space fighter program organized by Defensive Section 2 of the JDF known as the Soukyugurentai (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.
Glossary[]
Mars development[]
Although fossil fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions were restricted, the current environment surrounding humankind on earth is just one word. Although the construction and migration of space colonies has begun, humankind is still forced to choose the means of terraforming migration of other planets.
Under these circumstances, space development-related companies are planning terraforming of other planets in cooperation with each other, but in the development of Mars, a dispute emerged over which one would control the initiative between the Jin-Sei Group and the Eight Luck Interstellar Development Company.
Corporate nation Enigma[]
A small country located in the corner of the Asian continent. Most of the national labor force is engaged in Eight Luck Interstellar Development Corporation and its affiliated companies, and it is the country with the weakest distinction between companies and countries in the world.
Skeletal strengthening surgery[]
Surgery to adjust and strengthen the composition of bones for living under low gravity and high gravity and for G resistance to prevent excess and deficiency of calcium.
Nature conservation groups[]
In the past, there was only one major organization, "Green Noah," which was active mainly for nature conservation. However, as space exploration progressed, the definition of the word nature has come to be interpreted in many ways, and the difference has divided into three groups. As a result, there are three existing groups, the original "Green Noah" who has consistently devoting themselves on protecting ecosystem since its founding, the "Solarian" is the organization that supporting and promoting the space development, while the "Little Earth" on the other hand opposing any space development.
Terraforming[]
Using planetary-scale environmental engineering technology, for example, globalizing Mars and Venus to create an environment where humans can live. The Jin-Sei Group also has a department that is researching terraforming technology. However, there are enormous technical problems toward its realization, and it is still in the planning stage on the desk.
In addition, Eight Luck Interstellar Development Inc. will re-globalize the Earth using terraforming technology (in this case, restore the ecosystem to the state before the Industrial Revolution) due to the deterioration of the environment surrounding the ecosystem on the Earth. This plan was called "Re-Terraform Project".
Cyberization[]
To electronically bind a computer to the brain using an organic semiconductor made of a neurochip. The purpose of this is to connect various sensors, net adaptors, and auxiliary cyber brains to the brain to help the brain and mind work. Memory by the brain has the possibility of forgetting, but memory by the computer is never forgotten.
Cyberization is not particularly obligatory, it is done by individual will. It should be noted that underage computerization is not permitted. In general adults, 60% of men and 40% of women are computerized, but women are more adaptable after surgery, and more women are using computers in society. Men are more likely than women to be unable to adapt to increased thinking and memory due to computerization.
Characters and Ships[]
|
|
|
|
| Kaoru Yashida | Ryota Mikazuki | Rika Kunimura | Tetsuo Shimonida |
|
|
|
|
| S.O.Q-004 Swordfish |
S.O.Q-010 Mackerel |
S.O.Q-025 Scallop |
S.O.Q-026 Ōbu |
Stages[]
| Stage | Name | Boss | Stage BGM | Boss BGM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bustling Corporate City | Full-Wing Bomber Craft "Gambiter" | Above Ota City | Kobubetsu Appears |
| 2 | Low Orbit Around the Earth | Space-to-Ground Attack Satellite "Perildawn" | On the Satellite's Orbit | Shinsen's Roll |
| 3 | 5000 Meters Up in the Air | Jumbo Tactical Fighter Attack Craft "Descenter" | Descent Into the Clouds | Hurricane Donryu |
| 4 | LaGrange 3 | Universal Tactical Fighter Spacecraft "Victimizer" | Asteroid Belt | Assaulting Akitaka-kun |
| 5 | Atlantic Ocean Oil Fields | Polar Strategic Carrier Attack Craft "G-Omen" | Intense Cold Oil Fields Base | Kaihou Go Round |
| 6 | On Mars | High Altitude Relay Air-Stationed Craft "Zodian" Full-Wing Bomber Craft "Gambiter-2" |
Break Into Mars | Bakuzan the Ammo Dump Kobubetsu Reappears |
| EX | Mars Satellite Orbit | Light-band Irradiation Artillery Simulated Battleship "Chromium" | Break Into Mars |
Gallery[]
