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U.N. Squadron
Sales flyer for the arcade version
Developer(s)	Capcom
Publisher(s)	Capcom U.S. Gold (computers) Nintendo (SNES European Distribution)
Composer(s)	Arcade version Manami Matsumae & Takashi Tateishi SNES-version Mari Yamaguchi & Yoshihiro Sakaguchi
Platform(s)	Arcade, Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, SNES, ZX Spectrum
Release	August 1989 SNES JP: July 26, 1991 NA: September 1991 EU: December 1992
Genre(s)	Scrolling shooter
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer
Arcade system	CP System

U.N. Squadron is a 1989 side-scrolling shooting game released by Capcom for the CPS arcade hardware and for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The game was released in Japan as Area 88 (Japanese: エリア88, Hepburn: Eria Hachi-Jū-Hachi), and is based on the manga series of the same name, featuring the same main characters. Here, their mission is to stop a terrorist group known as Project 4. It was followed by a spiritual successor Carrier Air Wing.

Gameplay

The game is a typical side scrolling shooter, going against the trend of other Capcom shooters, such as 1942, and 1943: The Battle of Midway, which are vertically scrolling shooters. However, like other Capcom shooters, the player has an energy bar that is consumed over the course of a single life as the player sustains damage. This trait is highly uncommon among other comparable arcade-style shooters which normally use a system of reserve lives, where one of which is lost upon a single enemy hit. Before entering a level, the player can purchase special weapons or added defenses in the shop. The player earns money to buy weapons by destroying enemy planes and vehicles during levels and, when the level is finished, any unused weapons are converted back into money.

The player can choose between three mercenary pilots: Shin Kazama, Mickey Simon, and Greg Gates. Each pilot flies a specific plane and has slightly different capabilities.

In the Super NES version, each pilot can use a range of planes. All pilots start out with $3000 and the basic F8 Crusader, and can buy other aircraft and weapons as they progress.

Development

Capcom director Yoshiki Okamoto commented that the game was part of a broader strategy of Capcom at the time to appeal to a wider audience by using established characters from other media, as their original characters could be too niche. In addition to Area 88, he cited games based on Willow and Destiny of an Emperor as part of this strategy.

Release

Area 88 was ported to the home console Super Nintendo and released in Japan on July 26, 1991. In America and Europe it was re-titled UN Squadron. The Illustration for the U.N. Squadron poster shown here was created by well known Illustrator Marc Ericksen, the illustrator of Capcom covers MegaMan2 and Strider. A version for the Capcom Power System Changer was planned and previewed but never released.

Reception

In Japan, Game Machine listed U.N. Squadron on their September 15, 1989 issue as being the sixth most-successful table arcade unit of the year.

Upon release, the Japanese gaming publication Weekly Famitsu gave the Super Famicom (Super Nintendo) version a 28 out of 40 score.

IGN ranked U.N. Squadron 37th on its "Top 100 Super Nintendo Games" list, which made it the highest ranking side scroller shooter game on that list.

Entertainment Weekly gave the Super Nintendo version of the game an A, and picked the game as the #12 greatest game available in 1991.

Super Gamer gave the SNES version an overall score of 93% writing: "Graphically impressive with nicely varied levels, a choice of aircraft, plenty of power-ups and atmospheric sound. Highly recommend for shoot-'em-up fans."

References

1. "Super NES Games" (PDF). Nintendo. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2012-07-25.
2. ^ "エリア88 [スーパーファミコン] / ファミ通.com". www.famitsu.com. Archived from the original on 2018-06-30. Retrieved 2018-07-26.
3. "U.N. Squadron Release Data". GameFAQs. Archived from the original on 2013-08-09. Retrieved 2013-06-15.
4. ^ "Developer Interview Capcom Developer: Yoshiaki Okamoto, Noritaka Funamizu". Gamest (38). Shinseisha Ltd.: 10–29. (Translation) Archived 2017-05-31 at the Wayback Machine
5. "カプコン アーケードオリジナルボード CPSシリーズ+CPSチェンジャー 限定販売決定!!". Club Capcom (in Japanese). No. 2. Capcom. Spring 1994.
6. "U.N. Squadron SNES Gamerankings review score".
7. "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - テーブル型TVゲーム機 (Table Videos)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 364. Amusement Press. 15 September 1989. p. 21.
8. "UN Squadron - #37 Top 100 SNES Games - IGN". Archived from the original on 2017-09-01. Retrieved 2017-09-01.
9. "The latest video games". EW.com. Archived from the original on 2016-06-05. Retrieved 2018-11-03.
10. "Video Games Guide". EW.com. Archived from the original on 2017-02-19. Retrieved 2018-11-03.
11. "U.N. Squadron Review". Super Gamer (2). United Kingdom: Paragon Publishing: 124. May 1994. Retrieved March 29, 2021.

External links

• U.N. Squadron at Arcade-History
• Area 88 at the Killer List of Videogames
• U.N. Squadron at the Killer List of Videogames
• U.N. Squadron at MobyGames
• UN Squadron SNES review from Mean Machines Archive

• 1989 video games
• Amiga games
• Amstrad CPC games
• Arcade games
• Atari ST games
• Cancelled Capcom Power System Changer games
• Capcom games
• Commodore 64 games
• Cooperative video games
• CP System games
• Head-to-head arcade games
• Horizontally scrolling shooters
• Super Nintendo Entertainment System games
• U.S. Gold games
• Video games based on anime and manga
• Video games developed in Japan
• Video games scored by Manami Matsumae
• ZX Spectrum games
• Single-player video games