Mark Plays…. Blast Off (Arcade)(Namco)(Sequel to Bosconian) 2025 05 23 20 23 00

#arcade #bosconian #misterfpga

📖 Blast Off is a vertical scrolling shoot-em-up arcade game developed by Namco and released exclusively in Japan in 1989. Designed by Nak and Tak, it runs on Namco’s System 1 hardware, which features three 6809 processors, a 63701 MCU, and custom ICs for processing. The game also utilizes advanced sound capabilities, including an 8-channel stereo wavedata PSG, a YM3012 DAC, and a YM2151 FM sound chip. Despite its unique gameplay, Blast Off is considered a sequel to Bosconian, an earlier Namco title released eight years prior.

📖Related Games
1️⃣ Bosconian (1981)(Arcade, MSX, C64, CPC, Spectrum, Sharp X68000, Sharp-X1)
2️⃣ Blast Off (1989) (Arcade Only)
3️⃣ Final Blaster (1990) (PC-Engine)
Blast Off shares gameplay similarities with other Namco classics like Xevious and Dragon Spirit. While it is officially marketed as a sequel to Bosconian, its mechanics and style diverge significantly from the original. . The game does incorporate elements from Bosconian, such as hexagon-shaped space stations, but its gameplay aligns more closely with Dragon Spirit’s area-based progression and Xevious’ vertical shooting mechanics. It is more of a standard vertical shoot ‘m up.

🕹️🎮 Gameplay
In Blast Off, players control a Star Fighter equipped with selectable weapons, each represented by different colors and patterns. Red weapons create spiral patterns, yellow weapons fire arrows in three directions, blue weapons shoot lasers vertically, and green weapons produce diagonal lines. Players navigate through various levels, facing increasingly challenging enemies and bosses. Every third area introduces a boss battle, requiring strategic use of the Star Fighter’s arsenal. The game emphasizes skillful maneuvering and weapon selection to overcome obstacles and defeat adversaries. The end goal is to dismantle the core and destroy the base.

Scores: 8/10 – there’s only the arcade game, no home ports

All the games were playable on the MiSTer FPGA.

Audio tracks: licensed from YouTube’s Audio Library

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