Game Tengoku

Game Tengoku: The Game Paradise![lower-alpha 1] is a 1995 vertical-scrolling shooter arcade game developed and published by Jaleco. The game is a parody of arcade shooters in a vein similar to the Parodius series. It was followed up with a sequel, Gun Bare! Game Tengoku 2.

Game Tengoku
Advertising flyer
Developer(s)Jaleco
Publisher(s)Jaleco
Director(s)Masahiro Arai
Composer(s)Kazuo Sawa
SeriesGame Tengoku
Platform(s)Arcade, Sega Saturn, PlayStation 4, Windows, Nintendo Switch
Release
  • JP: November 1995
  • NA: 1995
Genre(s)Vertical-scrolling shooter
Mode(s)Single player, multiplayer

An updated port of the Sega Saturn version for PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Windows, titled Game Tengoku CruisnMix, was released on November 29, 2017.[1] Although it received a worldwide release, the developers are still working on an English translation for it, with blog updates happening occasionally.[2] The official English localization was released on November 29, 2018.[3] A port for Nintendo Switch was released in Japan on December 19, 2019.[4] It was released in North America and Europe on May 28, 2020.[5][6]

Gameplay
A screenshot from the arcade version, showing the player destroying waves of enemies.

Game Tengoku is a vertical-scrolling shooter similar to games like Parodius (1987).[7][8] Its plot involves a mad scientist named Genius Yamada harnessing the power of arcade cabinets to take over the Me & You video arcade.[9] The arcade's clerk, Yuki Ito, calls upon the help of various Jaleco protagonists to stop Yamada before he takes over all of the arcades in the world.[8][9]

The player controls one of these Jaleco characters throughout the game's six stages, as they must destroy moving formations of enemies and avoid collision with them and their projectiles.[7] These characters are pulled from five 1980s arcade games: Exerion (1983), Formation Z (1984), Momoko 120% (1986), Butasan (1987), and Plus Alpha (1989).[8] Each of them possesses their own unique weapon loadout themed to their original game; some feature a faster firing rate while others have more powerful projectiles.[9] Characters also have "superbombs" that clear the screen of enemies when deployed. Destroying red cubical enemies dispenses a power-up capsule that increases the strength of the player's weapons, as well as two small ships known as "options" that provide additional firepower.[8] Options take the form of one of the player characters and their weapons correspond to the character they are based on.[9] The Sega Saturn version features several additions to the game, including a character from Field Combat (1985), an "Arrange" mode that implements story-driven cutscenes, and a remixed soundtrack.[8][9]

Reception

In Japan, Game Machine listed Game Tengoku in their February 1, 1996 issue as being the sixteenth most-popular arcade game at the time.[12]

Notes
  1. Japanese: ゲーム天国 Hepburn: Gēmu Tengoku, Game Heaven

References
  1. "Game Tengoku CruisnMix Official Website". Kadokawa Games, Ltd. 31 July 2017. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  2. https://gameparadise2017.com/en/info.html#info20180626
  3. "Game Tengoku's international release is live!". Steam Community. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
  4. "ゲーム天国 CruisinMix Special". Nintendo Japan. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  5. "The Game Paradise: CruisinMix Special for Switch launches May 28". Gematsu. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  6. "Game Tengoku CruisinMix Special". Nintendo Europe. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  7. McFerran, Damien (June 7, 2020). "Mini Review: Game Tengoku CruisinMix Special – Jaleco's Answer To Parodius Flies Again". Nintendo Life. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on June 9, 2020. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  8. Tiraboschi, Federico (September 8, 2017). "Game Tengoku - The Game Paradise!". Hardcore Gaming 101. Archived from the original on December 8, 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  9. Game Tengoku: The Game Paradise! Sega Saturn instruction manual (in Japanese). Jaleco. June 6, 1997.
  10. Coulson, Pete (October 14, 1997). "Saturn Power Import - The Game Paradise" (7). Future Publishing. Saturn Power. p. 82.
  11. "Sega Saturn Soft Review - ゲーム天国" (in Japanese) (19). SoftBank Group. Sega Saturn Magazine Japan. June 13, 1997. p. 163.
  12. "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - TVゲーム機ーソフトウェア (Video Game Software)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 511. Amusement Press, Inc. 1 February 1996. p. 21.
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