| Space Cyclone | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Taito Corporation |
| Publisher(s) | Taito Corporation |
| Year released | 1980 |
| System(s) | Arcade |
| Japanese title | スペースサイクロン |
|---|---|
| Genre(s) | Shooter |
| Players | 1-2 |
| Modes | Single player, Multiplayer |
Space Cyclone is a fixed shooter arcade game, which was released by Taito Corporation in 1980; it utilises two Zilog Z80 microprocessors (running at 2.5 MHz), with two Texas Instruments SN-76477s and two DACs for sound.
Although this game is not part of the Space Invaders series, it was included in the "Special Edition" of the Nintendo Switch compilation title Space Invaders Invincible Collection in 2020, along with another non-Space-Invaders game, 1979's Lunar Rescue (however, seven invaders are present on that one's title screen saying "PLEASE INSERT COIN" and in a cutscene after its third stage saying "FIGHT!!!").
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The game's title screen.
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Upright arcade cabinet.
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Screenshot of the game.
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Logo.
Gameplay[edit]
The player must use a 2-way joystick to direct a ship back and forth across the bottom of the screen, with a single button to make it fire shots up at the game's main antagonists, who are named "Bems". Bems shall initially ride into view on clouds from both sides of the screen, but they will then jump off the clouds and float down to the ground while firing hails of bullets down at the player's ship. If the player fails to kill a Bem before he lands on the ground, he will add a part to a rocket, that is being constructed on the left side of the screen. If three Bems land on the ground the rocket will be completed, and it will be launched into the air while firing cyclone-like beams down at the player's ship. If the player fires a shot at it to destroy it they will receive a mystery bonus. Flying saucers will also occasionally fly into view from either side of the screen to fire cyclone-like beams down at the player's ship - and it is again possible for the player to fire a shot at these saucers when they show up to destroy them for a mystery bonus.