Stop the Express

Stop the Express (also known as Bousou Tokkyuu SOS (暴走特急SOS, "Runaway Express SOS," in Japan) is a video game developed by Hudson Soft and published in 1983. It was written for the Sharp X1 and later ported to the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, and MSX.

Stop the Express
MSX cover art
Developer(s)Hudson Soft
Publisher(s)MSX, X1
Honeybee Soft[1]
ZX Spectrum
Sinclair Research Ltd
Designer(s)Fumihiko Itagaki[2]
Platform(s)Sharp X1, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, MSX
Release1983
Genre(s)Action
Mode(s)Single-player

It was remade for Nintendo Family Computer as Challenger (チャレンジャー) in 1985.

Gameplay

In Stage 1, the player runs along the top of an express train, jumping between carriages while avoiding enemy knives and obstacles. Halfway along the train, the player enters the train, and Stage 2 begins. The player must then proceed through the carriages, towards the front of the train, so that it can be stopped.

Upon the completion of each level, the game displays the Engrish message "Congraturation! You Sucsess!". The game then repeats from Stage 1, with more enemies. Enemies, known as "redmen", initially pursue from the rear on the roof of the train, and the front once inside, and will throw knives which the player must dodge by ducking under, or jumping over, them. In addition, once inside the train, the player can jump up and hang from the overhead straps out of the way of the redmen. However, ghosts flit up and down the carriages making it extremely dangerous to stay there too long. Once a few levels have been completed, redmen will approach from both front and rear.

The player has only two weapons at his disposal. When on the roof of the train, he can catch birds that fly overhead and then release them to run along the carriage and knock the redmen off, as well as high kicking them. Whilst inside, the high kick is the only option.

Development

Reception
Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
Crash80%[3]
Sinclair User8/10[4]
Zzap!6466%[5]

Stop the Express was rated as the 4th best Spectrum game by Your Sinclair, in their list of the top 100 Spectrum games.[6] Retro Gamer, meanwhile, ranked it as the twelfth best game for the Spectrum.[7]

Legacy

An NES/Famicom port was planned, but due to only having the first train level, three levels were added and became Challenger, which was released only in Japan.

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References
  1. All Honeybee Soft software that they developed / published | Generation MSX
  2. 暴走特急SOS / STOP THE EXPRESS
  3. "Crash Back". Crash. No. 15. April 1985. p. 54.
  4. Gilbert, John (August 1984). "Right track for Sinclair". Sinclair User. No. 29. p. 37.
  5. "Zzap! Test". ZZap!64. No. 4. April 1985. pp. 104–105.
  6. "The YS Top 100 Speccy Games Of All Time (Ever!)". Your Sinclair (70): 31. October 1991. Archived from the original on 16 August 2006. Retrieved 2006-09-04.
  7. "Top 25 Best Spectrum Games Of All Time". Retro Gamer. No. 48. pp. 82–91.
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