Formation Z

Formation Z (フォーメーションZ, Fōmēshon Z) is a horizontally scrolling shooter initially released in arcades in 1984 by Jaleco. The arcade release was distributed by Williams and known as Aeroboto outside Japan. It was later ported to the MSX and to the Famicom (by Hect), the latter being included as part of Jaleco Collection Vol. 1 for the PlayStation. More recently the Famicom version of the game was made downloadable via the Wii's Virtual Console download service in Japan.

Formation Z
Boxart of MSX version
Developer(s)Jaleco
Hect (Famicom)
Publisher(s)Jaleco
Platform(s)Arcade, MSX, Famicom
ReleaseArcade
1984
MSX
Famicom
  • JP: April 4, 1985
Virtual Console
  • JP: February 3, 2009
Genre(s)Scrolling shooter
Mode(s)Single-player
CabinetUpright
CPU1 × 6809 @ 1.25 MHz[1]
Sound1 × 6809 @ 0.625 MHz
1 × AY-3-8910 @ 1.25 MHz
1 × AY-3-8910 @ 0.625 MHz
DisplayRaster, 248x224, horizontal orientation

Gameplay

Taking place in the year 2701, the player controls a robot which can transform into an aero fighter on a mission to stop an alien super weapon from reaching the Earth. The robot may move forwards, backwards and jump, and the aero fighter may travel anywhere on screen but has limited fuel in which to do so. A combination of the two must be used to avoid obstacles, as well as to destroy any on-screen enemies for extra points.

Reception

In Japan, Game Machine listed Formation Z on their August 15, 1984 issue as being the sixteenth most-successful table arcade unit of the year.[2]

Legacy

The game was re-released on the Nintendo Switch in the Nintendo eShop by Hamster Corporation as part of their Arcade Archives series[3] and also on the PlayStation 4 on 19 March 2020 as part of the same series.[4]

References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-08-20. Retrieved 2010-02-06.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - テーブル型TVゲーム機 (Table Videos)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 242. Amusement Press, Inc. 15 August 1984. p. 25.
  3. Lane, Gavin (2020-03-13). "Guide: Every Arcade Archives Game On Nintendo Switch, Plus Our Top Picks". Nintendo Life. Retrieved 2020-03-28.
  4. "Arcade Archives | HAMSTER Corporation". www.hamster.co.jp. Retrieved 2020-03-28.


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