By Kurt Kalata
The hero of the Fantasy Zone series is Opa Opa, a rotund egg-shaped ship that appears
to be sentient. He has a pair of wings for flying, and sprouts feet when necessary.
Opa Opa's design shares a lot with Konami's Twinbee,
and both series help defined the subgenre affectionately known as the "cute-em-up".
Given the drastic enhancements in technology between 1982 and 1986, Fantasy Zone
looks and sounds far, far better than Defender ever did. The world of Fantasy Zone
is filled with green meadows, shining rainbows, bright waterfalls, and enemies with
big goofy grins that only seem slightly annoyed when you pelt them out of existence
with your laser guns. The game is especially known for its huge boss characters,
ranging from evil blocks of wood to legions of snowmen. They're all pretty impressive, especially for the 8-bit home versions.
The controls are initially a big tricky to get a hang of, since your ship has a sense
of inertia and continues to move even after you take your hand off the joystick.
The camera often has trouble when you change directions, often making it difficult to see what's in front of you (how about that, camera problems in a 2D game.) Once you get over that initial hurdle, then Fantasy Zone becomes an absolutely blast to play.
One of the coolest aspect of Fantasy Zone is the ability to buy weapons. Opa Opa initially starts out with a simple twin gun and Gradius-style bombs. Every bad guy drops coins, which are worth more if you swipe them up quickly. Every time you
start a level or a new life, a little red balloon that says "Shop" will float out. Hit it, and you can spend your cash on engines (speed ups), lasers, mega-bombs and other assorted goodies. However, each time you buy something, the price of the item increases for the next time. Additionally, most of the weapons have time limits, so there's only so much destruction
you can cause with the powerful laser weapons, and most of the time, you are unable to use
any of these against bosses. Unfortunately, if you die fighting a boss, you won't be
able to re-equip yourself with anything, often leaving you underpowered for the task at hand.
There's actually a whole lot of economic strategy that comes into this.
You can buy the fastest engine so you can swipe up all of the coins dropped by bosses,
but doing so will often make the boss battle more difficult, since your super fast
speed will make it hard to precisely dodge the many projectiles spewed out. It's actually a good idea to buy multiple weapons - once you run out of one, a little "Select" balloon will pop out, allowing you to switch to another weapon. It's also handy for a breather, because the later stages can get pretty rough. Furthermore, you can either blow your money on weapons all throughout the game to make everything easier, or save up your cash for the final stages, in case you need the extra money to buy extra lives. Which actually may be a good idea - there are no continues in Fantasy Zone, and a Game Over means starting from scratch. They aren't terribly long games, usually lasting anywhere from six to nine stages, but a whole playthrough from start to finish can maybe last fifteen to twenty minutes.
Although Sega is credited with Fantasy Zone, Sunsoft played a large part in the series
as well. The arcade flyers credit the company, and Super Fantasy Zone was made entirely by Sunsoft, so it's possible that it's Sunsoft's title as opposed to Sega's own (much in the same way Wonder Boy was made by Escape/Westone, and Puyo Puyo was actually made by Compile, though both are considered Sega properties.)
The best way to play the Fantasy Zone games is the Fantasy Zone Complete Collection, released for the Playstation 2 in 2008. This include the original game (arcade and SMS), Fantasy Zone II (SMS and arcade), Super Fantasy Zone (Mega Drive) and Fantasy Zone Gear (Game Gear). Also included are spinoffs, like the Pac Man-esque Fantasy Zone III: The Maze AKA Opa Opa (SMS and arcade), and the obscure paddle game Galactic Protector. In addition to an alternate remake of Fantasy Zone by Sunsoft called Fantasy Zone Neo Classic, Sega went the extra mile and included a brand new remake of Fantasy Zone II, programmed the System 16 boards. It does not include the 2.5D remake of Fantasy Zone released earlier in the Sega Ages line.
Fantasy Zone (Arcade)
Fantasy Zone (Arcade)
Fantasy Zone (Arcade)
Fantasy Zone (Arcade)
Fantasy Zone IIDX (Playstation 2)
Fantasy Zone - Arcade / Sega Master System / MSX / Nintendo Entertainment System / Turbografx-16 / Saturn / Windows / X68000 / Playstation 2 (1986)
The Sega Master System port, like most arcade translations for the system, can't quite match the arcade graphics but captures the gameplay almost perfectly. Some of the bosses were undoubtedly too much for the machine to handle, so they changed a few of them around completely, including gigantic fish and an evil turtle. The only lamentation is
the lack of damage indicators on the enemy generators, and the absence of the radar. A Famicom version was released by Sunsoft is pretty decent, and still manages to look decent
despite the 16-color limit, as well as keeping the radar.
A few years later, Tengen released their own version for the
Nintendo Entertainment System version. This version has completely different graphics than the Famicom game and not only looks substantially worse, but has funky controls and lots of flickering. Still, it's better than the MSX home computer version, which has terrible graphics and unbearably choppy scrolling. The Turbografx-16 version comes closer to the arcade, but still lacks graphical details, and the music is still pretty bad. The first arcade perfect port was for the Sega Saturn, released under the Sega Ages label. While certain entries were bundled together for released in America and Europe (Space Harrier, Outrun and After Burner), Fantasy Zone got neglected, and was left in Japan. It includes the original soundtrack as redbook audio, in addition to a vocal song (along with a karaoke mode), and a replay mode complete with an expert playthrough.
There were also a few computer ports in Japan. It was released for Windows as part of a Sega classics anthology. The X68000 version, released in 1989 by Dempa, is practically arcade perfect, along with a few bonuses. There's a totally new level based on Space Harrier called Dragon Land, which features enemies from Sega's other arcade series. It's hidden though.
To reach it, you need to break down the radar into numbers. Starting at the right side, count 1, 2, 3, etc. Now, in each level, the first pod you need to destroy corresponds to that numbered pod on the radar. For the first level, you have to destroy the #1 pod first, second level destroy the #2 pod first, etc. Instead of just dropping a regular coin, they'll drop a letter. If you collect all seven, it'll spell out HARRIER. When you beat the seventh stage, you'll be taken to Dragon Land.
There's also a hidden option screen. To reach it, you need to hit the touroku (register) key. Now, if you're using an emulator like WinX68kHighSpeed, this button isn't assigned to anything, since it doesn't exist on a standard Western keyboard. You need to go into the config and map it somewhere. In the config, it's one of the buttons in the upper portion with some kanji on it. Just map it, go to the title screen, press it, and you're there. You can also set Arrange music, which uses MIDI instruments instead of the arcade synth. If you want to skip all of this, just download these save states for Win68kHighSpeed.
Fantasy Zone was revived as part of the Sega Ages line for the Playstation 2. Released on the Sega Classics Collection in America, Fantasy Zone is an almost exact duplicate of the original game, except it replaces with sprites with cel shaded polygons. While they suffers from some unsightly jaggies, the designs perfectly match the originals, and
the overall effect is pretty cool, especially the 3D effect on the backgrounds.
There are two modes - one is just like the arcade game, while the other adds some extra animations, four new levels, and bonus stages after boss fights. These stages, which last about 30 seconds, switch to a behind-the-back view as Opa Opa tries to collect coins being spurted out from the dying boss. It's almost reminiscent of the unreleased Space Fantasy Zone. Overall, it's an excellent port, and definitely one of the best of the 3D Ages, if mostly because it's so faithful to the original. The only disappointment is that the music is exactly the same as the arcade - they missed out a great opportunity to remix some of these excellent songs.
As an additional bonus on the Fantasy Zone Complete Collection, the disc includes a game called Fantasy Zone Neo Classic. (It's unlocked by opening the menu screen for the game, selecting the "Mark III" version, then holding Right on the d-pad until it unlocks.) I'm a bit sketchy on the details, but I believe it's supposed to be a port of Famicom version created by Sunsoft. It's very similar to the arcade game, but with slightly different (and not quite as good) graphics, different music synth, and some altered enemy patterns. It's cool for fans to play, just to see what was changed from the actual arcade release, but it's nothing relevatory.
MP3s Download here
Opa Opa (Arcade)
Fantasy Zone (Arcade)
Fantasy Zone (Arcade)
Fantasy Zone (Famicom)
Fantasy Zone (X68000)
Fantasy Zone (X68000)
Fantasy Zone (PS2)
Screenshot Comparisons
You really have the admire the Japanese for their ability to take something foreign,
muck around with it, and transform it into something totally cracked out. Case in point: Sega's Fantasy Zone. Initially released in the arcades in the mid-80s, Fantasy Zone
steals a lot from William's classic arcade game Defender. Unlike many side scrolling shmups with autoscrolling, you have full control over where you fly. In each stage, there are
several enemy generators - your job is to fly around and destroy all of them. Once you do, you'll fight some huge boss characters, then move onto the next stage.
Arcade Flyer
PS2 Cover
NES Cover
Arcade Flyer
Turbografx-16 Cover
SMS Cover
The original Fantasy Zone for the arcade is often considered the best of the series, if mostly because it's running the strongest hardware. The home systems (at least, up until the 32-bit era) just couldn't handle the insanely bright colors or capture the sound of the super happy, Latin-inspired soundtrack. While it sets down high standards for the rest of the games, it does have some quirks - mainly, it's quite difficult, even on the lowest difficult setting. It does introduce several aspects that have become mainstays in
gaming, as you refight all of the bosses at the end of the game, and your final
enemy is gigantic, evil version of Opa Opa. Strangely, the Japanese and USA versions feature slightly different arrangements of some of the songs - the difference is most apparent in the song "Hot Snow".
Opa Opa (X68000 Arrange)
Opa Opa (Neo Classic)
Saari (Arcade)
Keep on the Beat (Arcade)
Hot Snow (Arcade USA and JPN)
Ne Ne Doushite (Saturn Vocal)
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Fantasy Zone 2 : The Tears of Opa-Opa - Arcade / Sega Master System / Famicom / MSX / Playstation 2 (1987)
Arcade Flyer |
Sega Master System Cover |
Fantasy Zone 2 (SMS) |
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Fantasy Zone III (the oddly tragic subtitle, "The Tears of Opa Opa", was dropped in the Western releases) is pretty much more of the same, with one major difference - each level is broken down into several subsections that you switch between by running into warp points. The earlier stages have three sections, with later stages having five or more. This is actually extremely aggravating, because there's no radar, so you tend to wander aimlessly until you find some enemy generators to kill, and then stumble upon to the warp point that'll take you to the boss. The upside is that you can visit the shop any time you want, instead of waiting for the balloon to drop down. The downside is that there's only one shop per stage, so you'll be extremely underpowered until you find it. There's also a Power Meter, allowing you to absorb more than one bullet before dying, although directly colliding with foes will still kill you instantly until you find some power-ups to extend it. All in all, the multiple sections are more tedious than fun, even if it does allow for an extremely large amount of backgrounds. The designs are even crazier than before, and show off some of the best graphics on the Sega Master System. Still, that's kind of a major problem - while the graphics are great for the system, it's a huge step down from the arcades. There's a ton of slowdown and flickering too, and it's almost ruthless difficult. Furthermore, the music is a chirpy, terrible mess, which is especially a shame after the original's catchy tunes. The FM synth soundtrack in the Japanese version is a bit more listenable, but it's still far from great. Fantasy Zone II was also released in the arcades, although it's practically identical to the Sega Master/Mark III version. The only major difference is that it replaces the "Power" meter with a radar. However, even though it shows the locations of the pods, it doesn't highlight where you are. Each level is also timed, with a little "life" indicator that counts slowly down to zero. Fantasy Zone II also got a Famicom port, which is, naturally, quite inferior to the Master System version in every aspect, with terrible graphics, even worse music, and constant slowdown. The MSX2 version looks OK, but the system just wasn't made the scrolling shoot-em-ups, and is still pretty choppy. MP3s Download here Cholacoray
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 Fantasy Zone 2 (SMS)
Fantasy Zone 2 (SMS)
Fantasy Zone 2 (SMS)
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Screenshot Comparisons
SMS
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NES
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MSX
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Fantasy Zone II DX: The Tears of Opa Opa - Playstation 2 (2008)
Fantasy Zone II DX |
Fantasy Zone II DX |
Fantasy Zone II DX |
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The real treat of the collection is dubbed "Fantasy Zone II DX". Way back in the late 80s, Sega created Fantasy Zone II, but instead of continuing with their brilliant System-16 arcade board, they designed it for the Mark III/Master System hardware, which was a considerable downgrade. As a result, the sequel wasn't nearly as impressive as its predecessor. Fantasy Zone II DX is a remake, but it's not any old remake - it marks a beginning of a trend, similar to Retro Game Challenge/Game Center CX and Mega Man 9, of creating new games using retro style graphics. Rather than simply mimicing the retro style, the developers actually programmed the game for the old System 16 hardware. (They even burnt them on ROMs for use at some promotional events in Japan. As a result, it features an aesthetic style exactly like the original, except even more wacky and colorful. It's pretty amazing that they did this - it's like they looked at the Fantasy Zone series and said, "Hey, we know we let you guys down all those years ago, but now we're trying to make it right." And here it is. In fact, Fantasy Zone II DX is less of a remake and more of a whole new game, slightly inspired by the original title. The big catch of Fantasy Zone II was the multiple levels within a given stage, each with a unique background, which you could transport between via warps. This has been rearranged to introduce a dual world concept - each level as "Bright" and "Dark" rendition, with different graphics and enemy patterns, and even tougher bosses. The Dark stages are so scary that you won't even find the standard Shop balloons (which pop out at the beginning of each stage/life as normal, so you don't need to hunt them down anymore), and need to scavenge for hidden shops to buy things. You technically never need to enter the Dark versions, but enemies give more money, and completing these stages is the only way to get the best ending. (There are three in total - in the bad one, where Opa Opa turns evil, it even references the Harrier and Uriah from Space Harrier as coming to destroy him, further tying together the two series.) Of course, in tightening up the levels, a lot of the crazier backgrounds from FZII had to be ditched, but the developers picked the best one and used that as a basis.
 The rest of the game is even more inspired. If you take a hit with a weapon equipped, you'll actually lose the weapon but still survive, which makes things a little bit easier. All of the bosses are taken from the original Fantasy Zone II, they're not exactly new, but they've been changed so they're like older siblings of the bosses from the first Fantasy Zone. Each stage opens with a unique Engrish-y introduction text, similar to the one that displayed in the first level of the first game. The soundtrack technically consists of arranged music from FZII, but it's all been so heavily rearranged you can barely tell. It uses the same FM synth as the first game, and is provided by veteran shooter soundtrack writer Manabu Namiki (Metal Slug 6, Dodopachi Daioujou, many other Cave games.) There are more weapons this time around too, including the titular "Drop Tears", which are required for the best ending. You even get the option to buy speed enhancement after getting killed by a boss, fixing one of the most aggravating aspects of the series. It's actually incredible to believe, but this might actually be the best Fantasy Zone yet. MP3s Download here
Cholacoray
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 Fantasy Zone II DX
Fantasy Zone II DX
Fantasy Zone II DX
Fantasy Zone II DX
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Screenshot Comparisons
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Intro Texts
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