U.N. Squadron

''U.N. Squadron'', released in Japan as , is a 1989 side-scrolling shooter video game developed and published by Capcom for arcades. It was based on the manga series of the same name, though the North American release omits all references to the manga. Their mission is to stop a terrorist group known as Project 4. It was ported to multiple platforms including the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and was followed by a spiritual successor, ''Carrier Air Wing''.

Gameplay

The game is a typical side scrolling shooter, going against the trend of other Capcom shooters, such as ''1942'' and '' 1943: The Battle of Midway'', which are vertically scrolling shooters. Like other Capcom shooters, the player has an energy bar that is consumed over the course of a single life as the player sustains damage. This trait is highly uncommon among other comparable arcade-style shooters which normally use a system of reserve lives, where one of which is lost upon a single enemy hit. Before entering a level, the player can purchase special weapons or added defenses in the shop. The player earns money to buy weapons by destroying enemy planes and vehicles during levels and, when the level is finished, any unused weapons are converted back into money.

The player can choose between three mercenary pilots: Shin Kazama, Mickey Simon, and Greg Gates. Each pilot flies a specific plane and has slightly different capabilities.

In the Super NES version, each pilot can use a range of planes. All pilots start out with $3000 and the basic F8 Crusader, and can buy other aircraft and weapons as they progress.

Development

Capcom director Yoshiki Okamoto commented that the game was part of a broader strategy of Capcom at the time to appeal to a wider audience by using established characters from other media, as their original characters could be too niche.(Translation)
In addition to ''Area 88'', he cited games based on ''Willow'' and ''Tenchi wo Kurau'' as part of this strategy.

Release

''Area 88'' was ported to the home console Super NES and released in Japan on July 26, 1991. In North America and Europe it was re-titled ''U.N. Squadron'' by Capcom. The illustration for the ''U.N. Squadron'' poster was created by well known illustrator Marc Ericksen, the illustrator of the covers to Capcom's other games ''Mega Man 2'' and '' Strider''. A version for the Capcom Power System Changer was planned and previewed but never released.

Reception

In Japan, ''Game Machine'' listed ''U.N. Squadron'' on their September 15, 1989 issue as being the sixth most-successful table arcade unit of the month. In North America, it was a major hit, becoming the top-grossing software conversion kit on the ''RePlay'' arcade charts in February 1990.

Upon its home console release, the Japanese gaming publication ''Weekly Famitsu'' gave the Super Famicom version a score of 28 out of 40.

''Entertainment Weekly'' gave the Super NES version of the game an A, and picked the game as the #12 greatest game available in 1991.

Super Gamer gave the SNES version an overall score of 93%, commending the graphics, aircraft selection, gameplay, and sound.

Accolades

IGN ranked ''U.N. Squadron'' 37th on its "Top 100 Super NES Games" list, which made it the highest ranking side scroller shooter game on that list. In 2018, Complex listed ''U.N. Squadron'' 23rd on its "The Best Super Nintendo Games of All Time" list and called the game the best side scrolling shooter on the SNES. In 1995, Total! rated the game 63rd on their Top 100 SNES Games list.

Notes

References

External links

''U.N. Squadron''
at ''Arcade-History''
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''UN Squadron'' SNES review
from Mean Machines Archive

{{Area 88

1989 video games
Amiga games
Amstrad CPC games
Arcade video games
Atari ST games
Cancelled Capcom Power System Changer games
Capcom games
Commodore 64 games
Cooperative video games
CP System games
Horizontally scrolling shooters
Multiplayer and single-player video games
Super Nintendo Entertainment System games
U.S. Gold games
Video games based on anime and manga
Video games developed in Japan
Video games scored by Manami Matsumae
ZX Spectrum games