Blue Stinger
| Blue Stinger | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Developer(s) | Climax Graphics |
| Publisher(s) | |
| Composer(s) | Toshihiko Sahashi |
| Platform(s) | Dreamcast |
| Release date(s) | |
| Genre(s) | Action Survival horror |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
| Rating(s) |
|
| Media/distribution | 1 GD-ROM |
Blue Stinger (ブルースティンガー) is an action survival horror game released in 1999 for the Dreamcast game console. It was localized in North America, Europe and Australia by Activision. This game was originally developed by a Japanese video game studio, Climax Graphics.
It was released in North America nine days before the Dreamcast and in Europe and Australia it was released three weeks before the Dreamcast.
Contents |
[edit] Story
Sixty-five million years ago, a meteorite crashes into the Yucatán Peninsula, subsequently wiping out the dinosaurs and paving the way for humans. Now, in 2000, an island emerges where the meteorite is thought to have landed, and is granted the name "Dinosaur Island." A biotech corporation then takes up shop on the island. In 2018, Eliot Ballade, an elite member of the ESER (Emergency Sea Evacuation and Rescue) forces, is vacationing near Dinosaur Island when something falls from the sky and leaves the island sealed under a mysterious dome of energy. When a mysterious, ethereal being called Nephilim shows up to chase Ballade, he takes it upon himself to solve the enigma of Dinosaur Island.[1]
At the ending of the game, it says "to be continued" so there will be a possible future sequel. Famitsu reports that preliminary work has begun on a sequel developed for use with the Kinect peripheral for XBox 360. The game is planned to be an arcade-style on-rails shooter. Development is being handled by Vicious Cycle Software in conjunction with Altron.[1]
[edit] Characters
- Eliot G. Ballade: The game's protagonist, an ESER member on vacation with his friend Tim. He quickly gets wrapped up in the events around Dinosaur Island once his ship (and Tim) get trapped in the energy dome around the island. Voiced by Ryan Drummond.
- Dogs Bowser: Eliot's teammate, Captain of an HMS Sienna. A long time resident of Dinosaur Island who has his share of friends and rivals there. Dogs' design is based (loosely) on Resident Evil's Barry Burton. Voiced by Deem Bristow
- Janine King: A member of KISS, Kimra's security team; both a genius in computers and shooting. Some things remain a mystery about her, but strangely enough, she seems to know a lot about Dogs. Voiced by Lani Minella.
- 'Nephilim': An alien creature that often observes Eliot and Dogs' progress. Although taking the shape of a fictional goddess from a fictional series, Nephilm has no distinct original shape.
[edit] Gameplay
The environments in Blue Stinger are entirely 3D,[2] something that, at the time, was a rarity. Players heal themselves in real-time using food and drinks bought from vending machines, forcing players to heal only when it was safe. Combat consists of purchasing weapons and ammunition in the same manner, including swords, rocket launchers, Napalm launchers and triple-barreled shotguns. Eliot starts out with a pistol while Dogs starts with a crossbow. Besides shooter game elements, the game also uses beat 'em up elements when weapons are not equipped.[3]
[edit] Reception
The North American port of the game removed the original cinematic style camera system, instead using a fixed, behind-the-player third-person view, such as that of Tomb Raider.[2] This revamped camera style was met with both critical acclaim and criticism. Some argued that the change took away from the dramatic tension for which the Japanese version had become famous.[citation needed] However, others celebrated the new camera style as a feature that gave the game an edge over survival horror games that utilized fixed angles, such as Resident Evil.[citation needed]
[edit] References
- ^ Sasaki, Hiroko. "ブルースティンガー Kinect". Famitsu. http://www.famitsu.com/title/0000/0000/2223/index.html. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
- ^ a b Bartholow, Peter. Blue Stinger review for DreamCast at GameSpot. GameSpot. Accessed July 17, 2005.
- ^ "Blue Stinger - Dreamcast". Spong. http://spong.com/game/11022596/Blue-Stinger-Dreamcast. Retrieved 2011-05-09.
