Wolf Fang - Kuuga 2001

PlayStation · 1996 · JP

Also known as: Wolf Fang : Kuuga 2001 (JP)

Xing Tsuji Jimusho

Publisher: Xing · Developer: Tsuji Jimusho

Wolf Fang known outside of Japan as Rohga: Armor Force, is a 1991 run and gun/platform hybrid arcade game developed and published by Data East. It is the sequel to Vapor Trail: Hyper Offence Formation and was followed by Skull Fang Kuhga Gaiden. STORY: Two years have passed since the military occupation of New York City in 1999 and since then Ragnarok (aka: DAGGER) - the organization responsible for the events - have disappeared following their air borne destruction. During that time, mech technology has been the boom of future military projects worldwide with the biggest factories residing in Oceania. These mechs become the main target of Ragnarok when it resurfaces and claims the military factories and cities of Australia and New Zealand. Their plan is to apparently use any and all of the deadliest mechs that have not yet reached completion to their chaotic liking. The USAF and RAAF organize a strike force to reclaim major attacked points in the two countries with the assistance of the best mech operators they can find. Players then assume the role of mech-fighters who aim to liberate Australia or, depending on the player's actions, New Zealand. GAMEPLAY: Wolf Fang plays very much like a scrolling horizontal shooter in which players are set on a scrolling background and must destroy every enemy in their path. However, because the players control a mech, the players can hover against slanted walls in the back ground and occasionally land on higher platforms Players start along the shores of Australia and proceed to Sydney before being allowed to choose where to go from there. If players continue to explore Australia, then they will have a variety of places to choose from while if they pick New Zealand then they will have even more, different levels to choose from with different settings. PSX Version: Wolf Fang was ported to the Sony PlayStation and Sega Saturn in 1996 and 1997 respectively by conversion company Xing (famous for the arcade port collection known as Arcade Gears). The console versions have added features such as a new title screen, new introduction, an arranged soundtrack and a staff roll after the endings. The arcade versions outside Japan however, have a number of things cut. There is no story intermissions between the stages and there is no stage selection leading to 4 different endings found on the Japanese version, but the game cycles through all 12 stages like in the Japanese version's expert mode.