FINAL MISSION
(S.C.A.T Special Cybernetic Attack Team)
(Action in New York)
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ファイナルミッション
©1990 Natsume
Release: 1990-06-22 (¥5800)
Cartridge NAT-FV
Shooter/Horizontal
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Released in America as
S.C.A.T
( NES-FV-USA )
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Released in Europe as
Action in New York
( NES-FV-XXX )
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Final Mission (aka S.C.A.T) is a horizontal shooter by Natsume.
In the year AD 2XXX, Earth is under a massive attack from outer space and, without
provocation or warning, beams of energy fall from the sky and obliterate all major cities
around the globe. No one could ignore the signs of this global alien invasion and soon,
the unknown invaders start building tall towers, passageways between their impregnable
orbital fortress and our planet. Two elite soldiers equipped with jet-packs, Sergei and
Frederick, are given the
desperate mission to infiltrate the alien fortress floating in orbit
around Earth and to counter the invasion. Each fighter
comes equipped with a main Vulcan gun and two additional drone guns. These drones
have two mode of operations - they can be locked at an angle or fire in the opposite
direction the player is facing. The Vulcan gun can of course be upgraded by cracking
open containers scattered throughout the levels, and the game does feature three
additional weapons - a piercing laser (L), a wave-gun (W)
and a bomb-gun (B). Two other special items are also available for
the taking and give the player an extra speed boost (S) or
replenish a portion of his life bar (R).
Final Mission consists of five huge levels and includes a
two simultaneous player mode.
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There are some major differences between the original Japanese release of
the game and the international versions. First off, the story and the
introduction sequence were completely changed (as well as the
introduction music) - although the Japanese game is set in an post-apocalyptic
world and features an unknown alien invasion, the western release introduces
an alien force led by the Supreme Commander Vile Malmort. Additionally,
the two soldiers were renamed Arnold and Sigourney (two blatantly
obvious references to Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sigourney Weaver).
The character sprites are different, the game
features a progress map (picture below), and Level 3 and 4 were switched over.
Finally, the original Japanese version is a lot more difficult - the player starts
the game with a shorter life bar (three cells instead of six) and loses any
equipped weapon when hit. Additionally, the pods have a different configuration in the western
release and the weapons do more damage overall.
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The original Japanese packaging is rather interesting - it features two
illustrations and it is fairly difficult to tell which one is the back cover
and which one is the front. Technically, the side with the two warriors is
the back cover as it shows screenshots from the game, but it is nonetheless arguable.
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Teaser text copied from the American version:
It's the year 2029 and humanity faces
certain extinction! An alien force led by
the Supreme Commander Vile Malmort
is positioned to destroy the Earth.
The President had little time to act. He
assembled the greatest scientists from
around the globe to stop this menace.
From their laboratory came mankind's
last hope - the members of S.C.A.T.
The Special Cybernetic Attack Team has
one goal; the utter destruction of the
alien fleet. "They've sent an armada to
conquest us. We've sent two warriors
from S.C.A.T... It should be a fair fight."
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Game Staff (Copied from the end credits) :
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STAFF
Producer
Kikkawa Sō
Programmer
Yoyūno Yocchan
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Graphic Designer
Mr. Funachin
Hirokun.Horirin.Hirotan
Ohminami 5Dan
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Sound Designer
Kyohei Sada
Package Designer
Baba
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Spesial Thanks
Atusi Okazaki
Rocky Okamoto
Kayoko Hirai
Eiji Ueda
Presented by
NATSUME
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Game Staff (Copied from the American version's end credits) :
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STAFF
Producer
Satosi Yosikawa
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Programmer
Satosi Yosikawa
Kenji Furuya
Graphic Designer
Mikihiko Funada
Hirosi Takai
Shunji Ohminami
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Special Thanks
Jim H.Yajima
Kevin Sullivan
Robert Morse
Michael Maubry
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Presented by
NATSUME
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O
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A
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Click on picture to enlarge |
S
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Level Select:
At the title sceen, press and hold A and B on
the second player's controller. Then press the following on
the first player controller:
Japanese Version:
Level 2: A + Start
Level 3: B + Start
Level 4: Right + Start
Level 5: Left + Start
Ending: Up + Start
American Version:
Level 2: A + Start
Level 3: B + Start
Level 4: Right + Start
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LK
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Add your Pov here !
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P
O
V
s
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Final Mission is an exceptional shooter and it is the closest thing to
the excellent Capcom's Forgotten World you will ever experience on
the Famicom system. The levels are long and varied and are packed with gorgeous
graphical details - level three stars a giant level-spanning mother ship that is one of
the best examples of Final Mission's excellent execution. Controls are also
smooth and responsive, and the challenge never lets up - well, that's also the game's
Achilles' heel. Final Mission is brutally difficult and the game will
kill you frequently, on the tiniest of errors, and will send you back to the
beginning of a level without any pity. The western release is easier, but it
is still a tough nut to crack - I feel that it is one of those rare
cases where the western release is arguable better than the original
Japanese game, although I much prefer the introduction sequence of the
latter. All in all, Final Mission is a technical
'tour de force' and a terrific shooter, but I couldn't award it with a
higher score because of its maddening difficulty level.
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