The Gals Panic games are variants of the classic puzzle game Qix

Qix

Qix is an arcade game, released by Taito America Corporation in 1981.-Gameplay:The objective of Qix is to fence off, or “claim”, a supermajority of the playfield...

. The objective is to uncover the silhouette portion of background with a marker until at least 80% of the silhouette is uncovered. When capturing background, only the enclosed area without the stage boss is uncovered, so it is possible to capture 100% of silhouette without capturing the entire background, by limiting boss's movement to an area without silhouette.

There are a few key differences with the original game, and the series themselves can be split in two clearly distinct product lines: the older "classic" Gals Panic series, and the later "S" series, having important gameplay differences and being intended for different markets.

Gals Panic II was released on Windows 95

Windows 95

Windows 95 is a consumer-oriented graphical user interface-based operating system. It was released on August 24, 1995 by Microsoft, and was a significant progression from the company's previous Windows products...

.

Gals Panic

New features includes 8-way joystick, stereo audio, and the Card Dispenser option.

A stage begins with player at the edge of a randomly chosen rectangle. Capturing an area can no longer be done by moving cursor to the border of the background image.

The gauge is now changed to a time-based gauge, called time gauge. Time gauge is full at the beginning of a round or when player continues. When the gauge reaches below a certain point (as indicated by purple arrow), the background image changes, with time gauge drains in slower rate, until the image is changed back to normal.

Stage items

• Speed up: Temporarily increases player's speed.
• Enemy speed down: Temporarily decreases enemies' speeds.
• Enemy stop: Temporarily immobilizes enemies.
• Time gauge up: Refills time gauge.
• Girl: Changes background to girl and refills time gauge to half full. Only appears when alternate background appears and the gauge is nearly depleted.

Bonus games

• Breakout: Available after completing every 3 rounds, this mini-game is a basic brick breaking game, but the ball only bounces to ground if player fails to catch it. Player has limited time to clear the field of all obstacles. Hitting a bird causes all blocks to be cleared. Clearing all blocks gain 1 life.

Models

The game was advertised to include 65 different girls from all over the world instead of just Japanese models from the prequel, but only 6 stages can be chosen. The girl in stage background is now in photo in addition of drawing.

Quiz version

It added the quiz feature.

During quiz mode, a random quiz girl appears, with each girl specializes in different subjects. Player has 2 seconds to answers the question with a choice from 2 answers. Correct answers randomly gives Speed up, Enemy speed down, or Enemy stop; wrong answer gives time gauge up, which temporarily causes time gauge to drain faster.

Quiz mode occurs after capturing question mark item. Only 3 quizzes appear in each round.

The model selection was changed from the previous Gals Panic II game, but still contains a mixture of photo and drawn models.

In the breakout mini-game, the paddle can be moved further up than the original game, making scoring extra life easier.

English version

In includes following changes:

• The quiz girls looked different
• Quiz mode is triggered at random
• There is no question mark item

However, the model selection is the same as the Japanese game.

Special Edition

This version uses improved graphics. The model line up is changed again, but still contains a mixture of photo and drawn models.

Gals Panic 3

Beginning with this game, it supports JAMMA connector. In addition, the DIP-switch arcade configuration was largely replaced by a more flexible, RAM-based software integrated to the service menu.

Scroll

The background change feature from prequels is replaced by the newly-introduced scrolling stages, where player is stuck at a portion of any given stage until a player captures a certain percentage of the silhouette. The arrow on the gauge indicates the minimum amount of silhouette needed to scroll.

Enemies

Bosses can teleport to a different region of a stage if player is far away from the boss, especially when the boss becomes invisible.

• Pharaoh's mask and UFO
• Flower and eyeball
• Skull and diamonds

Items

• Dash: Temporarily hastens player's cursor.
• Lightning: Temporarily releases lightning from player's cursor, which destroys nearby non-boss enemies.

Stages

The stage selection is changed so that each girl only lasts 1 round. However, there are now 16 randomly chosen girls per game. Mini-game is available after completing stages 2, 5, 8, 11, 14.

When completing a stage with 100% captured silhouette, 3 randomly chosen pictures of models are shown. However, in certain stages, player gets filtered views of the girl in current stage instead.

If a stage is not completed within time limit, player loses a life, then the stage is restarted.

Models

Only photo models are used this time, and the cast consists of mostly Japanese models. Although there are topless models, their nipples are covered in various ways.

Gals Panic 4

This is the first game in the series for the Kaneko Super NOVA System platform, which features non-volatile data storage, which also logs bookkeeping information.

The most noticeable change is the exclusive use of drawings of the girls instead of photos.

Similar to Gals Panic 3, it uses the scrolling background, but now the scrolling can be done at the beginning of a stage.

Panic attack

Whenever player captures a large piece of silhouette at once (around 5%), player gains a bomb. The gain percentage can be increased by capturing small regions quickly before the percentage value disappears. The larger the area, the more bombs are obtained.

When using a bomb, player fires missiles towards stage boss. Panic attack power is increased by repeatedly using bomb stock before the ongoing panic attack is completed. Panic attack's power can reach level 5. At least level 3 is needed to slow down enemies.

Player has 2 bombs at the beginning of each round, with 2 more bombs each time player continues.

Items

• Enemy Freeze: Temporarily immobilizes enemies.
• Enemy Slow: Temporarily slow down enemies.

2-player VS mode

Unlike the prequels, players are competing against each other on separate boards each with its own enemies - player 1 on the left and player 2 on the right. The backgrounds are the ones used in the first segment of the SHOW TIME sequence for the chosen girl.

Mini-games

Mini-games can be played at the games introduction sequence without using credit. All of them are controlled by tapping button 1. Depending on the sequence played, one of the following time-limited games are available:

• Jiggle girl's breasts
• Apply makeup on bear's face. Game ends early when makeup is applied on lips, eyes, cheeks.
• Blow bear's bubble. Game ends early when the bubble pops.

Stage

In 1 player mode, player begins with choosing a girl.

There are 3 rounds for each chosen girl (order within rounds are random). Each round allows scrolling at the beginning.

At the beginning of each round, player gets 4 bars of time. Time is replenished within a round by continuing, which continues the game with 3 bars, or remaining time if continuing occurs with more than 3 bars of time.

After completing 3 rounds with a girl, the subsequent girls are chosen by computer.

Models

Unlike prequels, there are no topless girls in this game. Swimsuit version of the girls only appear by winning a round with 100% captured silhouette.

• Rei Takahida (voiced by Akira Ono)
• Saori Shiina (voiced by Hiroko Negishi)
• Ajann Nakura (voiced by Keiko Onuki)
• Rito Tajima (voiced by Etsuko Akiyama)
• Konomi Iruma (voiced by Makoto Okutani)
• Saki Kojo (voiced by Jun Kikuchi)
• Shou Hazuki (voiced by Tomoko Kojima)

Show Time

If a stage is completed with 100% captured silhouette, a SHOW TIME sequence is played, which shows 2 random vertically-scrolling pictures of the girl at left and right side of the screen with close-up view of the eyes, followed by the girl in swimsuit.

Gals Panic SS

It is the first game in the series developed for consoles.

It uses Gals Panic 4 game play for in round games.

Stages

There are 5 rounds in each stage. However, instead of moving on to next girl, the game ends after completing round 5. The backgrounds for the completed stage becomes viewable in gallery.

Models

There are 12 models in this game (2 secret), with some carried from Gals Panic 4. Saki and Leaf are unlocked successively by completing 1-player game with all other girls unlocked in gallery.

Similar to Gals Panic 4, there are no topless characters.

Gals Panic S Extra Edition

The graphic quality is generally increased over GP4 through more extensive use of antialiased graphics and animated sequence.

Character-specific voices are also used when bosses are about to attack.

Scroll system from GP3 returns, but the threshold needed to trigger scroll is not visible.

Enemies

Bosses can now reclaim captured background, especially after it is hit by bomb blast, or panic attack. If the boss is off-screen for long periods of time, the attack level of boss increases, which increases the chance for boss to reclaim captured background.

Extra Change

After capturing a predefined spot for a given model, coins E, X, T, R, A appear on screen. If those are captured before capturing at least 80% silhouette, the background and the associated silhouette are changed to reveal the same model in a different, usually more revealing, pose.

Panic attack

Panic attack system is simplified such that it is automatically activated when a large amount of silhouette is captured at once. Player 1 always shoots multi-direction needles, while Player 2 always shoots homing laser. Higher level attack causes player to fire more shots at once.

Items

When player loses a life, collected items (or 1 speed and 1 power if no items had been collected in last life) are blasted across the playing field, until they hit the border between player's field and enemy's field, then they travel along the edges until they are collected or disappear.

• P: Increases panic attack power.
• S: Increases player's speed.
• Dash: Temporarily increases player's speed to maximum.
• EXTRA: When collected, causes background to change.
• Bomb: Causes a temporary expanding explosion around player's cursor. Non-boss enemies are destroyed upon contact, while bosses are pushed back, immobilized, or even shrunk when hit by explosion.

Stages

Single player mode can last 12 stages.

During stage selection, a random normal model is switched to Strawberries #1 and #5 at regular time interval.

After completing every 3 stages, a bonus game is available, which allows player to earn extra life if player successfully complete the challenge.

At stage 12, there are 2 bosses on the screen.

If a stage is incomplete before time runs out, the stage is restarted. Time can be replenished by continuing, or dying when remaining time is low enough to issue warning.

Models

Similar to GP3, there is only 1 round for each chosen model. There are 13 models in this game, but only 12 are playable within 1 game.

Show Time

The show time system from GP4 was expanded to 2 stages. Show Time can be reached by completing the stage with 90-99% silhouette, which shows the topless version of the model in panties. Show Time Deluxe occurs when 100% silhouette is captured, which shows the animated version of the topless model in panties (but usually different panties from the ones in Show Time and during the game).

If the background is Strawberries #1 and #5, Show Time Deluxe is always played.

2-player VS mode

It is the same as the 2-player mode from GP4 (with modifications to panic attack and items), but the backgrounds and silhouettes are based on those from the single player games, with different pan settings. In each round, the backgrounds are randomly chosen for both sides. The percentage in VS mode is calculated based on total captured background instead of captured silhouette. Unlike 1-player mode, there is no show time.

Panic attack

Panic attack system is change again such that it is triggered whenever Powerup item is captured. The strength of the attack depends on how many Powerup items are captured at once.

Extra Change

The EXTRA CHANGE system was slightly altered. After collecting E, X, T, R, A coins, coins C, H, A, N, G, E pop out from the spot where the last coin in the EXTRA set was captured. Background changes only after the second set of coins are collected before capturing at least 80% silhouette.

Items

When player loses a life, collected items are now stayed at around the spot where the cursor was destroyed, but arranged in a predefined grid.

• Powerup: Uses panic attack power.
• Speedup: Increases player's speed.
• Dash: Temporarily increases player's speed to maximum.
• EXTRA, CHANGE: Causes background to change when both sets are collected.
• Bomber: Causes a temporary expanding explosion around player's cursor. Non-boss enemies are destroyed upon contact, while bosses are pushed back, immobilized, or even shrunk when hit by explosion.
• Small: Temporarily shrinks enemies.
• Stop: Temporarily immobilizes enemies.
• Phone: When collected, a code is given after completing current stage. Phone randomly jumps to a different uncaptured background location at a time interval.

Stages

In single player mode, the game initially has 8 stages, but an extra stage is added for every 100% silhouette capture. The number of stages can be extended to a maximum of 12.

During stage selection, 2 normal models swap positions at random, until only 1 stage remains. After unlocking 2 stages, a random normal model is switched to R2X-G775 Nanako, then it randomly swaps position with another unchallenged stage at regular time interval until Nanako is completed. If there is only 1 stage left and Nanako is not challenged, Nanako switches with the other girl at regular time interval.

In stage 12 or Nanako stage, there are 2 bosses in the game.

Bonus games occur after every 3 stages, but are different from S.

If a stage is incomplete before time runs out, the stage is restarted. Time can be replenished by continuing (which resets timer to 120), or dying when remaining time is under 40 seconds (which adds 30 seconds to timer).

Models

As in S, there are 13 models in this game, but only at most 12 are playable within 1 game. However, male models are no longer exist in this game. However, twin model was introduced as Rui & Ruri Futaba.

• Yukiko Shimamura
• Tomoko Aida
• Yumiko Shiraishi
• Rumiko Takeda
• Seina Amatsuka
• Yurika Saito
• Megumi Hayasaka
• Akemi Shinjo
• Chiharu Kawakita
• Jennifer Matsuzaki
• Reiko Kazumi
• Rui & Ruri Futaba
• RZX-G775 Nanako

English version

An English version was released for Asian market. In addition to English interface, there are following changes:

• The phone feature was removed from game play. As a result, the intro no longer includes references the hot line phone number. However, the phone sound can still be heard in service mode sound test.
• Only 3 sets of English voices are used within single player game. In each voice set, attack voices are reduced to 1. In addition, there are only 3 different losing text quotes from the models. However, this does not affect the voices in Showtime and intro speeches, which are still unique to each stage. English and Japanese voice samples can be heard in service mode, for both Japanese and English versions of the game.
• In character bio screen, the designer, voice actress, profession fields are replaced by age, weight, and body sizes fields.
• In Rumiko Takeda stage, the intro speech was shortened so that only part of the speech is spoken. However, in service mode, the entire English voice can still be heard, which is stored in 2 separate samples.

It also features changes to the 2-player game mode, VS.

2-player VS mode

The VS mode is different to that found in Gals Panic 4 and Gals Panic S. Both players reside on the same board rather than having their own.

In VS mode, there is only 1 round. The round starts with a random girl background with both players on different but equally sized areas of captured backgrounds. A colour bar on top indicates the amount of background each player has captured. Linking disjointed background causes both areas be owned by the player. When a player captures a large piece of uncaptured background at once such that letter appears, the player shoots a homing laser to the other player, causing the other player to lose a life.

The game ends if at least one side loses all lives, or the stage is completed with at least 80% captured area. If one side loses all lives, the other side with remaining lives win. If the stage is completed with at least 80% captured area, the side with most captured area wins.

2-player COMBI mode

This is similar to the cooperative mode found in GP3 and prequels, but a player cannot take the life of the other by trapping other player in a captured background.

Marketing

In the Japanese version of the game, Super Kaneko Dial system is introduced, which features a model-specific code is earned by capturing the phone in a stage. After completing the stage, the game character tells player to dial a specific phone number and use the code appear on screen. In addition, completing all stages or all stages with 100% captured silhouette cause different codes to be shown.

The phone service allows dialer to obtain private information about the characters and hear their conversations.

Super Kaneko Dial is currently out of service.

Gals Panic SU

Produced for the Asian market, this is a modified version of Gals Panic S2 featuring English language voice-work and on-screen text. It could be bought as a kit to modify existing Gals Panic S2 boards.

High score

Score feature removed since Gals Panic 2 returns in this episode. When continuing, the existing score is kept, but adds 1 point for every continue attempt. Score appears after clearing a stage.

If player can complete the game with only 1 credit, player can enter name. The high score table consists of 3 records, with each record containing score, name (3 characters), total completion time.

Panic attack

In addition to powerup item attack, Panic attack occurs when over 10% of silhouette is captured.

Enemies

The line up is same as Gals Panic S2, but the behaviours of bosses are derived from Panic Street. Boss body moves faster, has smaller collision zones, and counterattacks earlier than S2 counterpart.

Stages

In single player mode, the game has 10 stages. After completing 6 stages, all models are available again. However, the silhouettes in stages 7–10 can be different from the early counterparts, depending on model.

Bonus games occur after every 3 stages, and the games are as same as S2.

Models

There are 8 models in this game, but no hidden characters.

• Nana
• Ayumi
• Nagomi
• Musashi
• Yomi
• Chen
• Hiyoko
• Shun?

Show Time

In Show Time, a picture of the model with normal outfit is shown, but with exposed underwear. In DX Show Time, a picture with the topless version of the model in panties is shown.

If Show Time is reached in stage 7 or later, a picture of the model with alternate outfit is shown, but with exposed underwear.

Items

When player loses a life, only a Speedup and another item, either Speedup or Powerup, is dropped. The dropped items are arranged in a predefined grid. Item line up is same as in S2, except without phone.

Gals Panic SP

It is an early release of Gals Panic S3 (ギャルズパニックＳＰ　プリント大作戦), which includes printer support, and with release date of 2001-07. This feature was removed in final Gals Panic S3.

COMBI mode

This appears in most versions of the game, both players are on the same board and start in the same area.

VS

The meaning of VS mode varies depending on the version of the game.

Gals Panic S2, Gals Panic SU: a slight variation on COMBI mode finds each player on the same board, but they start in their own start area.

Gals Panic 4, Gals Panic S: the screen is split down the middle with each player having their own board. A player wins when the opposing player loses all lives first, or when the player first captures at least 80% of silhouette, or when opposing player has no captured background remaining.

Which game has which mode?

This is how the games shape up in terms of 2-player modes:

• Gals Panic - COMBI
• Gals Panic II - COMBI
• Gals Panic 3 - COMBI
• Gals Panic 4 - SPLIT
• Gals Panic S - SPLIT
• Panic Street - COMBI
• Gals Panic S2 - COMBI
• Gals Panic S2 (English) - COMBI or VS
• Gals Panic SU - COMBI or VS
• Gals Panic S3 - COMBI

Tactics

If both players are on the same board, as in COMBI or VS modes, a player can gain a life at the expense of the other by capturing an area where the other player is contained.

If players are on separate boards, as in SPLIT mode, bombs can be collected and used to against the other player.

Gameplay

• Each game in the series offers a small bonus stage after completion of a set of levels. In Gals Panic 1, this is merely stopping a wheel from spinning at the correct time to gather a bonus such as an extra life, running the risk from stopping it at the wrong time to incur negatives such as a time penalty or even repeating the same stage again. On other versions, they range from short puzzles to joystick-fiddling and button-mashing "hot" scenes.

Legacy

• Gals Panic 1990
• Gals Panic 2 1993
• Gals Panic II (Quiz edition) 1993
• Gals Panic 3 1995
• Gals Panic 4 1996
• Gals Panic SS/Silhouette Stories 1996
• Gals Panic S Extra Edition 1997
• Panic Street 1999
• Gals Panic S2 1999
• Gals Panic SU 1999
• Gals Panic S3 2002

Other names

In Taiwan, the games were published under different names:

Japanese title	Taiwan title	Publisher	Year
Gals Panic?	GALS PANIC (天蠶變)	Saint-Fun	1998 http://gcis.nat.gov.tw/download_3_3_2_12.htm
Gals Panic 3	GALS PANIC 3 (天蠶變三代)	Saint-Fun	1998 http://gcis.nat.gov.tw/download_3_3_2_16.htm
Gals Panic S?	天蠶變5代	Saint-Fun	1998 http://gcis.nat.gov.tw/download_3_3_2_17.htm
Gals Panic 2?	天蠶變2代	Saint-Fun	1999 http://gcis.nat.gov.tw/download_3_3_2_27.htm
Gals Panic S2?	天蠶變6代	Saint-Fun	1999 http://gcis.nat.gov.tw/download_3_3_2_27.htm
Gals Panic S?	Gals Panic EX (天蠶變EX)	Saint-Fun	2000 http://gcis.nat.gov.tw/download_3_3_2_64.htm
Gals Panic 4?	Gals Panic DX (益智天蠶)	Saint-Fun http://www.saintfun.com.tw/products/ta0/ta-main03.htm	2001 http://gcis.nat.gov.tw/download_3_3_2_66.htm
Gals Panic S3	Gals Panic S3 (益智天蠶3)	Saint-Fun	2002 http://gcis.nat.gov.tw/download_3_3_2_77.htm

Clones and similar games

• Fantasia, Fantasia II and New Fantasia series by Comad and New Japan System, similar in gameplay with Gals Panic 1 but adding extra gameplay elements and music and graphics copied illegally from other games and commercial songs.
• Perestroika Girls, using grayscale images on 8-bit hardware and is similar to Taito's Super Qix.
• Miss World '96 (both clothed and nude versions), a clone of the first Gals Panic that gives the player a choice of 5 models from North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Europe. The "alternate models" are replaced with pictures from various horror films and Japanese demons/folklore. The enemy and boss graphics are different as well, but are essentially the same as the enemies and bosses from the first game. Unlike Gals Panic, this clone allowed you to move diagonally. A male version of this game is also available (known as Mister World '96).
• Fantasy '95, also a clone of Gals Panic. Uses the same hardware/sound as Miss World '96, and could possibly be a clone of the game (or the other way around.) The player is allowed to choose which person they want to play as, and RoboCop
  RoboCop
  RoboCop is a 1987 American science fiction-action film directed by Paul Verhoeven. Set in a crime-ridden Detroit, Michigan in the near future, RoboCop centers on a police officer who is brutally murdered and subsequently re-created as a super-human cyborg known as "RoboCop"...
  
   is one of the selectable characters.
• Paradise (arcade game), using 8-bit hardware and using music ripped off from the Lemmings games.
• Lady Killer and Party Time: Gonta the Diver II, where the board to expose is made from flippable tiles and is populated by enemies making for a very action paced gameplay.
• Blue Angel 69 or Sexy Droids, an Amiga
  Amiga
  The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
  
  -era game which used hand-drawn cyborg
  Cyborg
  A cyborg is a being with both biological and artificial parts. The term was coined in 1960 when Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline used it in an article about the advantages of self-regulating human-machine systems in outer space. D. S...
  
   girls as models.
• Gal Pani X, which features elaborate bullet routines and enemies found in scrolling shooter, girls from Leaf/Aquaplus video games (mostly from ToHeart
  ToHeart
  is a Japanese adult visual novel developed by Leaf and released on May 23, 1997 for the PC. It was later ported to the PlayStation and given voice acting. A second PC version, titled To Heart PSE was released containing the PlayStation version as well as bonus games. To Heart PSE and the...
  
  ), and variety of stage goals beside uncovering silhouettes.
• Dancing Eyes, which exposes 3D-modelled girls.
• Several other puzzle or board games involve partially exposing a naked girl's picture or drawing as a reward.

External links

• Kaneko Gals Panic S2 page
• Kaneko Gals Panic SP page
• Able Corpoation Gals Panic S3 page
• Arcade-History.com entry on Gals Panic
• everything2 entry on Gals Panic
• CAESAR entry on Gals Panic
• Gals Panic S2/S3 review
• Les babes de l'histoire du jeu vidéo contains reviews of Gals Panic series.
• Playstation.com Silhouette Stories page
• Silhouette Stories review
• Sakatore.com: Gals Panic SS
• Gals Panic SS review
• Gals Panic SS strategy guide
• Gals Panic S2: Pornographic Gaming Gold