Pleiads
Encyclopedia
is an arcade game
produced by Tehkan (now Tecmo) and Centuri
, loosely based on an earlier game called Phoenix which was produced by Amstar in 1980.
in which enemy ships fly at you in waves in a similar fashion to games like Galaxian
and Phoenix. Ships emerge from a mothership at the top of the screen and swoop downwards in a series of patterns which players must anticipate as they shoot the ships and avoid being obliterated by the Martian onslaught. There are four stages in the game. In the first stage the Earth space ship must defend the space station from Martian invaders who have the ability to transform from flying invaders, to walking invaders who build walls across the Earth city; these barriers must be destroyed. At the end of stage one the Earth space ship flies to the top of the screen to prepare to meet stage two. In the second stage the player encounters eight space monsters who must be hit directly on center to be destroyed before moving onto stage three. In this stage invaders emerge form a space ship at the top of the screen and swoop down on the player in sweeping attacks. In the final wave the player has to negotiate parked spaceships to dock on a landing pad as the screen scrolls downwards. Extra points can be gained in this stage by collecting flags as you negotiate the landing corridor.
, the seven daughters of the titan
Atlas
. The cabinet artwork on the game also spells out "Pleiades"; a mistake which possibly reflects the fact that there are different spellings of it in the Greek myth.
includes seven classic arcade games from the publisher's past - including Star Force
, Bomb Jack
, Solomon's Key
, Tecmo Cup, Pinball Action
, Senjyo and Pleiads. Pleiads was featured in the 1983 horror film, "Nightmares" in the vignette "Bishop of Battle." Pleiads also made a cameo appearance in the 1984 Coen Brothers directorial debut and neo-noir motion picture Blood Simple.
. Reference: Twin Galaxies
, the Official Electronic Scoreboard
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
produced by Tehkan (now Tecmo) and Centuri
Centuri
Centuri, based in Hialeah, Florida, was one of the top six suppliers of coin operated video game machinery in the United States. Many of the machines distributed in the US under the Centuri name were licensed from overseas manufacturers, particularly Konami....
, loosely based on an earlier game called Phoenix which was produced by Amstar in 1980.
Gameplay
Pleiads is a multi-stage space shoot 'em upShoot 'em up
Shoot 'em up is a subgenre of shooter video games. In a shoot 'em up, the player controls a lone character, often in a spacecraft or aircraft, shooting large numbers of enemies while dodging their attacks. The genre in turn encompasses various types or subgenres and critics differ on exactly what...
in which enemy ships fly at you in waves in a similar fashion to games like Galaxian
Galaxian
is an arcade game developed by Namco in 1979. It was published by Namco in Japan and was imported to North America by Midway in 1980. A fixed shooter-style game in which the player controls a spaceship at the bottom of the screen and shoots enemies descending in various directions, it was designed...
and Phoenix. Ships emerge from a mothership at the top of the screen and swoop downwards in a series of patterns which players must anticipate as they shoot the ships and avoid being obliterated by the Martian onslaught. There are four stages in the game. In the first stage the Earth space ship must defend the space station from Martian invaders who have the ability to transform from flying invaders, to walking invaders who build walls across the Earth city; these barriers must be destroyed. At the end of stage one the Earth space ship flies to the top of the screen to prepare to meet stage two. In the second stage the player encounters eight space monsters who must be hit directly on center to be destroyed before moving onto stage three. In this stage invaders emerge form a space ship at the top of the screen and swoop down on the player in sweeping attacks. In the final wave the player has to negotiate parked spaceships to dock on a landing pad as the screen scrolls downwards. Extra points can be gained in this stage by collecting flags as you negotiate the landing corridor.
Name
The name of this game comes from the mythical Greek PleiadesPleiades (Greek mythology)
The Pleiades , companions of Artemis, were the seven daughters of the titan Atlas and the sea-nymph Pleione born on Mount Cyllene. They are the sisters of Calypso, Hyas, the Hyades, and the Hesperides...
, the seven daughters of the titan
Titan (mythology)
In Greek mythology, the Titans were a race of powerful deities, descendants of Gaia and Uranus, that ruled during the legendary Golden Age....
Atlas
Atlas (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Atlas was the primordial Titan who supported the heavens. Although associated with various places, he became commonly identified with the Atlas Mountains in north-west Africa...
. The cabinet artwork on the game also spells out "Pleiades"; a mistake which possibly reflects the fact that there are different spellings of it in the Greek myth.
Legacy
Tecmo Hit Parade for the PlayStation 2PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
includes seven classic arcade games from the publisher's past - including Star Force
Star Force
is a vertical shoot 'em up arcade video game made in 1984 by Tehkan . In Japan, it is considered to be a monumental work among shooting games...
, Bomb Jack
Bomb Jack
is an arcade platform game that was released in 1984 by Tehkan . It was followed by two official sequels, the console and computer title Mighty Bomb Jack, and the arcade game Bomb Jack Twin...
, Solomon's Key
Solomon's Key
right|thumb|Arcade version of Solomon's Key is a puzzle game developed by Tecmo in 1986 for arcade release on custom hardware based on the Z80 chipset...
, Tecmo Cup, Pinball Action
Pinball Action
Pinball Action is an video arcade game, a simulator of a pinball machine, released in 1985 by Tehkan .-Game features:Pinball Action features three separate pinball areas in addition to the starting area. Each of the additional 'faces' has a challenge which, when completed, allows a player access...
, Senjyo and Pleiads. Pleiads was featured in the 1983 horror film, "Nightmares" in the vignette "Bishop of Battle." Pleiads also made a cameo appearance in the 1984 Coen Brothers directorial debut and neo-noir motion picture Blood Simple.
Records
Richie Knucklez holds the official Guinness World Record for this game with 279,090 points recorded on June 4, 2011 at the Annual Classic Video Game and Pinball Tournament held at the legendary Funspot in Weirs Beach, New HampshireWeirs Beach, New Hampshire
Weirs Beach is a village within the city of Laconia in Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States. It is located on the southern shore of Lake Winnipesaukee. The cruise ship Mount Washington terminates there...
. Reference: Twin Galaxies
Twin Galaxies
Twin Galaxies is an American organization that tracks video game world records and conducts a program of electronic-gaming promotions. It operates the Twin Galaxies website and publishes the Twin Galaxies' Official Video Game & Pinball Book of World Records, with the Arcade Volume released on June...
, the Official Electronic Scoreboard
Console Information
| Developer | Tehkan |
| Publisher | Centuri Centuri Centuri, based in Hialeah, Florida, was one of the top six suppliers of coin operated video game machinery in the United States. Many of the machines distributed in the US under the Centuri name were licensed from overseas manufacturers, particularly Konami.... |
| Main CPU | 8085A (@2.75 MHz) |
| Sound Chip | TMS 36XX (@0.247 kHz) |
| Video res | 208 by 248 pixels |
| Screen Refresh | 60 Hz |
| Palette Colour | 256 |
| Genre | Shooter Shooter game Shooter games are a sub-genre of action game, which often test the player's speed and reaction time. It includes many subgenres that have the commonality of focusing "on the actions of the avatar using some sort of weapon. Usually this weapon is a gun, or some other long-range weapon". A common... |
| Modes | up to 2 players |
| Platform | Arcade |
| Input | Left, right, fire, warp |
| Arcade cabinet | Upright, cocktail |
| Arcade display | Vertical orientation, Raster |