Pulseman
Encyclopedia
Pulseman is an action platform game
developed by Game Freak
and published by Sega
for the Mega Drive in 1994. The game was released in cartridge format only in Japan, with the North American version being released via the Sega Channel
as an "exclusive". Pulseman was re-released worldwide for the Wii
on the Virtual Console
.
Unfortunately, living in the computer world for so long twisted Doc Yoshiyama's mind, corrupting his brainwaves and his body. Doc Yoshiyama emerged back into the human world, but twisted and changed into the evil Doc Waruyama. Now, Doc Waruyama establishes the Galaxy Gang, spreading a new wave of cyber-terrorism across the world, and Pulseman must fight his own father and put an end to his gang for the sake of the free world.
Beatrice
Lisa Hartfield
Veil
Doc Waruyama
series, including director Ken Sugimori
and composer Junichi Masuda
.
reviewed the Virtual Console version of Pulseman, giving it a score of 8.0 out of 10, therefore receiving IGN's Editor's choice award. In the review, the author praises its graphics as "one of the cleanest, most crisp and most attractive platformers on the Genesis" and that the game "isn't just fun, it's electric."
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
developed by Game Freak
Game Freak
is a Japanese video game developer that currently creates games exclusively for Nintendo. It has developed the Pokémon series of role-playing games and several other games.-History:...
and published by Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
for the Mega Drive in 1994. The game was released in cartridge format only in Japan, with the North American version being released via the Sega Channel
Sega Channel
Sega Channel was a project developed by Sega for the 16-bit Sega Mega Drive/Genesis console. Starting in December 1994, Sega Channel service was provided to the public by Time Warner Cable and TCI, which later was acquired by AT&T during its cable acquisition spree that formed AT&T...
as an "exclusive". Pulseman was re-released worldwide for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
on the Virtual Console
Virtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
.
Story
In the 21st century, noted scientist and computer engineer Doc Yoshiyama had succeeded in creating the world's most advanced Artificial Intelligence. He called his creation "C-Life" and managed to make her aware, thinking, and feeling. However, he soon found himself in love with this C-Life girl and wanted to be closer to her, so he digitized and uploaded himself into his computer core, where the two "made love" by combining his DNA and her program core. The end result of their love was the birth of a half-human, half C-Life boy named "Pulseman". Pulseman was unique in that he didn't need to remain inside a computer to survive, and had the power to channel electricity through his body, using it both as a weapon and as a means of quick transport through the power of "Voltteccer".Unfortunately, living in the computer world for so long twisted Doc Yoshiyama's mind, corrupting his brainwaves and his body. Doc Yoshiyama emerged back into the human world, but twisted and changed into the evil Doc Waruyama. Now, Doc Waruyama establishes the Galaxy Gang, spreading a new wave of cyber-terrorism across the world, and Pulseman must fight his own father and put an end to his gang for the sake of the free world.
Characters
Pulseman- The main hero of the game. Pulseman is a teenage boy born from a human father and a C-Life mother, thus granting him the powers of both worlds. From his father, he can survive outside of computer terminals and roam through the human world, and from his mother he has the power of electricity. He can slash out electricity from his hands, and gather up the current to shoot through the air using his powerful "Voltteccer" attack, where he changes into a ball of electricity and ricochet through the stages like a pinball. He is also very agile and acrobatic, and can attack using powerful kicks. His prime weakness is water, which shorts out his powers.
Beatrice
- A young C-Life girl who was once held captive by the Galaxy Gang until Pulseman freed her. She quickly became his girlfriend and supports him on his quest to stop Doc Waruyama. She appears on the Stage Select screen to inform the player of the stages that they will be entering, and also appears during gameplay to inform the Player of dangers in the stages. She has spiky pink hair and a red and white dress with black leggings. Pulseman's nickname for her is Rice, pronounced "Ree -chay".
Lisa Hartfield
- A star news reporter from Tokyo; Lisa's constantly on the story of Pulseman. She has shoulder-length red hair and wears a professional looking red dress suit. She only appears during cutscenes and unconscious in the background of the first stage in the TV Studio section.
Veil
- A mysterious C-Life being whose loyalty is only for Doc Waruyama. Veil looks like Pulseman but colored dark violet and red, with large wings on his back and "horns" jutting from his visor. He has all of Pulseman's powers, as if he were an evil twin. He is the Stage 5 boss.
Doc Waruyama
- Once known as Doc Yoshiyama, Doc Waruyama was twisted and corrupted by the computer system he uploaded himself into to be with the only love of his life. He leads the Galaxy Gang to destroy the cyber-world, and appears several times throughout the game, where Pulseman fights him as a boss.
Development
When first announced, Pulseman was originally named Spark. Many of the staff members who worked on Pulseman would later work on the PokémonPokémon
is a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
series, including director Ken Sugimori
Ken Sugimori
is a Japanese video game designer, illustrator, manga artist, and director. He is most famous as the character designer and art director for the Pokémon franchise. Sugimori is also credited with the art direction for other titles, including Pulseman. Sugimori drew all of the original 151 Pokémon...
and composer Junichi Masuda
Junichi Masuda
is a video game composer, director, designer, producer, and programmer best known for his work on the Pokémon franchise. He is a member of the Game Freak board of directors, and has worked at the company since 1989. He helped compose the music for games like Mendel Palace and Smart Ball before...
.
Pulseman references in the Pokémon series
- One of PikachuPikachuis one of the species of Pokémon creatures from the Pokémon media franchise—a collection of video games, anime, manga, books, trading cards, and other media created by Satoshi Tajiri. As do all Pokémon, Pikachu fight other Pokémon in battles central to the anime, manga, and games of the series...
's attacks is called "Volt Tackle", which in Japan is called "Voltteccer" and utilizes the same idea of turning into an electrically-charged ball and smashing into an enemy. In Super Smash Bros. BrawlSuper Smash Bros. BrawlSuper Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
, Volt Tackle is Pikachu's Final Smash and operates like Pulseman's version of the attack. - In Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and PlatinumPokémon Diamond and Pearlare role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. With the enhanced remake Pokémon Platinum, the games comprise the fifth installment and fourth generation of the Pokémon series of RPGs...
, the organization 'Team Galactic' ( (ギンガ団, Ginga Dan?, literally “Galaxy Gang” or “Galaxy Brigade” ) may be a reference to Doctor Waruyama's gang of the same name. - The Gunfish enemy that appears underwater in Stage 6 of Pulseman resembles Remoraid, as they are both combinations of fish and revolver pistols.
- The Pokémon Rotom has a similarly shaped head to Pulseman, and is able to enter electrical devices much like Pulseman. Rotom is also surrounded by a blue electrical aura that resembles Pulseman’s electrical powers. When Rotom is first encountered, it comes out of a television with only static on the screen, similar to how the game Pulseman begins.
- Commander Charon from Pokémon Platinum, who is said to have first discovered the Pokémon Rotom, has a very similar hairstyle to the Doc Waruyama, the character who created Pulseman.
Reception
IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
reviewed the Virtual Console version of Pulseman, giving it a score of 8.0 out of 10, therefore receiving IGN's Editor's choice award. In the review, the author praises its graphics as "one of the cleanest, most crisp and most attractive platformers on the Genesis" and that the game "isn't just fun, it's electric."