Rush'n Attack
Encyclopedia
Rush'n Attack, originally released in Japan and Europe as (gurīnberē), is an action/platform
arcade game
released by Konami
in 1985. Rush'n Attack is remembered for its Cold War
setting (the title is a play on "Russian attack") and its reliance on the player using a knife to dispatch enemies. A sequel
was released for the arcades titled M.I.A.: Missing in Action in 1989
.
special operations
soldier infiltrating an enemy military base in order to save several POW's from being executed by firing squad. There are four stages: a Marshalling Area, a Harbor, an Air Base and a Siberian Camp. The omnipresent knife can be supplemented with captured arms. By killing certain enemy soldiers, the player can obtain a three-shot flamethrower
, a four-shot RPG
, or a three-pack of hand grenade
s. At the end of each stage, the player will face a unique group of enemies specific to that stage: Stage 1 ends with a truckload of running and jump kicking soldiers, Stage 2 with a pack of fierce dogs, Stage 3 with three shooting autogyro
s and Stage 4 with a skillful multi-shot flamethrower operator. When the mission is accomplished the four rescued POWs salute and the player restarts the game from the first stage on the next difficulty level. While the player can remain still in one area and rack up points, if he takes too long to proceed, the game will start sending out tougher enemies and eventually a stealth-like bomber will appear to take out the player. There's also an invisible time limit that will kill off the player if he takes too long to complete the stage.
Under license from Konami, Imagine Software
released home versions of the game under the Green Beret title for various home computer
formats in Europe
in . Versions were released for the ZX Spectrum
, Commodore Plus/4
, Commodore 64
, Amstrad CPC
, Atari 8-bit, the MSX
, and the BBC Micro
. The Commodore 64 version was well known for its loading music by Martin Galway.
An unrelated IBM PC
port was released by Konami for the North American market under the Rush 'n Attack name in .
(under the Rush'n Attack name) released during the same month in North America
and Europe
.
The player's objective in the NES version was changed from rescuing prisoners to destroying a secret weapon being developed in the enemy's headquarters. Additionally, a 2-players mode was introduced as well, allowing two players to play simultaneously (with Player 1 in blue and Player 2 in red). The play mechanics are essentially identical to the arcade version, however the Flamethrower is removed (only the Rocket Launcher and Grenades remained) and two new power-up items are introduced: a Star mark which grants invincibility and a pistol with unlimited ammo, both which are only usable for a limited period. The NES version also features two additional stages that were not in the arcade game: an airport set between the Missile Base and the Harbor, where the player faces a group of rocket soldiers at the end; and a new final stage set inside the enemy's base in which the player must disarm a nuclear missile at the end that is about to be launched. The flamethrower corps at the end of the Warehouse stage was replaced by a paratrooper unit.
The Disk System version features a few differences from its NES counterpart by allowing the player to continue three times after the first game over and if the player loses a life in the Disk System version, his character will respawn at the very spot where he died instead of being sent to the last checkpoint (in the NES version, instant respawns are only allowed in the 2-Players game). Moreover, the player can carry up to nine rounds of any secondary weapon he finds instead of just three. To rebalance the difficulty, the NES version gives the player more extra lives when they begin (four instead of two) and all weapons dropped by enemies will always have three rounds in them instead of having the player accumulate them one by one. The Disk System version also features hidden underground areas which the player could access by destroying certain land mines in Stage 2, 4, and 5.
for the Game Boy Advance
. The game features the same stages as in the arcade version, as well as two extra stages accessible via the Konami Code
that are based on the added stages from the NES version. A two-players versus mode is added which utilizes the Game Link Cable. The controls have been changed so that the player presses the A button to jump instead of Up on the d-pad.
for the Nintendo DS
. Unlike the GBA version, the DS version is a direct port of the original arcade game. However, it includes various bonus features such scans of the instruction cards and leaflet, as well as tips.
title for the Xbox 360
on May 23, . This version is another direct port of the arcade game, but features an optional game mode with improved graphics and a remixed soundtrack. This version was developed by Digital Eclipse.
#142 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the game 3 out of 5 stars. The NES version ranked 99 on IGN
's top 100 NES games list.
, also using the latest Unreal engine
to development.
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...
arcade game
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...
released by Konami
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
in 1985. Rush'n Attack is remembered for its Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
setting (the title is a play on "Russian attack") and its reliance on the player using a knife to dispatch enemies. A sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
was released for the arcades titled M.I.A.: Missing in Action in 1989
1989 in video gaming
-Notable releases:* October 3, Brøderbund releases the Prince of Persia game, the first in a series of games, noted for its advancements in animation....
.
Gameplay
The player takes on the role of a United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
special operations
Special operations
Special operations are military operations that are considered "special" .Special operations are typically performed independently or in conjunction with conventional military operations. The primary goal is to achieve a political or military objective where a conventional force requirement does...
soldier infiltrating an enemy military base in order to save several POW's from being executed by firing squad. There are four stages: a Marshalling Area, a Harbor, an Air Base and a Siberian Camp. The omnipresent knife can be supplemented with captured arms. By killing certain enemy soldiers, the player can obtain a three-shot flamethrower
Flamethrower
A flamethrower is a mechanical device designed to project a long controllable stream of fire.Some flamethrowers project a stream of ignited flammable liquid; some project a long gas flame. Most military flamethrowers use liquids, but commercial flamethrowers tend to use high-pressure propane and...
, a four-shot RPG
Rocket propelled grenade
A rocket-propelled grenade is a shoulder-fired, anti-tank weapon system which fires rockets equipped with an explosive warhead. These warheads are affixed to a rocket motor and stabilized in flight with fins. Some types of RPG are reloadable while others are single-use. RPGs, with the exception of...
, or a three-pack of hand grenade
Hand grenade
A hand grenade is any small bomb that can be thrown by hand. Hand grenades are classified into three categories, explosive grenades, chemical and gas grenades. Explosive grenades are the most commonly used in modern warfare, and are designed to detonate after impact or after a set amount of time...
s. At the end of each stage, the player will face a unique group of enemies specific to that stage: Stage 1 ends with a truckload of running and jump kicking soldiers, Stage 2 with a pack of fierce dogs, Stage 3 with three shooting autogyro
Autogyro
An autogyro , also known as gyroplane, gyrocopter, or rotaplane, is a type of rotorcraft which uses an unpowered rotor in autorotation to develop lift, and an engine-powered propeller, similar to that of a fixed-wing aircraft, to provide thrust...
s and Stage 4 with a skillful multi-shot flamethrower operator. When the mission is accomplished the four rescued POWs salute and the player restarts the game from the first stage on the next difficulty level. While the player can remain still in one area and rack up points, if he takes too long to proceed, the game will start sending out tougher enemies and eventually a stealth-like bomber will appear to take out the player. There's also an invisible time limit that will kill off the player if he takes too long to complete the stage.
Home computers
Imagine Software
Imagine Software was a British video games developer based in Liverpool which existed briefly in the early 1980s, initially producing software for the ZX Spectrum and VIC-20...
released home versions of the game under the Green Beret title for various home computer
Home computer
Home computers were a class of microcomputers entering the market in 1977, and becoming increasingly common during the 1980s. They were marketed to consumers as affordable and accessible computers that, for the first time, were intended for the use of a single nontechnical user...
formats in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
in . Versions were released for the ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
, Commodore Plus/4
Commodore Plus/4
The Commodore Plus/4 was a home computer released by Commodore International in 1984. The "Plus/4" name refers to the four-application ROM resident office suite ; it was billed as "the productivity computer with software built-in"...
, Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
, Amstrad CPC
Amstrad CPC
The Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,...
, Atari 8-bit, the MSX
MSX
MSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s conceived by Kazuhiko Nishi, then Vice-president at Microsoft Japan and Director at ASCII Corporation...
, and the BBC Micro
BBC Micro
The BBC Microcomputer System, or BBC Micro, was a series of microcomputers and associated peripherals designed and built by Acorn Computers for the BBC Computer Literacy Project, operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation...
. The Commodore 64 version was well known for its loading music by Martin Galway.
An unrelated IBM PC
IBM PC
The IBM Personal Computer, commonly known as the IBM PC, is the original version and progenitor of the IBM PC compatible hardware platform. It is IBM model number 5150, and was introduced on August 12, 1981...
port was released by Konami for the North American market under the Rush 'n Attack name in .
Nintendo Entertainment System
A Family Computer Disk System version of Green Beret was released in Japan on April 10, , along with a corresponding version for the Nintendo Entertainment SystemNintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
(under the Rush'n Attack name) released during the same month in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
The player's objective in the NES version was changed from rescuing prisoners to destroying a secret weapon being developed in the enemy's headquarters. Additionally, a 2-players mode was introduced as well, allowing two players to play simultaneously (with Player 1 in blue and Player 2 in red). The play mechanics are essentially identical to the arcade version, however the Flamethrower is removed (only the Rocket Launcher and Grenades remained) and two new power-up items are introduced: a Star mark which grants invincibility and a pistol with unlimited ammo, both which are only usable for a limited period. The NES version also features two additional stages that were not in the arcade game: an airport set between the Missile Base and the Harbor, where the player faces a group of rocket soldiers at the end; and a new final stage set inside the enemy's base in which the player must disarm a nuclear missile at the end that is about to be launched. The flamethrower corps at the end of the Warehouse stage was replaced by a paratrooper unit.
The Disk System version features a few differences from its NES counterpart by allowing the player to continue three times after the first game over and if the player loses a life in the Disk System version, his character will respawn at the very spot where he died instead of being sent to the last checkpoint (in the NES version, instant respawns are only allowed in the 2-Players game). Moreover, the player can carry up to nine rounds of any secondary weapon he finds instead of just three. To rebalance the difficulty, the NES version gives the player more extra lives when they begin (four instead of two) and all weapons dropped by enemies will always have three rounds in them instead of having the player accumulate them one by one. The Disk System version also features hidden underground areas which the player could access by destroying certain land mines in Stage 2, 4, and 5.
Game Boy Advance
An arranged port of the arcade version of Rush 'n Attack is included in the compilation Konami Collector's Series: Arcade AdvancedKonami Collector's Series: Arcade Advanced
Konami Collector's Series: Arcade Advanced was released on March 22, 2002, for the Game Boy Advance. It was released in Europe under the name Konami Collector's Series: Arcade Classics...
for the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
. The game features the same stages as in the arcade version, as well as two extra stages accessible via the Konami Code
Konami Code
The Konami Code, known in Japan as the , is a cheat code that appears in many Konami video games, although the code also appears in some non-Konami games...
that are based on the added stages from the NES version. A two-players versus mode is added which utilizes the Game Link Cable. The controls have been changed so that the player presses the A button to jump instead of Up on the d-pad.
Nintendo DS
A second portable is included in the compilation Konami Classics Series: Arcade HitsKonami Classics Series: Arcade Hits
Konami Classics Series: Arcade Hits, released as Konami Arcade Collection in Japan and Konami Arcade Classics in Europe and Oceania, is a collection of 15 classic arcade games by Konami for the Nintendo DS.-Lineup:...
for the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
. Unlike the GBA version, the DS version is a direct port of the original arcade game. However, it includes various bonus features such scans of the instruction cards and leaflet, as well as tips.
Xbox 360
Rush 'n Attack was released as an Xbox Live ArcadeXbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
title for the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
on May 23, . This version is another direct port of the arcade game, but features an optional game mode with improved graphics and a remixed soundtrack. This version was developed by Digital Eclipse.
Reception
Rush N' Attack/The Green Beret was received well. The MS-DOS version of Rush'N Attack was reviewed in 1989 in DragonDragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#142 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the game 3 out of 5 stars. The NES version ranked 99 on IGN
IGN
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...
's top 100 NES games list.
Mobile Ports
Green Beret was released as an i-appli for Mobile phones in Japan in . The mobile version is a direct port of the NES version with a new feature: the health bar. The mobile port was re-released in China for normal Java mobile phones on December 26, .Sequel
Rush'n Attack: Ex-Patriot is a sequel planned for downloadable release in 2011. It was previewed at Konami Gamers Night, where it drew comparisons with Shadow ComplexShadow Complex
Shadow Complex is a platform-adventure video game developed by Chair Entertainment in association with Epic Games and published by Microsoft Game Studios for Xbox Live Arcade, and is powered by Unreal Engine 3...
, also using the latest Unreal engine
Unreal Engine
The Unreal Engine is a game engine developed by Epic Games, first illustrated in the 1998 first-person shooter game Unreal. Although primarily developed for first-person shooters, it has been successfully used in a variety of other genres, including stealth, MMORPGs and RPGs...
to development.
External links
- Green Beret i-mode (2006) Release for i-mode mobile phones in Japan.
- Green Beret Java (2008) China Mobile release for Java mobile phones.