Space Launcher
Encyclopedia
is a 1979 arcade game
developed and published by Nintendo
. Ikegami Tsushinki also did design work on Space Launcher. The game was released in Europe
and Japan
, was distributed by Far East Video in Europe
.
The gameplay and layout is similar to Frogger
, except Space Launcher was released two years earlier. The object of the game is to fly the rocket
up to any of the four ports to pick up treasures (points), fly back down to the starting point and repeat while avoiding enemies and projectiles. When the rocket flies near the enemies on top of the screen, the damaging shield on the tip of the rocket's nose turns on, allowing players to destroy enemies with it. Point values increase as players become more successful in destroying more than one enemy. Players have a limited amount of rockets to fly, and when all of them are destroyed, the game is over.
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...
developed and published by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
. Ikegami Tsushinki also did design work on Space Launcher. The game was released 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...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, was distributed by Far East Video 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...
.
Gameplay
Frogger
Frogger is an arcade game introduced in 1981. It was developed by Konami, and licensed for worldwide distribution by Sega/Gremlin. The object of the game is to direct frogs to their homes one by one. To do this, each frog must avoid cars while crossing a busy road and navigate a river full of...
, except Space Launcher was released two years earlier. The object of the game is to fly the rocket
Rocket
A rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction...
up to any of the four ports to pick up treasures (points), fly back down to the starting point and repeat while avoiding enemies and projectiles. When the rocket flies near the enemies on top of the screen, the damaging shield on the tip of the rocket's nose turns on, allowing players to destroy enemies with it. Point values increase as players become more successful in destroying more than one enemy. Players have a limited amount of rockets to fly, and when all of them are destroyed, the game is over.