The Ocean Hunter
Encyclopedia
The Ocean Hunter is a 1998 light gun
shooter arcade game developed and published by Sega
. The Ocean Hunter runs on Sega Model 3 hardware. It was first released in October 1998.
, Leviathan
, Charybdis
, Ahuizotl
, Karkinos, Midgardsorm, and Rahab. There are also dozens of mini-bosses in the game, many of them also named after sea monsters.
world, but giant ocean monsters are attacking shipping vessels, harbors, humans and native marine life with increasing frequency. Ordinary marine predators such as sharks have begun to follow in the sea monsters' wake to scavenge what they could from the destruction caused. Frightened for their lives, the people issue bounties
on the monsters' heads. As the underwater adventurers Torel (Player 1) and Chris (Player 2), you head out to defeat the horrible creatures. In addition to the Seven Great Monsters, secondary bounties are issued for a number of lesser sea monsters
.
. Kraken is said to dwell within a sunken ship somewhere on the ocean floor.
Mid-level Bosses
Boss
, specifically the Arabian Sea
. Rumors say that Leviathan can be found at the underwater ruins of an ancient city.
Mid-level Boss
Boss
Tartarus
On the in-game map, this is the North Atlantic Ocean
, somewhere within the area around Bermuda
. Charybdis could be encountered within the caves located in the deepest part of this ocean.
Mid-level Bosses
Boss
Texcoco Great Lake
On the in-game map, this is a fictional lake within the Amazon River basin. Ahuizotl could be found anywhere within this lake.
Boss
. The whale population of this ocean has been steadily decreasing since Karkinos' appearance, so it is likely that Karkinos dwells within this area in order to be close to its regular food supply.
Mid-level Boss
Boss
. Most of the creatures encountered here are of prehistoric species thought to be long extinct.
Mid-level Boss
Boss
Panthalassa
On the in-game map, this is the Mediterranean Sea
.
Mid-level Bosses
Boss
Light gun
A light gun is a pointing device for computers and a control device for arcade and video games.Modern screen-based light guns work by building a sensor into the gun itself, and the on-screen target emit light rather than the gun...
shooter arcade game developed 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...
. The Ocean Hunter runs on Sega Model 3 hardware. It was first released in October 1998.
Gameplay
The Ocean Hunter is played by using two mounted turret-like guns on the arcade cabinet. The game is capable of being played with either one or two people simultaneously. The player takes the role of an underwater adventurer searching for the Seven Great Monsters of the Seven Seas, hoping to collect on the bounties placed on their heads for attacks on shipping vessels, humans and native marine life. The player proceeds to go throughout the game in a set path, shooting at various hostile ocean life along the way. The game is played progressing through various levels, each with its own design and layout. Upon reaching the end of the level, a boss is encountered. Each boss is named after a famous mythological sea monster: KrakenKraken
Kraken are legendary sea monsters of giant proportions said to have dwelt off the coasts of Norway and Iceland.In modern German, Krake means octopus but can also refer to the legendary Kraken...
, Leviathan
Leviathan
Leviathan , is a sea monster referred to in the Bible. In Demonology, Leviathan is one of the seven princes of Hell and its gatekeeper . The word has become synonymous with any large sea monster or creature...
, Charybdis
Charybdis
Charybdis or Kharybdis was a sea monster, later rationalised as a whirlpool and considered a shipping hazard in the Strait of Messina.-The mythological background:...
, Ahuizotl
Ahuizotl (creature)
The ahuizotl is a legendary creature in Aztec belief.-Description:It was described as dog-like, with hands capable of manipulation and an additional hand on its tail. The ahuizotl was feared due to its liking for human flesh, especially nails, eyes, and teeth...
, Karkinos, Midgardsorm, and Rahab. There are also dozens of mini-bosses in the game, many of them also named after sea monsters.
Story
A new civilization is flourishing in the seas of an alternate SteampunkSteampunk
Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s. Steampunk involves a setting where steam power is still widely used—usually Victorian era Britain or "Wild West"-era United...
world, but giant ocean monsters are attacking shipping vessels, harbors, humans and native marine life with increasing frequency. Ordinary marine predators such as sharks have begun to follow in the sea monsters' wake to scavenge what they could from the destruction caused. Frightened for their lives, the people issue bounties
Bounty (reward)
A bounty is a payment or reward often offered by a group as an incentive for the accomplishment of a task by someone usually not associated with the group. Bounties are most commonly issued for the capture or retrieval of a person or object. They are typically in the form of money...
on the monsters' heads. As the underwater adventurers Torel (Player 1) and Chris (Player 2), you head out to defeat the horrible creatures. In addition to the Seven Great Monsters, secondary bounties are issued for a number of lesser sea monsters
Sea monster
Sea monsters are sea-dwelling mythical or legendary creatures, often believed to be of immense size.Marine monsters can take many forms, including sea dragons, sea serpents, or multi-armed beasts. They can be slimy or scaly and are often pictured threatening ships or spouting jets of water...
.
Baroque Sea
On the in-game map, this is the East Pacific OceanPacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. Kraken is said to dwell within a sunken ship somewhere on the ocean floor.
Mid-level Bosses
- White Death
- A great white sharkGreat white sharkThe great white shark, scientific name Carcharodon carcharias, also known as the great white, white pointer, white shark, or white death, is a large lamniform shark found in coastal surface waters in all major oceans. It is known for its size, with the largest individuals known to have approached...
seen chasing a diver a few moments after the stage begins. The adventurers have only a very short time to save the diver before he is killedShark attackA shark attack is an attack on a human by a shark. Every year around 60 shark attacks are reported worldwide, although death is quite unusual. Despite the relative rarity of shark attacks, the fear of sharks is a common phenomenon, having been fueled by the occasional instances of serial attacks,...
.- Sea Dragon
- A creature that is encountered if the diver being chased by White Death is rescued. This underwater reptile has characteristics similar to those of a komodo dragonKomodo dragonThe Komodo dragon , also known as the Komodo monitor, is a large species of lizard found in the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rinca, Flores, Gili Motang and Gili Dasami. A member of the monitor lizard family , it is the largest living species of lizard, growing to a maximum length of in rare cases...
and a marine iguanaMarine iguanaThe Marine Iguana is an iguana found only on the Galápagos Islands that has the ability, unique among modern lizards, to live and forage in the sea, making it a marine reptile. The Iguana can dive over 30 ft into the water. It has spread to all the islands in the archipelago, and is...
.- Sea SerpentSea serpentA sea serpent or sea dragon is a type of sea monster either wholly or partly serpentine.Sightings of sea serpents have been reported for hundreds of years, and continue to be claimed today. Cryptozoologist Bruce Champagne identified more than 1,200 purported sea serpent sightings...
- Sea Serpent
- A large, water-breathing snake similar to an anacondaAnacondaAn anaconda is a large, non-venomous snake found in tropical South America. Although the name actually applies to a group of snakes, it is often used to refer only to one species in particular, the common or green anaconda, Eunectes murinus, which is one of the largest snakes in the world.Anaconda...
that inhabits the same shipwreck as Kraken.
Boss
- KrakenKrakenKraken are legendary sea monsters of giant proportions said to have dwelt off the coasts of Norway and Iceland.In modern German, Krake means octopus but can also refer to the legendary Kraken...
- A huge giant Pacific octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini) known to crush ships in its powerful tentacles. Current records indicate that Kraken has attacked 4 ships and killed 185 people so far. The bounty on the capture or death of this sea monster is 5,000 G.
Luna Sea
On the in-game map, this is the Indian OceanIndian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
, specifically the Arabian Sea
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui in northeastern Somalia and Kanyakumari in India...
. Rumors say that Leviathan can be found at the underwater ruins of an ancient city.
Mid-level Boss
- HydraLernaean HydraIn Greek mythology, the Lernaean Hydra was an ancient nameless serpent-like chthonic water beast, with reptilian traits, that possessed many heads — the poets mention more heads than the vase-painters could paint, and for each head cut off it grew two more — and poisonous breath so virulent even...
- Three moray eelsMoray eelMoray eels are cosmopolitan eels of the family Muraenidae. The approximately 200 species in 15 genera are almost exclusively marine, but several species are regularly seen in brackish water and a few, for example the freshwater moray can sometimes be found in freshwater...
that lunge out of their caves to attack their prey.
Boss
- LeviathanLeviathanLeviathan , is a sea monster referred to in the Bible. In Demonology, Leviathan is one of the seven princes of Hell and its gatekeeper . The word has become synonymous with any large sea monster or creature...
- A megalodonMegalodonThe megalodon and ὀδούς ) is an extinct species of shark that lived roughly from 28 to 1.5 million years ago, during the Cenozoic Era .The taxonomic assignment of C...
(Carcharodon megalodon) that has rammed ships to pieces and swallowed fleeing divers whole. As of now, Leviathan has a record of sinking 11 ships and 364 deaths. The bounty on the capture or death of this massive shark is 8,000 G.
TartarusTartarusIn classic mythology, below Uranus , Gaia , and Pontus is Tartarus, or Tartaros . It is a deep, gloomy place, a pit, or an abyss used as a dungeon of torment and suffering that resides beneath the underworld. In the Gorgias, Plato In classic mythology, below Uranus (sky), Gaia (earth), and Pontus...
Deep
On the in-game map, this is the North Atlantic OceanAtlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, somewhere within the area around Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
. Charybdis could be encountered within the caves located in the deepest part of this ocean.
Mid-level Bosses
- ScyllaScyllaIn Greek mythology, Scylla was a monster that lived on one side of a narrow channel of water, opposite its counterpart Charybdis. The two sides of the strait were within an arrow's range of each other—so close that sailors attempting to avoid Charybdis would pass too close to Scylla and vice...
- A giant squidSquidSquid are cephalopods of the order Teuthida, which comprises around 300 species. Like all other cephalopods, squid have a distinct head, bilateral symmetry, a mantle, and arms. Squid, like cuttlefish, have eight arms arranged in pairs and two, usually longer, tentacles...
colored a deep, shimmering purple that attacks those who approach Charybdis' territory.- NagaNagaNaga or NAGA may refer to:* Nāga, a group of serpent deities in Hindu and Buddhist mythology.-People:* Nayan / Nayar/Nair people of Kerala Society* Naga people, a diverse ethnic identity in Northeast India...
- Naga
- An monstrously long giant oarfishKing of herringsThe king of herrings or giant oarfish, an oarfish of the family Regalecidae, is the world's longest bony fish. Rarely sighted, it is found in all the world's oceans at depths of between 300 and 1000 meters...
that dwells within Charybdis' caves.
Boss
- CharybdisCharybdisCharybdis or Kharybdis was a sea monster, later rationalised as a whirlpool and considered a shipping hazard in the Strait of Messina.-The mythological background:...
- A huge black seadevilBlack seadevilBlack seadevils are small, deep-sea lophiiform fish comprising the family Melanocetidae. There are five known species , all within the genus Melanocetus...
(Melanocetus) that has raided submarines along the so-called Depro sea route, of which two were sunk, and disrupted deep seaDeep seaThe deep sea, or deep layer, is the lowest layer in the ocean, existing below the thermocline and above the seabed, at a depth of 1000 fathoms or more. Little or no light penetrates this part of the ocean and most of the organisms that live there rely for subsistence on falling organic matter...
operations. The bounty on the capture or death of this giant anglerfish is 10,000 G.
Texcoco Great LakeLake TexcocoLake Texcoco was a natural lake formation within the Valley of Mexico. The Aztecs built the city of Tenochtitlan on an island in the lake. The Spaniards built Mexico City over Tenochtitlan...
On the in-game map, this is a fictional lake within the Amazon River basin. Ahuizotl could be found anywhere within this lake.Boss
- Ahuizotl
- An ElasmosaurusElasmosaurusElasmosaurus + σαυρος sauros 'lizard') is a genus of plesiosaur with an extremely long neck that lived in the Late Cretaceous period , 80.5 million years ago.-Description:...
(Elasmosaurus platyurus) whose attacks target lakeside settlements. So far, Ahuizotl has raided two towns and killed 18 people, of which six were eaten. The bounty on the capture or death of this marine reptile is 12,000 G.
North Sea
On the in-game map, this is the Arctic OceanArctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions...
. The whale population of this ocean has been steadily decreasing since Karkinos' appearance, so it is likely that Karkinos dwells within this area in order to be close to its regular food supply.
Mid-level Boss
- MedusaMedusaIn Greek mythology Medusa , " guardian, protectress") was a Gorgon, a chthonic monster, and a daughter of Phorcys and Ceto. The author Hyginus, interposes a generation and gives Medusa another chthonic pair as parents. Gazing directly upon her would turn onlookers to stone...
- A giant jellyfishJellyfishJellyfish are free-swimming members of the phylum Cnidaria. Medusa is another word for jellyfish, and refers to any free-swimming jellyfish stages in the phylum Cnidaria...
that is usually accompanied by a large swarm of normal-sized jellyfish that some say are Medusa's offspring.
Boss
- Karkinos
- A giant Japanese spider crabJapanese spider crabThe , Macrocheira kaempferi, is a species of marine crab that lives in the waters around Japan. It has the largest leg span of any arthropod, reaching up to and weighing up to . It is the subject of small-scale fishery.-Description:...
(Macrocheira kaempferi) that killed almost all the whales in the North Sea and 15 divers who were investigating the incident. The bounty on the capture or death of this monstrous crustacean is 15,000 G.
West Ocean
On the in-game map, this is the South Atlantic OceanAtlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. Most of the creatures encountered here are of prehistoric species thought to be long extinct.
Mid-level Boss
- BasilosaurusBasilosaurusBasilosaurus is a genus of cetacean that lived from in the Late Eocene. Its fossilized remains were first discovered in the southern United States . The American fossils were initially believed to be some sort of reptile, hence the suffix -"saurus", but later found to be a marine mammal...
- One of the largest prehistoric marine mammals.
Boss
- MidgardsormJörmungandrIn Norse mythology, Jörmungandr , mostly known as Jormungand, orJörmungand , or Midgard Serpent , or World Serpent, is a sea serpent, and the middle child of the giantess Angrboða and the god Loki...
- The only known existing specimen of a fictional species of giant earthworm (Lumbricus terrestris gigantesque) that is wanted for the mysterious disapperances of numerous ships. It has been said to have swallowed over a thousand marine vessels, including ships and submarines, since antiquity. The bounty on the capture or death of this legendary creature is 18,000 G.
PanthalassaPanthalassaPanthalassa , also known as the Panthalassic Ocean, was the vast global ocean that surrounded the supercontinent Pangaea, during the late Paleozoic and the early Mesozoic years. It included the Pacific Ocean to the west and north and the Tethys Ocean to the southeast...
, the Sea of Evil
On the in-game map, this is the Mediterranean SeaMediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
.
Mid-level Bosses
- KerberosCerberusCerberus , or Kerberos, in Greek and Roman mythology, is a multi-headed hound which guards the gates of the Underworld, to prevent those who have crossed the river Styx from ever escaping...
- Three large sharks similar to, but not as large as, White Death.
- Umi-BozuUmibozuis a spirit in Japanese folklore. The Umibōzu is said to live in the ocean and capsize the ship of anyone who dares speak to it. This spirit's name, which combines the character for "sea" with the character of "Buddhist monk," is possibly related to the fact that the Umibōzu is said to have a...
- Umi-Bozu
- A very large and surprisingly cunning octopus with the ability to camouflageCamouflageCamouflage is a method of concealment that allows an otherwise visible animal, military vehicle, or other object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment. Examples include a leopard's spotted coat, the battledress of a modern soldier and a leaf-mimic butterfly...
itself.- Black Dragon
- A black-skinned version of the Sea Dragon encountered in the Baroque Sea.
- VritraVritraIn the early Vedic religion, Vritra , is an Asura and also a serpent or dragon, the personification of drought and enemy of Indra. Vritra was also known in the Vedas as Ahi...
& KaliyaKaliyaKaliya , in Hindu mythology, was the name of a poisonous Naga living in the Yamuna River, in Vrindavan. The water of the Yamuna for four leagues all around him boiled and bubbled with poison...
- Vritra
- A pair of giant oarfishKing of herringsThe king of herrings or giant oarfish, an oarfish of the family Regalecidae, is the world's longest bony fish. Rarely sighted, it is found in all the world's oceans at depths of between 300 and 1000 meters...
that are seemingly much quicker than Naga.
Boss
- RahabRahabRahab, was, according to the Book of Joshua, a woman who lived in Jericho in the Promised Land and assisted the Israelites in capturing the city...
- A fictional aquatic subspecies of the prehistoric ape GigantopithecusGigantopithecusGigantopithecus is an extinct genus of ape that existed from roughly one million years to as recently as three hundred thousand years ago, in what is now China, India, and Vietnam, placing Gigantopithecus in the same time frame and geographical location as several hominin species...
(Gigantopithecus thalassa cyclops). There are no records of the number of casualties he has caused, but the local authorities have endlessly speculated on this creature's true identity and species. The bounty on the capture or death of this chaotic and mysterious creature is 20,000 G.
- When encountered, Rahab takes on three separate forms altogether. The first is DagonDagonDagon was originally an Assyro-Babylonian fertility god who evolved into a major northwest Semitic god, reportedly of grain and fish and/or fishing...
a giant ape-like humanoid with blue eyes and enormous limbs that usually walks on all fours. The second form is PoseidonPoseidonPoseidon was the god of the sea, and, as "Earth-Shaker," of the earthquakes in Greek mythology. The name of the sea-god Nethuns in Etruscan was adopted in Latin for Neptune in Roman mythology: both were sea gods analogous to Poseidon...
a tall, upright giant humanoid with blue eyes and pointed ears that could attack by emitting spheres of energy. He also carries a large rusty trident. The third and true form is the demonic Rahab, a giant humanoid whose legs are fused into a tail, with sharp claws on his hands and "trailers" along his back. He has three red eyes, with one of them at the center of his forehead.
- At the end of the game, Rahab reveals himself to be the deity who had taken care of the sea and its denizens for countless millenia. At some point in time, Rahab fell into a slumber that lasted for many centuries until he was awakened by the predations of humanityHumanHumans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
upon the sea. Angered by humanity's pride and disregard for ocean life, Rahab created the other Great Monsters of the Seven Seas, except Midgardsorm, and deliberately caused natural marine disasters (i.e. stormsStormA storm is any disturbed state of an astronomical body's atmosphere, especially affecting its surface, and strongly implying severe weather...
, typhoons) in an effort to humble humanity. After his story, Rahab admits defeat but speaks his final words - "All shall return to ChaosChaos (cosmogony)Chaos refers to the formless or void state preceding the creation of the universe or cosmos in the Greek creation myths, more specifically the initial "gap" created by the original separation of heaven and earth....
".