Shadow Force

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'...But what does it mean?' This game has text or audio that needs to be translated. If you are fluent with this language, please read our translation guidelines and then submit a translation! Notes: Opening sequence text needs translation; existing translations need verification for accuracy.

To do: more regional differences

Shadow Force is an unusual beat-em up arcade game, known by two unique features: The player can gain control of certain minor enemies, and that each enemy comes to fight one by one, in a fighting game style.

Unused Music#

All of these items except one are accessible from the Sound Check menu in Service Mode through the specified IDs.

Regional Differences#

Controls#

The US version of the game uses an unwieldy six-button control scheme, laid out as follows:

In this version, the command of special attack (the one that consumes scrolls) is "Weak Punch + Weak Kick".

The Japanese and World versions instead use a three-button control scheme as laid out below:

In these versions, transformation is accomplished by pressing Punch and Kick together, and special attack is performed by pressing all three buttons. Different punch and kick motions are determined by distance of the engaged enemy.

US Attract Mode#

The US attract mode sequence opens with the anti-drug message expected of arcade games released in the US in the 1990s.

Image	Transcript
	William S. Sessions, Director, FBI “WINNERS DON’T DO DRUGS”

Japanese Attract Mode#

The Japanese attract mode begins with an anti-bullying message from Kunio, Technos Japan's mascot and star of his own series of games (which often involve beating up other schoolkids, mind you).

Image	Transcript	Translation
	くにお君の熱血宣言 いじめっ子よ、反省したまえ いじめをする奴は、 ヒーローになれないよ！	Kunio-kun's Hot-Blooded Announcement Bullies, please reflect on your actions! Bullies are never heroes!

This is then followed by an opening sequence which appears in no other version of the game, detailing the game's plot. Oddly, the villain's name is written in English in this sequence.

Image	Transcript	Translation
	A.D. 2018
	西暦２０１８年、急速に発展した 科学力により、人類は繁栄の一途を たどるかに思えた。	The year is 2018 A.D. Humanity was on the verge of prosperity thanks to the rapid development of scientific capabilities.
	しかし、その科学力を ［悪］に利用しようと企む 巨大組織［ティーサー］により、 人類は恐怖と絶望の縁に立たされた。	However, the Tazer organization, which plans to use this scientific power for evil, has brought humanity to the brink of despair.
	［ティーサー］の首領であり 科学者の「Ｄｒ.ＷＯＮＧ」は、 自らを「選ばれし者」と名乗り、 「新たなる人類創世のための 魂の浄化」と唱え	Dr. WONG, a scientist who leads Tazer, called himself the "Chosen One" and advocated for the purification of souls for the creation of a new human race.
	その英知をもって作り上げた 怪物達を使い、 人類大虐殺を行っていた。	They used the monsters created with their wisdom to commit genocide on all of humanity.
	しかし、 人々が生きる希望を失いかけたとき、 ［ティーサー］壊滅のために 立ち上がった４人の戦士がいた。	However, just before humanity lost all hope, four warriors arose to destroy Tazer.
	彼らは悪に立ち向かうため サイボーグとしてよみがえった 忍者なのである。	They are ninja, revived as cyborgs to fight evil

The music which plays in this sequence is stored in every version of the game at Sound Code 23, and is accessible from the Sound Check in Service Mode.

The music also suffers from an apparent bug in which YM2151 channels 5-8 drop after approximately four minutes and six seconds, though the opening sequence ends long before the player can hear this. The sound file below is an excerpt fading in from after the music has run for three minutes and 38 seconds to shorten the time needed to hear the bug (to 27 seconds).

Profiles#

The Japanese attract mode also includes profiles for the playable characters, which appear in no other version. The game will pull them up for every character that appears in a demo before running it, meaning that repeats may result. Note that Kai's profile contains a typo; the text reads "重症" ("serious illness") when it should say "重傷" ("serious injury").

Image	Transcript	Translation
	魁　KAI 六尺棒を使う［伊賀忍者］の末裔、 以前の戦いで重症を負い、 サイボーグ戦士となる。	KAI A descendant of the Iga School who wields a six-foot bo staff, After he was severely injured in a previous battle, he became a cyborg warrior
	天狗　TENGU 日本古来の魔人［天狗］の顔と、 紅色のボディーをもつ サイボーグ戦士、素手で戦う。 元レジスタンスのリーダー。	TENGU A cyborg warrior with the face of the Tengu, an ancient Japanese demon, and a crimson body, he fights with his bare hands. He was once a resistance leader.
	COYOTE ［ティーサー］の改造手術により、 獣人となってしまったが、 洗脳される前に脱走し、 その能力を復讐のために使う。 爪を武器として使用する。	COYOTE Although he became a beastman through Tazer's reconstructive surgery, he escaped before he could be brainwashed and uses his abilities for revenge. He wields his claws as his weapon.
	BLUNET 紅一点、二刀流の使い手、 ４人のなかで唯一生身の人間だが、 その戦闘能力は他の３人に 勝るとも劣らない。	BLUNET The only woman in the team, she wields two blades. Although she is the only one of the four to remain human, she is just as skilled at combat as the others.

Versus Game#

In the US version, this feature is enforced after every stage. Winning each game gets extra points, but losing any game (including the other player during co-op plays) results in empty HP at start of next stage. After the final boss, this feature also allows players to choose some of the bosses (like Oni and Mars).

For Japan and World versions, the feature can be enabled by setting the 6th DIP switch of second group to "On". In this case, this feature only covers the first 3 stages (which means lacking the boss usages), but winning a game also provides two scrolls on top of points.

Co-op Endings#

To do: Get all combinations.

In the Japan and World versions, if there are two players upon game clear, they will have special endings according to the combinations. This feature is removed in the US version.

References#