The Mega Drive Zero Wing is a horizontal shoot-'em-up that's less remembered for its gameplay and more for the memes that spawned from the European version's butchered translation of the introduction sequence.
Test Mode#
Pause the game, then press C, Up, B, Down, A, Left, Right, B, C, C, Right, Left, Right, A, Down, Start. This code was cryptically hinted at in the 35th and final ending in the Japanese version.
- Active - If set to 1, makes you invincible to enemies, auto-destroy some enemies on contact (apparently? TODO), and lets you cross through floors/ceilings/walls unharmed.
- Screen - Appears to select which of the possible checkpoint locations to continue from after leaving the menu.
- Stage - Level select.
- Power - Determines the power of your weapons.
- Ending - If nonzero, selects one of the game's endings to view.
- 01 - Easy ending (dancing Pipiru).
- 02 - Normal ending (staff roll).
- 03 - Hard ending.
- 04-23 - CATS endings 1-32 (Japanese version only; loops back to first CATS ending after this).
Regional Differences#
Opening#
NOTE: The following content may induce seizures.
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Japan |
Europe |
|---|---|
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Japan (Japanese) |
Japan (English) |
Europe |
|---|---|---|
西暦2101年 |
In 2101 A.D. |
IN A.D. 2101 |
戦いは始まった。 |
War has begun. |
WAR WAS BEGINNING. |
艦長：一体どうしたと言んだ ？ |
Captain: How could this have happened? |
CAPTAIN: WHAT HAPPEN? |
機関士：何者かによって、爆発物が仕 |
Engineer: It seems someone had planted explosives. |
MECHANIC: SOMEBODY SET UP US |
通信士：艦長！通信が入りました！ |
Communications operator: Captain! We are receiving a signal! |
OPERATOR: WE GET SIGNAL. |
艦長：なにっ？ |
Captain: What?! |
CAPTAIN: WHAT ! |
通信士：メインスクリーンにビジョン |
Communications operator: Incoming visual |
OPERATOR: MAIN SCREEN TURN ON. |
艦長：お-お前は！！ |
Captain: Y-you!! |
CAPTAIN: IT'S YOU !! |
CATS：おいそがしそうだね、諸君。 |
CATS: You seem busy, gentlemen. |
CATS: HOW ARE YOU GENTLEMEN !! |
CATS：連邦政府軍のご協力により、 |
CATS: With the cooperation of the Federation Government forces, |
CATS: ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG |
CATS：君達の艦も、そろそろ |
CATS: I guess it will soon be the end for your ship, too. |
CATS: YOU ARE ON THE WAY TO |
艦長：ば-ばかなっ・・・！ |
Captain: Impossible...! |
CAPTAIN: WHAT YOU SAY !! |
CATS：君達のご協力には感謝する。 |
CATS: I would like to thank you for your cooperation. |
CATS: YOU HAVE NO CHANCE TO |
CATS：ハッハッハッハッハッ ・・・ |
CATS: Ha ha ha ha ha... |
CATS: HA HA HA HA .... |
通信士：艦長・・・・ |
Communications operator: Captain... |
OPERATOR: CAPTAIN !! |
艦長：ZIG全機に発進命令！！ |
Captain: Issue an immediate takeoff order for all ZIG units!! |
CAPTAIN: TAKE OFF EVERY 'ZIG'!! |
艦長：もう彼らに託すしかない・・・ |
Captain: Leaving it to them is all we can do... |
CAPTAIN: YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DOING. |
艦長：たのむぞ。ZIG！！ |
Captain: We're counting on you, ZIG fighters!! |
CAPTAIN: MOVE 'ZIG'. |
艦長：我々の未来に希望を・・・ |
Captain: Restore hope to our future... |
CAPTAIN: FOR GREAT JUSTICE. |
(Source: Wikiquote)
Dialogue Font#
In the Japanese version, the dialogue text is large and white. The European version uses the game's smaller tan font.
Endings#
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To do: |
The Japanese version contains 35 different endings, one for each loop you complete. After getting the best ending for completing the game three times (or just playing in Hard mode), each subsequent ending will show the bad guy CATS saying something comedic or weird. Full translations of them, alongside info on their cultural references, can be found in this Legends of Localization article.
The European version removed all of the CATS endings. The Test Mode's "Ending" setting works correctly for the first three options, but anything afterward will just show the third/Hard ending.
(Source: Clyde Mandelin)