Performan
Developed by Toaplan, it casts players as its robot namesake fighting through stages. The game stands out because its core team previously worked at Orca and Crux before both studios folded, with those employees then founding Toaplan. It remains one of the few Toaplan games never officially ported to home consoles.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Toaplan
- Publisher
- Data East
- Designer
- Kenichi Takano
- Programmer
- Masahiro Yuge
- Composer
- Masahiro Yuge; Tatsuya Uemura
- Platforms
- Arcade
- Released
- April 1985 (JP)
- Genre
- Action
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
In this top-down arcade game, one or two players guide a robot through each screen by defeating all enemies to advance, with short animated sequences playing between certain stages. The robot moves with a four-way joystick and uses two buttons: one to attack and one to dig. Digging lets the robot hide underground to dodge enemies, though enemies can also dig to pursue it. The main weapon is a boomerang, which can detonate special blocks called meca-stones placed on the field. These explosions destroy any enemies within range, and the stones can also be set off while underground or pushed directly into foes. However, the robot itself becomes paralyzed if caught in its own blast. After a meca-stone explodes, a gift item appears; collecting the final gift before finishing a stage makes a "P" icon appear at the screen's center, which transforms into a colored ball. Gathering four colored balls in a row earns an extra life. If enemies are near when a meca-stone explodes, a ghost appears; catching it grants temporary invincibility. Losing a life happens upon enemy contact, and when all lives are gone, the game continues only if more credits are inserted. Points are awarded based on how many enemies are eliminated at once by a meca-stone explosion, which is key for high scores.
Development and release
Performan was developed by the same core team that had worked on projects at Orca and Crux before both companies went bankrupt. Those employees then founded Toaplan. They said Kenichi Takano designed the game, and development happened in an apartment bedroom. Uemura handled sound design while still at Crux working on Repulse, but after a motorcycle accident, Yuge took over sound duties and also did programming. According to Uemura, Toaplan was not credited due to their contract with Data East.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Performan released?
Performan was released in April 1985 in Japan.
Who composed the music for Performan?
The music for Performan was composed by Masahiro Yuge and Tatsuya Uemura.
Is Performan single-player or multiplayer?
Performan offers single-player and multiplayer play.
More in Arcade Game Library of the 1980s
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