Keith Courage in Alpha Zones
A pack-in platformer for the TurboGrafx-16.
Keith Courage in Alpha Zones is a 1989 platform game released by NEC for the TurboGrafx-16, where it served as the console's pack-in title in North America. It was originally released in Japan by Hudson Soft on August 30, 1988, for the PC Engine under a title adapted from an anime television series. Hudson later released a separate Famicom game based on the same franchise in 1990.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Advance Communication Company
- Publisher
- Hudson Soft (JP); NEC (NA)
- Programmer
- Chudon Okawari
- Composer
- Michiharu Hasuya
- Osamu Kasai
- Masaaki Harada
- Platforms
- PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16
- Released
- August 30, 1988 (JP); August 29, 1989 (NA)
- Genre
- Platform
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Plot
In this game, the player takes on the role of Keith Courage. A massive meteor from another planet has struck Earth, bringing an invading force that has tunneled deep underground. This hostile group is called B.A.D., which stands for Beastly Alien Dudes, and they aim to conquer the planet. Keith works for N.I.C.E., the Nations of International Citizens for Earth, and his job is to stop B.A.D. and restore peace. He starts with a sword, fighting through outpost guards before descending into the Underworld. There, he finds the Nova Suit, a powerful mechanical armor left to him by his late father. This suit turns him into a nearly unstoppable half-human, half-machine fighter, with a sword that crackles with lightning. His final target is the Robo Zone, the seventh Alpha Zone and B.A.D.'s main base. Along the way, four allies give him tips, extra swords, bombs, and lives. Keith also gathers stolen treasure from the invaders, using it to buy his way out of trouble.
Gameplay
The game is an action-adventure platform game with two styles of play depending on whether the player is above ground (overworld) or below ground (underworld). There are seven levels, each broken into an overworld area and an underworld area. Overworld areas consist of simple rightward travel and platform hopping, where Keith in human form uses a dagger against enemies such as birds, moles, and cats that drop from the sky. At the end of the overworld level, Keith is transported via rainbow to the underworld, where he adopts the Nova Suit. The underworld levels are more complex and menacing, with aggressive nightmare creatures and a larger landscape requiring both horizontal and vertical navigation. At the end of each underworld level is a boss. In the overworld, Keith is a simple adventurous human with a short sword and three heart containers; he collects coins and spends them on bolt bombs, health regeneration, and better equipment by visiting houses with NPCs. Transporting to the underworld places Keith in the Nova Suit, granting extra hearts and a better sword depending on overworld purchases. Keith can also use bolt bombs, which fire in the eight cardinal directions depending on how many are left.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who developed Keith Courage in Alpha Zones?
Keith Courage in Alpha Zones was developed by Advance Communication Company.
When was Keith Courage in Alpha Zones released?
Keith Courage in Alpha Zones was released on August 30, 1988 in Japan and on August 29, 1989 in North America.
Who composed the music for Keith Courage in Alpha Zones?
The music for Keith Courage in Alpha Zones was composed by Michiharu Hasuya, Osamu Kasai and Masaaki Harada.
More in Hudson Soft Games of the 1980s
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