Players assume the role of Space Federation member Captain Lancer, taking control of the CNCS1 spacecraft in a surprise attack to overthrow the enemies using the spacecraft's titular weapon. Hellfire is a 1989 horizontally scrolling shooter video game developed by Toaplan and published by Taito for Japanese arcades; in North America, it was distributed by U.S.A.

The Story Behind Hellfire

On 12 April 1991, a version for the PC Engine Super CD, developed by NEC Avenue, was released under the name Hellfire S. Uemura and members of the team struggled with various aspects of designing a horizontal shooter that proved to be frustrating for them, like the terrain and collision detection; their previous experience with vertical shooters did not carry over a horizontal format. MegaDrive, designer Yuko Tataka stated that working with the Genesis proved to be equally difficult due to restrictions imposed by the hardware.

Uemura also requested for the project to have a puzzle element to be integrated. Despite the difficulties and changes during the creation process, the team managed to finish the project. Hellfires creation was helmed by Tatsuya Uemura, a former video game composer whose previous development works at Toaplan included Tiger-Heli, Flying Shark, and Twin Cobra.

How Hellfire Plays

The plot summary of Hellfire varies between each version. Each version of the title features various additions and changes compared with the original release. Players assume the role of Space Federation member Captain Lancer, taking control of the CNCS1 spacecraft in a surprise attack to overthrow the enemies using the spacecraft's titular weapon.

Hellfire is a science fiction-themed horizontally scrolling shooter where players control the CNCS1 spacecraft through six increasingly difficult levels in a surprise attack effort to overthrow Super Mech, his army and the Black Nebula space matter. Getting hit by enemy fire or colliding against solid stage obstacles will result in the player losing a life, as well as a penalty of decreasing the ship's firepower and speed to its original state. is a 1989 horizontally scrolling shooter video game developed by Toaplan and published by Taito for Japanese arcades; in North America, it was distributed by U.S.A.

Why Players Still Load It Up

Its engine would later be repurposed into Zero Wing. The first horizontal shoot 'em up title to be created by Toaplan, the game takes place in the year 2998, where a space matter known as Black Nebula, created by robot dictator Super Mech, spreads and threatens to engulf human-controlled galaxies. The story takes place in 2998, where humankind has reached a great point in intergalactic travel and space colonization with the help of a peaceful society.

It is eventually revealed that the force behind this matter is Super Mech, a mysterious robot dictator from the farthest regions of space, with the only intention to destroy any resistance that it and its massive space armada faces. Each version of the title features various additions and changes compared with the original release. Players assume the role of Space Federation member Captain Lancer, taking control of the CNCS1 spacecraft in a surprise attack to overthrow the enemies using the spacecraft's titular weapon.

Hellfire Arcade — Frequently Asked Questions