ZuPaPa! explained

ZuPaPa!
Developer:Face
Publisher:SNK
Platforms:Arcade
Genre:Platform
Modes:Single-player, multiplayer
Arcade System:Neo Geo MVS

is a platform arcade video game developed by Face and originally published by SNK on September 1, 2001. Starring the eponymous creature, players are tasked with travelling through nine stages, throwing small creatures called Zooks, jumping on and off platforms to navigate level obstacles while dodging and defeating monsters. Although first launched in arcades, the game has been re-released through download services for various consoles. The title has gained a cult following since its initial release.

Gameplay

ZuPaPa! is a platform game reminiscent of Bubble Bobble and Snow Bros., where players assume the role of star-like creatures ZuPaPa (P1) and ZuPiPi (P2) through various stages, each with a boss at the end that must be fought before progressing any further.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

Each player can throw small creatures called Zooks at enemies until each one is completely covered and turns into a star bomb, which defeats any enemy that comes into contact with it.[2] [3] [5] The more Zooks are thrown against an enemy, the larger the attack range becomes.[2] [3] [5] Defeated enemies may drop items or power-ups such as speed increasers and bonus points.[2] [3] [5] Players have to complete every level within a specific period of time before exceeding an invisible timer. If the players do not manage to eliminate all the enemies in time, an angry alarm clock will ring loudly and a devil creature will appear.

Getting hit by enemy fire or if the devil manages to touch ZuPaPa or ZuPiPi before all enemies are eliminated will result in losing a life, as well as a penalty of decreasing the characters' firepower and speed to their original state. Once all lives are lost, the game is over unless the players insert more credits into the arcade machine to continue playing.

Development and release

ZuPaPa! was developed by Face and was first showcased to the public at the 1994 AOU Show in addition to being previewed through various publications,[1] [6] [3] [4] [7] but the game was never released until SNK published it in September 2001, just nearly a month before the bankruptcy of the company.[8] [9] [10] [11] The title has since received a re-release by Hamster Corporation in recent years on digital distribution platforms such as the Nintendo eShop, PlayStation Network and Xbox Live.[12] [13] [14]

Reception

IGN Italias Andrea Corritore regarded ZuPaPa! to be a "cult title".[15] Chris Moyse of Destructoid praised the sprite work but noted the gameplay to be "anachronistic".[13] Both Hobby Consolas and Meristation noted its similarity with Snow Bros.[16] [14]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Dossier: Neo Geo Y SNK — Otros. GamesTech. 11. Ares Informática. July 2003. 63. es.
  2. MAN. 紹介 - ZUPAPA!. Gamest. 121. Shinseisha. 30 July 1994. 181. ja.
  3. Oh! Neo Geo Vol. 25 - ズパパ!. Beep! Mega Drive. 60. SoftBank Creative. September 1994. 134. ja.
  4. Flash News - Arcade Y Otros. Gametype. 2. MegaMultimedia. August 2001. 7. es.
  5. Zupapa arcade flyer (SNK, EU)
  6. Web site: Title Catalogue - NEOGEO MUSEUM. SNK Playmore. 2010. 2020-05-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20180828035857/http://neogeomuseum.snk-corp.co.jp/english/catalogue/. 2018-08-28. live.
  7. Kuboki. Kei. Japan Now!. GameFan. 2. 4. DieHard Gamers Club. March 1994. 96.
  8. GED. 紹介 - ZUPAPA!. Gamest. 110. Shinseisha. 19 May 1994. 88. ja.
  9. Zupapa!. Japan Amusement Monthly. 3. Coin Journal Co., Ltd.. May 1994.
  10. Book: NEO•GEO (ネオジオ) 新作プレビュー!! - ZuPaPa!. 完全NEO-GEO Guide Book (ガイドブック). Keibunsha. 20 July 1994. 23–24. ja.
  11. Horii. Kenji. Swan. Gus. Feature: Inside Sega Amusements - AOU Games List. Mean Machines Sega. 22. EMAP. August 1994. 94.
  12. Web site: アケアカNEOGEO「ズパパ!」,10月4日に配信決定. 4Gamer.net. Aetas Inc.. 3 October 2018. 2020-06-17. ja. https://web.archive.org/web/20181004132716/https://www.4gamer.net/games/409/G040963/20181003026/. 2018-10-04. live.
  13. Web site: Moyse. Chris. ZUPAPA! returns on modern platforms, nope, me neither - Latter day SNK title available now. Destructoid. Enthusiast Gaming. October 10, 2018. 2020-05-27.
  14. Web site: Forcada. Carlos. Cinco recreativas que salieron a destiempo — Nightmare in the Dark. MeriStation. PRISA. February 29, 2020. 2020-05-27. es.
  15. Web site: Corritore. Andrea. Psichedelia binaria: in memoria del platform a schermo fisso – Dieci giochi che hanno segnato un (grande) genere (Parte 2) — Zupapa! (1994-2001, SNK). IGN Italia. Vusumo. July 19, 2017. 2020-05-27. it.
  16. Web site: Lloret. Alberto. Neo Geo, el Rolls Royce de las consolas, cumple 30 años. Hobby Consolas. Axel Springer SE. January 30, 2020. 2020-05-25. es.