HyperZone

File:SNES HyperZone.png

HyperZone is a rail shooter game.HyperZone instruction booklet (Super Nintendo Entertainment System, US){{cite web|last=Plasket|first=Michael|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/hyperzone/|title=HyperZone|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|date=July 28, 2017|access-date=2020-06-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191101004708/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/hyperzone/|archive-date=November 1, 2019|url-status=live}} The object of the game is to navigate each level while shooting enemies and earning points until encountering a boss enemy, at the end of each level. After enough points are acquired, the player earns an extent and their ship is upgraded at the beginning of the next stage. The player's ship can receive up to six upgrades.

As a racing game, the resemblance is visual. The mode 7 tracks are similar to the well-known progenitor of mode 7 racing, F-Zero. As a scrolling shooter, it is also similar to Star Fox in that the player's ship is constantly pushed forward through each level. While it is possible to slow down, doing so gradually causes damage to the player's ship.

HyperZone contains eight levels. After the initial game is finished, it restarts from the beginning with the player continuing in their final ship and keeping score; the game loops infinitely.

The game is set in the year 2089, where Earth has become unable to support life due to humankind's ignorance. The Earth Council has turned their attention to the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter - a place virtually untouched by civilization. But a hostile race of cybernetic beings has taken up residence there, and if humankind is to survive, the infestation must be eradicated...

HyperZone has a resemblance to Eliminator, a game released for the Amiga and various 8-bit computers.{{Or|date=June 2009}} The game's perspective and its unusual landscapes were inspired by the "Star Gate" sequence of 2001: A Space Odyssey.{{Citation needed|date=June 2009}} The offtrack landscape in the Material Factory (Area 1 in the US/European version, Area 3 in the Japanese version) is a tessellation of flashing tetrominos that resemble those in Tetris; the boss in Area 3 resembles the right part of the SNES controller, and buttons—of the same four colors as the Japanese and PAL region SNES logo—circle around it. Another HAL game, Kirby's Dream Land 3, references this game: The final area in the game is called Hyperzone, and several other areas share names.

Stereoscopic 3D support was partially added, but is not enabled unless the user enters a cheat code on the gamepad. It is supposed it requires LCD shutter glasses, or perhaps future programming to enable anaglyph.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2021/08/random_snes_title_hyperzones_hidden_3d_mode_can_be_played_with_3d_glasses|title = Random: SNES Title HyperZone's Hidden 3D Mode Can be Played with 3D Glasses|date = 25 August 2021}}

The Japanese version is called Hyper Zone, and its logotypes in and out of the game differ from those in the western version. Levels 1 and 3 underwent a graphics swap between the two versions: the level layout and enemy positioning (aside from each boss encounter) is still the same, but the graphics set and background music are different. It is unknown why this was done because levels 1 and 3 have bosses that do not fit into their respective color schemes in the western versions.

{{Video game reviews

|GR = 68%{{cite web|url=https://www.gamerankings.com/snes/588381-hyperzone/|title=HyperZone for Super Nintendo|work=GameRankings|publisher=CBS Interactive|date=2019|access-date=2020-06-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191209014048/https://www.gamerankings.com/snes/588381-hyperzone/|archive-date=2019-12-09|url-status=live}}

|Allgame = {{Rating|2.5|5}}{{cite web|last=Weiss|first=Brett Alan|url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=2503&tab=review|title=HyperZone - Review|work=AllGame|publisher=All Media Network|date=1998|access-date=2020-06-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141116142130/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=2503&tab=review|archive-date=2014-11-16|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}

|EGM = 18/40{{cite magazine|author1=Quartermann|last2=Alessi|first2=Martin|last3=Semrad|first3=Ed|last4=Harris|first4=Steve|url=https://archive.org/stream/Electronic_Gaming_Monthly_28#page/n135/mode/1up|title=Super NES Review Crew - HyperZone|magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly|issue=28|publisher=Sendai Publishing|date=November 1991|page=168}}

|Fam = 22/40{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/stream/famitsu0142#page/40/mode/1up|title=NEW GAMES CROSS REVIEW: ハイパーゾーン|magazine=Famitsu|issue=142|publisher=ASCII Corporation|date=September 6, 1991|page=40|lang=ja}}

|GamePro = 20/25{{cite magazine|author=Andromeda|url=https://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File%3AGamePro_US_027.pdf&page=36|title=Super NES ProReview: HyperZone|magazine=GamePro|issue=27|publisher=IDG|date=October 1991|page=34}}

|NP = 3.4/5{{cite magazine|title=Now Playing - Hyperzone|magazine=Nintendo Power|issue=30|publisher=Nintendo of America|date=November 1991|page=87}}

|rev1 = Consoles +

|rev1Score = 35%{{cite magazine|author1=El Nio Nio|author2=Rocket|url=https://www.abandonware-magazines.org/affiche_mag.php?mag=51&num=1209&album=oui|title=Super Famicom Review - HyperZone|magazine=Consoles +|issue=2|publisher=M.E.R.7|date=October 1991|pages=46–47|lang=fr|access-date=2020-06-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170908143327/http://abandonware-magazines.org/affiche_mag.php?mag=51&num=1209&album=oui|archive-date=2017-09-08|url-status=live}}

|rev2 = Entertainment Weekly

|rev2Score = A{{cite magazine|last=Strauss|first=Bob|url=https://ew.com/article/1991/11/01/hyper-zone/|title=Hyper Zone|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|issue=90|publisher=Meredith Corporation|date=November 1, 1991|access-date=2009-12-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160401095646/http://www.ew.com/article/1991/11/01/hyper-zone|archive-date=April 1, 2016|url-status=live}}

|rev3 = Famimaga

|rev3Score = 20.36/30{{cite magazine|title=90年11月から'93年6月21日発売までの323本を収録!! Super Famicom All Catalog '93 8月情報号特別付録 - ハイパーゾーン|magazine=Famimaga|issue=16|publisher=Tokuma Shoten|date=August 1, 1993|page=54|lang=ja}}

|rev4 = Joypad

|rev4Score = 55%{{cite magazine|last=Huyghues-Lacour|first=Alain|url=http://download.abandonware.org/magazines/Joypad/joypad_numero002/JOYPAD%20002%20-%20Page%200137%20%281992-11%29.jpg|title=HyperZone: Ça tire de tous les côtés et la piste est étroite! On n'est pas prêt de voir le bout de la route!|magazine=Joypad|issue=2|publisher=Yellow Media|date=November 1991|page=137|lang=fr}}

|rev5 = Joystick

|rev5Score = 50%{{cite magazine|last=Demoly|first=Jean-Marc|url=http://download.abandonware.org/magazines/Joystick/joystick_numero021/Joystick%20021%20-%20Novembre%201991%20-%20Page%20138.jpg|title=Console News: HyperZone|magazine=Joystick|issue=21|publisher=Sipress|date=November 1991|page=138|lang=fr}}

|rev6 = Power Play

|rev6Score = 39%{{cite magazine|last=Forster|first=Winfried|url=https://archive.org/stream/powerplaymagazine-1992-02#page/n162/mode/1up|title=Videospiele / Tests: Träge Turbos - Hyper Zone|magazine=Power Play|issue=47|publisher=Future-Verlag|date=February 1992|page=163|lang=de}}

|rev7 = Super Play

|rev7Score = 3/10{{cite magazine|last=Bielby|first=Matt|author-link=Matt Bielby|url=https://archive.org/stream/Superplay_Issue_01_1992-11_Future_Publishing_GB#page/n85/mode/1up|title=What Cart? Super Play's Game Library - HyperZone (Jap/US)|magazine=Super Play|issue=1|publisher=Future Publishing|date=November 1992|page=86|access-date=2020-06-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160409222508/https://archive.org/stream/Superplay_Issue_01_1992-11_Future_Publishing_GB#page/n85/mode/1up|archive-date=2016-04-09|url-status=live}}

|rev8 = Super Pro

|rev8Score = 38%{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/stream/super-pro-01#page/30/mode/1up|title=A-Z of Import Games - HyperZone|magazine=Super Pro|issue=1|publisher=Paragon Publishing|date=December 1992|page=95}}

}}

According to Nintendo Power, HyperZone proved to be a top selling game in Japan.{{cite magazine|title=Pak Watch - Japan Watch|magazine=Nintendo Power|issue=37|publisher=Nintendo of America|date=June 1991|page=113}} Entertainment Weekly gave the game an "A" rating, summarizing, "With lots of practice, you can learn to forestall annihilation, but when you finally blow up (and believe me, you will finally blow up), it's like reliving every grisly driver's-ed film you saw in high school."

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{{reflist|30em}}

• [https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/snes/588381-hyperzone HyperZone] at GameFAQs
• [https://www.giantbomb.com/hyperzone/3030-889/ HyperZone] at Giant Bomb
• [https://www.mobygames.com/game/snes/hyperzone HyperZone] at MobyGames

{{Portal bar|1990s|Japan|Video games}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:HyperZone}}

Category:1991 video games

Category:HAL Laboratory games

Category:Rail shooters

Category:Science fiction video games

Category:Single-player video games

Category:Super Nintendo Entertainment System games

Category:Super Nintendo Entertainment System-only games

Category:Video games developed in Japan

Category:Video games set in the 2080s

Category:Video games with stereoscopic 3D graphics

Category:Fiction set in 2089