Propeller Arena
{{Infobox video game
|title=Propeller Arena
|image= Dreamcast Propeller Arena cover art.jpg
|developer=Sega AM2
|publisher=Sega
|director=Makoto Osaki
|producer=Yu Suzuki
|designer=Junichi Yamanaka
|programmer=Tetsuya Sugimoto
|artist=Shoji Takeuchi
|composer=Sachio Ogawa
Tomoya Koga
|engine=
|released=Cancelled
|genre=Action
|modes=Single-player, multiplayer
|platforms=Dreamcast
}}
Propeller Arena: Aviation Battle Championship was a video game for the Dreamcast console. It was originally titled Propeller Head Online,{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2001/05/16/e3-2001-first-look-yu-suzukis-propeller-arena |title=E3 2001: First Look - Yu Suzuki's Propeller Arena. |publisher=IGN |date=2001-05-16 |accessdate=2013-06-06}} and was to be released on September 19, 2001.{{cite web|url=http://www.goodcowfilms.com/archive/farm/archive-aug-2001.htm |title=News Archive - August 2001 |publisher=Goodcowfilms.com |date= |accessdate=2013-06-06}} The game was trademarked on August 14, 2001.{{cite web|author=Namedavid Ehrlich |url=http://trademarks.justia.com/762/99/propeller-arena-aviation-battle-championship-76299935.html |title=PROPELLER ARENA AVIATION BATTLE CHAMPIONSHIP Trademark - Registration Number 2878236 - Serial Number 76299935 |publisher=Trademarks.justia.com |date= |accessdate=2013-06-06}} It was developed and completed by the development team Sega AM2,{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2001/08/21/propeller-arena |title=Propeller Arena |publisher=IGN |date=2001-08-21 |accessdate=2013-06-06}} but the game was never officially released.{{cite web |url=http://sega.mindrec.com/digest/file.php?yr=SEGA.2001&issue=01.SATURN.0258 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130620213410/http://sega.mindrec.com/digest/file.php?yr=SEGA.2001&issue=01.SATURN.0258 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-06-20 |title=saturn-digest digest, Volume 07, Issue 258 |publisher= |date= |accessdate=2013-06-06 }} The release was cancelled{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2001/10/18/tgs-2001-propeller-arena-flies-away-for-good |title=TGS 2001: Propeller Arena Flies Away For Good |publisher=IGN |date=2001-10-18 |accessdate=2013-06-06}} just days after the September 11 attacks,{{cite web|author=|url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/sega-indefinitely-postpones-propeller-arena-2812304 |title=Sega indefinitely postpones Propeller Arena |publisher=GameSpot.com |date=2001-09-13 |accessdate=2013-06-06}} citing both similarities in game packaging and design to the events of that day{{cite web|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/winnipeg-free-press/2001-10-04/page-67 |title=Winnipeg Free Press, Thursday, October 04, 2001, Page 67 |publisher=Newspaperarchive.com |date= 4 October 2001|accessdate=2013-06-06}}{{cite web |url=http://new.thedailystar.com/2001/sep/27toys.htm |title=Traverse City Record-Eagle - News Story - www.record-eagle.com |publisher=New.thedailystar.com |date=2001-09-27 |accessdate=2013-06-06 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130620213424/http://new.thedailystar.com/2001/sep/27toys.htm |archive-date=2013-06-20 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web|url=https://apnews.com/2b228fe1ae1ebd3f64af44d8344a0117 |title=Toy Makers Editing Product Lines |publisher=Apnewsarchive.com |date=2001-09-27 |accessdate=2013-06-06}}{{cite web|url=http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2001-09-28/article/7105?headline=Toy-makers-respond-to-parental-concern-by-de-emphasizing-violence--By-Anne-d-Innocenzio-AP-Business-Writer |title=Toy makers respond to parental concern by de-emphasizing violence. Category: Election Section from |publisher=The Berkeley Daily Planet |date= |accessdate=2013-06-06}} as well as the Dreamcast's declining market share{{cite web|url=http://nbrid.net/museum/evo/articles/reviews/dc/webmaster1012985382.php |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130620213409/http://nbrid.net/museum/evo/articles/reviews/dc/webmaster1012985382.php |url-status=usurped |archive-date=June 20, 2013 |title=Propeller Arena (Preview) |publisher=NBrid.net |date= |accessdate=2013-06-06}} resulting in projected low sales numbers.
The game was on display at E3 on May 19, 2001.{{cite web|url=http://www.futuregamez.net/special/e3/2001.html |title=2001 E3 Show |publisher=Future Gamez |date= |accessdate=2013-06-06}} After it was postponed, they were working to change the game cover art to remove sensitive images.{{cite web|url=http://www.gamebits.net/2001/09/18/sep-18-2001/ |title=September 18, 2001 |publisher=Gamebits |date=2001-09-18 |accessdate=2013-06-06}}
Hopes of a port to another console never materialized. However, a disk image of the game was eventually leaked,{{cite web|url=http://www.sportsgamerblog.com/2004/05/10/propeller-arena-leaked/ |title=Propeller Arena Leaked « The Blog for the Sports Gamer |publisher=Sportsgamerblog.com |date= |accessdate=2013-06-06}} and became a popular download on many peer-to-peer networks.{{cite web|url=http://www.segaonline.nl/blog/2004/05/15/interview-glenn-wissner/ |title=Interview Glenn Wissner | SegaOnline |publisher=Segaonline.nl |date=2004-05-15 |accessdate=2013-06-06}}
Plot
In 2045, there is an air combat tournament with planes from the World War II era. Several pilots join the tournament, each with their own reasons.{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2001/07/19/top-guns-of-the-arena-propeller-arena-feature-week-3 |title=Top Guns Of The Arena - Propeller Arena Feature Week 3! |publisher=IGN |date=2001-07-19 |accessdate=2013-06-06}}
Gameplay
Propeller Arena consists of quick dog fight deathmatches in limited areas.{{cite web|url=http://www.the-nextlevel.com/features/propeller_arena/index.shtml |title=Feature: Propeller Arena Retrospective |publisher=The Next Level |date= |accessdate=2013-06-06}}
The game has four modes: the main game, Championship, which is a sequence of dogfights; Quick Battle, a single dogfight; Training Arena, a number of training missions and minigames; and Network, the online mode. Beating the game and the training missions unlocks extra characters and levels.
The game features force feedback via support for the Dreamcast Jump Pack.
Soundtrack
The game's soundtrack, consisting of punk rock, was created by both "branches" of Sega: a Japanese team (Sachio Ogawa and Tomoya Koga) had 13 songs composed and produced in-house, while an American team arranged a deal with the Fat Wreck Chords label to license nine songs from the bands Consumed, Zero Down, No Use for a Name, Mad Caddies, and Rise Against.{{cite web|url=http://www.smokecds.com/cd/53582 |title=The Unravelling (CD) - Rise Against - Buy @ SmokeCDs.com music cd store |publisher=Smokecds.com |date= |accessdate=2013-06-06}}{{Cite web|url=http://riseagainstband.wordpress.com/2010/03/25/album-recap/|title=Album Recap|date=25 March 2010}} Some of Sega's original songs were remixed as instrumental versions and reused in their 2006 sports game Virtua Tennis 3.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0YIXvlgnm0 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211213/S0YIXvlgnm0 |archive-date=2021-12-13 |url-status=live|title=Propeller Arena & Virtua Tennis 3 OST Comparison|date=2013-12-17|accessdate=2014-03-26}}{{cbignore}}
See also
- List of entertainment affected by the September 11 attacks
- The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces, an air combat game with a somewhat similar setting