SteamGear Mash[a] is a 1995 action run and gun video game developed by Tamsoft and published by Takara for the Sega Saturn. The game received a mainly positive reception for its visually bright graphics.[2]
| SteamGear Mash | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Tamsoft |
| Publisher(s) | Takara |
| Director(s) | Akihiko Kimura |
| Producer(s) | Takayuki Nakano |
| Designer(s) | Hideki Kobayashi Shintarō Nakaoka |
| Programmer(s) | Hideki Matsumoto Toshimi Matsumoto |
| Artist(s) | Aki Kobayashi Kō Ogura Mitsutoshi Nomura |
| Composer(s) | Fumio Tanabe Makoto Mukai Yasuhiro Nakano |
| Platform(s) | Sega Saturn |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Action, platform, run and gun |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Gameplay
edit
SteamGear Mash is a game featuring three-dimensional play in 3/4 isometric perspective, and solving puzzles.[3] The player may use weapons including bombs and punches to clear stages.[4] The levels are multilayered, structured in 2D planes in a 3D cube-shaped space.[5] There are seven levels in the game of which two are shmups.[5]
The game, in its presentation and plot, is said to have many elements related to childhood and innocence.[6]
Plot
editA scientist develops a robot, Mash, for his daughter, Mina. The two quickly become good friends. However, Gash, who watches from his space station, grows jealous of their affection and wishes the same affection for himself. Gash steals Mina, leading to Mash going on the journey to rescue her.[6]
Development and release
editSteamGear Mash was Takara's first game on the Sega Saturn. A European release was planned for 1996, to be published by Ocean Software.[7]
Reception
edit| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Consoles | 89%[8] |
| Famitsu | 26/40[4] |
| GameFan | 269/300[9] |
| Mega Fun | 69%[10] |
| Next Generation |   [11] |
| Video Games (DE) | 54%[12] |
| Mega Force | 80%[13] |
| Sega Pro | 84%[14] |
| Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) | 6.33/10[15] |
| Ultimate Future Games | 47%[16] |
Famitsu rated it 26 out of 40.[4] Readers of the Japanese Sega Saturn Magazine voted to give the game a 7.1546 out of 10 score, ranking at the number 609 spot.[17]
As for import reviews in the west, Sega Pro called it a "cutesy platformer with plenty of unique features".[14] GameFan's three reviewers variously gave praise to the game's "rich colors", "supreme attention to detail", the variety of weapons, music, and enemies. One however noted that although the locales were "beautiful", there were "no parallex or BG animation" in the areas.[9]
On a more negative note, Next Generation reviewed SteamGear Mash, rating it two stars out of five, stating that "It's doubtful, in the end, with its cartoon-style graphics and brightly colored backgrounds, that this particular title will make much of an impact in the US."[11]
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ "セガサターン対応ソフトウェア（ライセンシー発売）- 1994・1995年発売". SEGA HARD Encyclopedia (in Japanese). Sega. 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-03-20. Retrieved 2020-04-30.
- ^ "Maximum News". Maximum. No. 2. November 1995.
- ^ Crimmins, Brian (September 25, 2018). "Steamgear Mash". Hardcore Gaming 101. Archived from the original on 2020-08-07. Retrieved 2020-10-14.
- ^ a b c "スチームギア★マッシュ まとめ [セガサターン] / ファミ通.com". 2019-12-17. Archived from the original on 2019-12-17. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
- ^ a b Malek, Peter (2021-08-28). "Steamgear Mash Attack!". SEGA SATURN, SHIRO!. Retrieved 2024-09-06.
- ^ a b "Steamgear Mash – Hardcore Gaming 101". Retrieved 2024-09-06.
- ^ "En développment" (PDF). Playmag (in French). 1996.
- ^ Garnier, François; Peter (November 1995). "Saturn Review - SteamGear Mash". Consoles (in French). No. 48. M.E.R.7. pp. 152–153.
- ^ a b Halverson, Dave; Des Barres, Nicholas; Stalker (December 1995). "Viewpoint - SteamGear Mash". GameFan. Vol. 3, no. 12. DieHard Gamers Club. p. 22.
- ^ Hofmann, Guido (November 1995). "Test Mixed - Steamgear Mash". Mega Fun (in German). No. 38. Computec. p. 83.
- ^ a b "Finals - SteamGear Mash". Next Generation. No. 13. Imagine Media. January 1996. p. 156.
- ^ Hara, Tetsuhiko (December 1995). "Sega Saturn - Reviews: Dampfwalze - Steamgear Mash". Video Games (in German). No. 49. Future-Verlag. p. 68.
- ^ Francis (March 1996). "Zapping - Steamgear Mash". Mega Force (in French). No. 48. MegaPress, S.A.R.L. pp. 70–71.
- ^ a b Yeo, Mat (December 1995). "Saturn – Preview: Steamgear Mash". Sega Pro. No. 52. Paragon Publishing. p. 48.
- ^ "Sega Saturn Soft Review - スチームギア マッシュ". Sega Saturn Magazine (in Japanese). No. 10. SoftBank Creative. October 1995. p. 175.
- ^ "SteamGear Mash". Ultimate Future Games. No. 13. Future Publishing. December 1995. pp. 66–67.
- ^ Dreamcast Magazine [in Japanese] (March 2000). セガサターン (Sega Saturn Magazine): 読者レース Final (PDF) (in Japanese). SoftBank Publishing. pp. 8–15. ISBN 978-4-79731173-0. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2018-10-30. Retrieved 2020-09-05.
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