Life Force (arcade game)

For other uses, see Life force.

Life Force
Life Force arcade flyer
Developer(s)	Konami
Publisher(s)	Konami
Designer(s)	Hiroyasu Machiguchi
Platform(s)	Arcade, NES, PlayStation, Sega Saturn
Release	NA 1986 JPN June 26, 1987
Genre(s)	Multi-scrolling shooter
Mode(s)	Single player, 2 players simultaneously
Arcade system	Konami GX400

Life Force is a scrolling shooter arcade game developed and published by Konami in 1986 as the international release of Salamander. Life Force in contrast is set in an organic setting where the player's mission is to eliminate a tumor within a gigantic lifeform. However, there is also a Japanese version named Life Force, which is the same game as the original Salamander, but it features a power-up bar similar to that of the Gradius series.

Ports

NES

Life Force was ported to the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1988. Instead of being a direct port of Lifeforce, elements were taken from both that and Salamander, and some elements, such as levels and bosses, were removed to make way for new content. Interestingly, most of the level graphics and enemy sprites from Salamander are used in favor of the ones used in Lifeforce, and it uses the Gradius power-up bar. The same year, Japan received a port as well for its NES equivalent, the Nintendo Famicom. The game was practically identical to the NES port of Lifeforce, other than being titled Salamander and featuring the power-up of its arcade counterpart. These ports make use of the Konami Code, which in this instance increases the number of lives from three to 30.

Stages and bosses

• Stage 1: Cell (side)

Boss: Brain Golem

• Stage 2: Volcano (vertical)

Boss 1: Barrier

Boss 2: Intruder

• Stage 3: Flame (side)

Boss: Cruiser Tetran - Instead of flying after you like in the arcade game, only its head is exposed on the right side of the screen. It moves up and down and shoots fire. However, you do face new minor enemies on this stage that are similar to the arcade boss.

• Stage 4: Cell 2 (vertical)

Boss: Giga - A skull with wandering eyeballs, it spews attacks from its mouth. Level four vaguely resembles the innards of a human body, and Giga appears after the player has navigated the rib cage. A talented player can drag his options inside the boss and use them to destroy its eyes, causing it to change attack patterns and shoot randomly from its mouth (instead of towards the player)

• Stage 5: Sanctuary (side)

Mini Boss: Starfighters - A set of three starfighters that shoot spheres in addition to pods that contain items.

Boss: Tutanhamanattack [sic] - The second half of level five is modeled after an ancient Egyptian temple, and the final enemy resembles a Pharaoh's death mask (possibly Tutankhamun's). One of the harder bosses, Tut has a revolving force field to deflect attacks. When the player first encounters Tut, this boss will cause the screen to shake and the room to collapse, bricks falling everywhere.

• Stage 6: Mechanical Base (vertical)

Boss: Zelos Force - Unlike its arcade counterpart, it's protected by a dragon creature which flies around it. Zelos Force cannot be damaged until the dragon is destroyed, and then must be quickly defeated before he scrolls off the screen.

Trivia

• The first two levels of the NES port of Life Force were profiled in the first issue of Nintendo Power, issued in 1988. The game was re-profiled in its entirety several issues later.
• The NES port features a cheat code that grants the player 30 lives. The developers felt it was so desperately needed due to its difficulty that it was placed on the inside cover of the game manual.

References

• Gradius Portable Official Guide. Konami. 2006. ISBN 4-86155-111-0.