The Ocean Hunter
The Ocean Hunter is a 1998 shooting gallery game developed and published by Sega.[1] The Ocean Hunter runs on Sega Model 3 hardware. It was first released in October 1998.
Contents
Gameplay
The Ocean Hunter is played by using two mounted turret-like guns on the arcade cabinet. The game is capable of being played with either one or two people simultaneously. The player takes the role of an underwater adventurer searching for the Seven Great Monsters of the Seven Seas, hoping to collect on the bounties placed on their heads for attacks on shipping vessels, humans and native marine life. The player proceeds to go throughout the game in a set path, shooting at various hostile ocean life along the way. The game is played progressing through various levels, each with its own design and layout, often incorporating the idea of sunken temples or cities of civilizations long gone. Upon reaching the end of the level, a boss is encountered. Each boss is named after a famous mythological sea monster: Kraken, Leviathan, Charybdis, Ahuizotl, Karkinos, Midgardsorm, and Rahab. There are also mini-bosses in the game, many of them also named after sea monsters.
Story
A new civilization is flourishing in the seas of an alternate Steampunk world, but giant ocean monsters are attacking shipping vessels, harbors, humans and native marine life with increasing frequency. Ordinary marine predators such as sharks have begun to follow in the sea monsters' wake to scavenge what they could from the destruction caused. Frightened for their lives, the people issue bounties on the monsters' heads. As the underwater adventurers Torel (Player 1) and Chris (Player 2), you head out to defeat the horrible creatures. In addition to the Seven Great Monsters, secondary bounties are issued for a number of lesser sea monsters.
Stages
Baroque Sea
On the in-game map, this is the East Pacific Ocean. Kraken is said to dwell within a sunken ship somewhere on the ocean floor.
Enemies
Mid-level Bosses
- White Death
- A great white shark seen chasing a diver a few moments after the stage begins. The adventurers have only a very short time to save the diver before he is killed.
- Sea Dragon
- A creature that is encountered if the diver being chased by White Death is rescued. This underwater reptile has characteristics similar to those of a Komodo dragon and a marine iguana.
- A large, water-breathing snake similar to an anaconda that inhabits the same shipwreck as Kraken.
Boss
- A huge giant Pacific octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini) known to crush ships in its powerful tentacles. Current records indicate that Kraken has attacked 4 ships and killed 185 people so far. The bounty on the capture or death of this sea monster is 5,000 G.
Luna Sea
On the in-game map, this is the Indian Ocean, specifically the Arabian Sea. Rumors say that Leviathan can be found at the underwater ruins of an ancient city.
Enemies
- Hammerhead shark
- Shortfin mako shark
- Stingray
Mid-level Boss
- Three moray eels that lunge out of their caves to attack their prey.
Boss
- A megalodon (Carcharodon megalodon) that has rammed ships to pieces and swallowed fleeing divers whole. As of now, Leviathan has a record of sinking 11 ships and 364 deaths. The bounty on the capture or death of this massive shark is 8,000 G.
Tartarus Deep
On the in-game map, this is the North Atlantic Ocean, somewhere within the area around Bermuda. Charybdis could be encountered within the caves located in the deepest part of this ocean.
Enemies
Mid-level Bosses
- A giant squid colored a deep, shimmering purple that attacks those who approach Charybdis' territory.
- An monstrously long giant oarfish that dwells within Charybdis' caves.
Boss
- A huge black seadevil (Melanocetus) that has raided submarines along the so-called Depro sea route, of which two were sunk, and disrupted deep sea operations. The bounty on the capture or death of this giant anglerfish is 10,000 G.
Texcoco Great Lake
On the in-game map, this is a fictional lake within the Amazon River basin. Ahuizotl could be found anywhere within this lake.
Enemies
Boss
- An Elasmosaurus (Elasmosaurus platyurus) whose attacks target lakeside settlements. So far, Ahuizotl has raided two towns and killed eighteen people, of which six were eaten. The bounty on the capture or death of this marine reptile is 12,000 G.
North Sea
On the in-game map, this is the Arctic Ocean. The whale population of this ocean has been steadily decreasing since Karkinos' appearance, so it is likely that Karkinos dwells within this area in order to be close to its regular food supply.
Enemies
Mid-level Boss
- A lion's mane jellyfish that is usually accompanied by a large swarm of normal-sized jellyfish that some say are Medusa's offspring.
Boss
- A massive crab that has killed off nearly the entire whale population in the North Sea, along with fifteen divers who were investigating the incident. The bounty on the capture or death of this monstrous crustacean is 15,000 G.
- Though Karkinos is depicted in the game as resembling a giant red king crab, its species is listed therein as Macrocheira kaempferi, or the Japanese spider crab. However, both creatures are actually native to the Pacific Ocean, not the Arctic.
West Ocean
On the in-game map, this is the South Atlantic Ocean. Most of the creatures encountered here are of prehistoric species thought to be long extinct.
Enemies
- Mosasaurus
- Dunkleosteus
- Pterygotus
- Parasites (within Midgardsorm):
Mid-level Boss
- One of the largest prehistoric marine mammals. It is the only sub boss that is real because it died out before other whales evolved and the other sub bosses in the game are named after mythical characters.
Boss
- The only known existing specimen of a fictional species of giant earthworm (Lumbricus terrestris gigantesque) that is wanted for the mysterious disappearances of numerous ships. It has been said to have swallowed over a thousand marine vessels, including ships and submarines, since antiquity. The bounty on the capture or death of this legendary creature is 18,000 G.
Panthalassa
On the in-game map, this is the Mediterranean Sea. Known as the Sea of Evil, Panthalasa acts as the final level of the game.
Mid-level Bosses
- Three large sharks similar to, but not as large as, White Death.
- A very large and surprisingly cunning octopus with the ability to camouflage itself.
- Black Dragon
- A black-skinned version of the Sea Dragon encountered in the Baroque Sea.
- A pair of giant oarfish that are seemingly much quicker than Naga.
Boss
A fictional aquatic subspecies of the prehistoric ape Gigantopithecus (Gigantopithecus thalassa cyclops). There are no records of the number of casualties it has caused, but the local authorities have endlessly speculated on this creature's true identity and species. The bounty on the capture or death of this chaotic and mysterious creature is 20,000 G.
- When encountered, Rahab takes on three separate forms altogether. The first is Dagon a giant ape-like humanoid with blue eyes and enormous limbs that usually walks on all fours. The second form is Poseidon a tall, upright giant humanoid with blue eyes and pointed ears that could attack by emitting spheres of energy. He also carries a large rusty trident. The third and true form is the demonic Rahab, a giant humanoid whose legs are fused into a tail, with sharp teeth, sharp claws on his hands, and "trailers" along his back. He has three red eyes, with one of them at the center of his forehead.
- At the end of the game, Rahab reveals himself to be the deity who had taken care of the sea and its denizens for countless millennia. At some point in time, Rahab fell into a slumber that lasted for many centuries until he was awakened by the predations of humanity upon the sea. Angered by humanity's pride and disregard for ocean life, Rahab created the other Great Monsters of the Seven Seas, except Midgardsorm, and deliberately caused natural marine disasters (i.e. storms, typhoons) in an effort to humble humanity. After his story, Rahab admits defeat but speaks his final words - "All shall return to Chaos".
The game ends with a slideshow of game sketches as the end credits roll by.
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
