Mars Matrix: Hyper Solid Shooting, or simply Mars Matrix (マーズマトリックス), is a vertical scrolling shooter arcade game developed by Takumi in 2000. The game was published by Capcom and run on their CPS-2 arcade system board. Mars Matrix was later ported to the Dreamcast video game console in 2001.
Story[]
Half a century has passed since humans successfully carried out their project to migrate to Mars. During the colonization, several self-governing areas formed on the red planet, but independent control was never granted. Instead, the MDA (Mars Development Agency) was created by the Earth Federation. Outwardly, Mars seemed to be self-governing. In reality, it was a shackled colony completely controlled by Earth.
DECEMBER 8TH, 2309...
A sudden crackle of static bursts into Earth's atmosphere. An unexpected transmission from Mars breaks into all broadcasts - "We declare our independence. We are no longer Earths subjects" - and all contact from Mars is lost. The red planet maintains an eerie silence. All of Earth's attempts to contact Mars fail. Realizing the situation is extreme, the Earth Federation Army readies its toughest military contingent to deploy from the moon and converge on Mars. This armed spaceforce is made up of hundreds of ships - and a few experimental fighters...
Space explodes into a battlefield. The Mars War of Independence begins!
Gameplay[]
Mars Matrix is a vertically scrolling shooter. Unlike other similar games, all of the player's functions are done with only a single button. By quickly tapping the button the Mosquito fighter will fire it's main weapon, a forward-firing rapid gun. When the player defeat certain enemies or hit enemies with absorbed bullets, Experience Cubes appear and float onscreen. Collecting these cubes will level up the ship, strengthening it's main weapon. By pressing and releasing the fire button at small intervals the ship will fire the Piercing Cannon, a close range burst which causes great damage to stronger enemies.
North American Arcade cabinet
By holding down the fire button, the ship will activate the Absorption Barrier, which will make the ship invincible while absorbing all enemy bullets, reflecting them back at the enemies once the button is released. Using the Absorption Barrier will consume the gauge at the bottom of the screen, which slowly refills. If the player consume the entire gauge, the ship will activate the Gravity Hole Bomb, which causes massive damage to all enemies on screen, after which the gauge will enter in cooldown before refilling again.
Credits[]
Arcade Version[]
- Staff - Project "Red Alert"
Programmer: Takafumi Nishi, Kaju Ishii, Toshihiko Onodera, Naoto Sakurada
Object Designer: Ken Taketoshi, Tatsuhiro Suzuki, Hiroki Akiyama, Yuji Ootou
Scroll Designer: Kazumi Yogi, Tadahiro Mukaide, Akemi Ootaka
Music Composer: Yasushi Kaminishi
Sound Programmer: Masahiro Yuge
Concept Mechanic Design: Choco, Sh@rp, Nadialove Kitty, Norihiro Takikawa
Planning: Ikuwo Satoh and All Mars Matrix Staff
Producer: Yukikazu Ozaki
Executive Producer: Tomoaki Fujimoto
- Capcom Co., Ltd
Producer: Tatuya Minami
Support: Capcom R&Dept. #3, Tomoshi Sadamoto
Special Thanks to: All Capcom Staff and All Takumi Staff, ...and You
Presented by: Capcom
Developed by: Takumi
Additionally, the default Ranking Display table credits some of the game's staff as follows:
- 1st CAP 99999990
- 2nd TAK 88888880
- 3rd NAO 77777770
- 4th I.N 66666660
- 5th R.S 50000000
- 6th K.I 25000000
- 7th Y.W 12500000
- 8th R.Y 8000000
- 9th J.W 4000000
- 10th S.T 1400000
- 11th N.N 960000
- 12th P.O 560000
- 13th T.M 360000
- 14th U.B 110000
- 15th K.K 95000
- 16th Y.A 55500
- 17th H.Y 26000
- 18th I.K 14000
- 19th M.L 6660
- 20th N.S 1000
Dreamcast Version[]
- Mars Matrix Arcade Edition - Takumi Staff
- Project: "Red Alert"
Programmer: Takafumi Nishi, Kaju Ishii, Toshihiko Onodera, Naoto Sakurada
Object Designer: Ken Taketoshi, Tatsuhiro Suzuki, Hiroki Akiyama, Yuji Ootou
Scroll Designer: Kazumi Yogi, Tadahiro Mukaide, Akemi Ootaka
Music Composer: Yasushi Kaminishi
Sound Programmer: Masahiro Yuge
Concept Mechanic Design: Choco, Sh@rp, Nadialove Kitty, Norihiro Takikawa
Planning: Ikuwo Satoh and All Mars Matrix Staff
Producer: Yukikazu Ozaki
Executive Producer: Tomoaki Fujimoto
- Capcom Co., Ltd
Producer: Tatsuya Minami
Supported by Capcom: R&D Dept. #3, Tomoshi Sadamoto
- Arrange Mode - Takumi Staff
Programmer: Takafumi Nishi
Enemy Programmer: Naoto Sakurada
Graphic Designer: Ken Taketoshi
Music Composer: Yasushi Kaminishi
- Remixed by: Fumio
Director: Makoto Maeda
Assistant Director: Takehiro Imai
Special Thanks: All Takumi Staff
Producer: Yukikazu Ozaki
Executive Producer: Tomoaki Fujimoto
Supported by: Capcom R&D Dept. #3, Tomoshi Sadamoto, Yasuhiro Seto
Producer: Tatsuya Minami
Presented by: Capcom Co., Ltd.
Developed by: Takumi
Gallery[]
