Terra Force

Terra Force^[a] is a 1987 scrolling shooter video game developed and published by Nichibutsu for arcades. It was initially only released in Japan.^[1] Hamster Corporation acquired the game's rights alongside Nichibutsu's intellectual property, releasing the game as part of their Arcade Archives series for the PlayStation 4 in 2016 and Nintendo Switch in 2019.^[2][3]

Terra Force
Arcade flyer
Developer	Nichibutsu
Publisher	Nichibutsu
Designer	Shigeki Fujiwara
Platform	Arcade
Release	JP: October 1987
Genre	Scrolling shooter
Modes	Single-player, multiplayer

Gameplay

The player controls a spaceship as they destroy alien enemies on a planet. Ever level starts on the surface, which is a vertically scrolling level where aliens and buildings can be destroyed for points.^[4] After a boss enemy is defeated, players access caverns where enemies are more widespread, while also having to avoid colliding with obstacles. Laser, bomb and "speed" power-ups are available in limited supply.^[2][5]

Development

The game's development was led by Shigeki Fujiwara, co-creator of the Bomberman series, as his last project before leaving Nichibutsu for Hudson Soft. He envisioned a mix of MagMax's side-scrolling perspective and the vertically scrolling gameplay of Terra Cresta, leading to an ambitious mix of levels of both perspectives.^[4]

Notes

1. Japanese: テラフォース, Hepburn: Tera Fōsu