area51a: MAME ROM Information.
History:
Area 51 (c) 1995 Atari Games.
- TECHNICAL -
Upright cabinet dimensions : 72'' (182cm) high x 29,25'' (75cm) wide x 34'' (86cm) deep.
Upright cabinet weight : 350 lbs (159 kg).
Atari Cojag hardware
Game ID : 136105
Main CPU : 68EC020 (@ 25 Mhz), Jaguar (@ 26 Mhz)
Sound CPU : Jaguar (@ 26 Mhz)
Sound Chips : (2x) DAC (@ 26 Mhz)
Screen orientation : Horizontal
Video resolution : 320 x 240 pixels
Screen refresh : 60.00 Hz
Palette colors : 65534
Players : 2
Control : lightgun
Buttons : 1
- TRIVIA -
Released in October 1995.
Developed by Mesa Logic for Atari (although also licensed as a Time Warner product in certain territories), Area 51 was the first game for the Cojag hardware. The 'Cojag' represents Coin-Operated Jaguar, as in the Atari console. The Jaguar hardware was adapted for use in an arcade setting, with a slightly modified board to bring it in line with the standard Atari arcade system. Since the hardware could process very large amounts of data, it was considered far cheaper to store this on an IDE hard drive, connected to the main board. The hard drive was the key to the game play's movie capability. There's about 23 minutes of video on the 1 GB hard drive. The Cojag system can support 16Bit video streams. The original Area 51 uses 1 15 Bit stream for the main video, and an additional 1 Bit stream for the Kronn Hunter palette corruption. Apparently Atari wanted the sprites in Kronn Hunter mode to change colour as the chance of them killing you increased, but this idea was abandoned. It did, however, resurface in some of the home versions.
Another interesting fact is that the software designer had the option of using either a 68010 or a MIPS R3000 as the primary CPU - making the Cojag the first 2 in 1 hardware option, although it was more of a hotswappable system than two processors in one. Indeed, later production runs of Area 51 used the R3000, for greater compatibility with "Maximum Force", the followup game.
Note : Often associated with UFO lore, Area 51 is originally the former designation by Department of Energy of a plot of land in Nevada. Sometimes referred to as Groom Lake or Dreamland, the United States government is believed to operate some sort of research and development center there (Some claim that the facility is now closed).
The music was done by Michael Stein and NOT by Jeanne Parson (even if officially credited on the credits roll). She was pissed that Rob Rowe hired an outside guy. She was on staff, but Rob didn't like her music.
Rick Haynes holds the official record for this game with 2,188,400 points on April 10, 1999.
- UPDATES -
REVISION 1 :
* Software version : 2.03CJ
* Build date : OS : Oct 25 1995 10 :19 :38 / MAIN : Oct 25 1995 11 :08 :10
REVISION 2 :
* Software version : 2.03CJ
* Build date : OS : Nov 15 1995 13 :32 :32 / MAIN : Nov 27 1995 15 :51 :56
REVISION 3 :
* Software version : 2.06CJ
* Build date : OS : Nov 11 1996 11 :46 :43 / MAIN : Oct 24 1996 12 :02 :23
- TIPS AND TRICKS -
* Kronn Hunter Mode : At the beginning of the game, shoot the first three STAAR team members you see with the first three bullets (don't reload or miss). If you did this right you'll enter Kronn Hunter mode. In this mode, you are a mercenary from the Kronn hierarchy sent to sterilize Area 51 of the Kronn rebels. You will notice that the grenades, bullets, shotgun shells and machine gun bullets have all taken on a Kronn form.
* Egg Cellent : On the forklift ride shoot all the barrels before and after the ride. There will be a partially hidden barrel you will have to shoot to the left of the forklift. This will lead you to 'egg cellent' where you shoot eggs and baby aliens.
* Chow Palace : After your first progress report in Area 51, where it tells you your percentage and things like that, you will see a wall lined with windows. Shoot all the windows across the entire wall and you will be in the power up room, where you can see aliens attacking women and power-ups all over the screen.
* Secret Area Before Final Boss : Right before you fight the Final Boss when you are outside, you will go to an area with zombies throwing barrels. Shoot all the barrels that are not thrown and you will go to a secret area filled with power ups.
* Head Quarters : To see the alien restroom, you must shoot three blue lights that appear in the corners of the screen. At the beginning of the game, when you enter the building, shoot the first blue light in the upper left-hand corner of the screen. At the conclusion of level 1, while the screen is spinning, shoot the remaining two blue lights in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
* Secret Level : In the office building, you will go into a series of 2 or 3 doors with nameplates on all of them, shoot them all and then you will go into a secret room with power ups and an alien girl at the bottom.
* X Marks The Spot : On the helicopter ride, shoot all of the boxes with flames on them. If done correctly, you will be sent into 'X Marks The Spot', which is a room where you keep breaking the glass on a wall with your guns to reveal a picture of a female police-person lying there in a very inviting position.
* Spider Splat : In the level Computer Room Lockdown (where you can shoot the 13 computer terminal screens at the beginning of the level to get to the secret room). When the camera pans to the third scene, with the fire extinguishers and the staircase is in front of you, I'm not sure exactly what must be done, but if you shoot enough stuff you'll get access to a secret room called 'Spider Splat' where you have to shoot spiders that drop from the ceiling and save a woman.
- SERIES -
1. Area 51 (1995)
2. Area 51 - Site 4 (1998)
- STAFF -
Producer : Rob Rowe
Programmer : Charlie Grisafi
* Mesa logic Team :
Concept & Game design : Robert Weatherby
3-D Animator : James Mestemaker, Guy Fumagalli, Hector Silva, James Webb
* Atari Team :
Game design : Mike Hally
Art & Design : Steve Caterson
Video production specialist : Brent Englund
Lead technician : Darrell Robinson
Stop-Motion animator : Jody Burgess
Product manager : Derryl DePriest
Audio & Music : Michael Stein (Jeanne Parson wrongly credited)
Hardware engineer : Brian McKee
Sr. Engineering Tech. : Patrick Hubbell
- PORTS -
* Consoles :
Sega Saturn (1996)
Sony PlayStation (1996)
* Computers :
PC [CD-ROM] (1996)
* Others :
LCD handheld game (1996) released by Tiger Electronics : Has a little gun that you shoot with.
- SOURCES -
Game's rom.
Machine's picture.
MAME Info:
0.82u1 [Brian Troha]
0.79u2 [Brian Troha]
0.62 [Aaron Giles]
Artwork available
HardDisk required
Bugs:
- Crash at high-score screen. MrBadAxe (ID 03114)
- [possible] The language options don't work. El Condor / Luigi30 (ID 01154)
- area51, policetr: [possible] Aiming cursor not calibrating well. John IV (ID 00789)
WIP:
- 0.140u2: Fixed rom names in clone Area 51 (Atari Games license).
- 0.137u3: Fixed rom names in clone Area 51 (Time Warner License).
- 11th February 2007: Mr. Do - We have a instruction card for Area 51.
- 0.82u1: Made R3000 version of Area 51 parent set [smf]. Renamed (area51) to (area51t) and (a51r3k) to (area51).
- 0.81u9: Changed description to 'Area 51 (Time Warner License)' and clone '(Oct 25, 1995)' to '(Atari Games License)'. Guru added new hard disk to Area 51 (Time Warner License).
- 27th April 2004: Guru - Got a local loan of Area 51 (Time Warner version), which I've dumped already. Thanks to Tony.
- 0.81u7: Brian Troha added clone Area 51 (R3000). Still needs speedup finding.
- 0.79u2: Brian Troha added Area 51 (Nov 15, 1995). Changed 'Area 51' to clone 'Area 51 (Oct 25, 1995)'. Renamed (area51) to (area51a).
- 10th February 2004: Brian Troha added a newer version of Area 51 to the Cojag driver.
- 0.75u1: Aaron Giles fixed 'Speedup' in clone Area 51 / Maximum Force Duo (R3000).
- 0.74u1: MAME now recognises off-screen shots with the Act-Labs gun in a way which works better with certain drivers (Area 51 etc.) [Bryan McPhail].
- 22nd November 2002: Aaron Giles fixed a palette management bug that affected Area 51.
- 0.62: Aaron Giles added Area 51 (Atari 1995).
- 30th October 2002: Aaron Giles sent in the long-delayed Cojag driver, supporting Area 51, Maximum Force and Vicious Circle complete with perfect sound emulation.
LEVELS: 8
Recommended Games (Army Fighter 3D):
Operation Wolf
Operation Thunderbolt
Operation Wolf 3
Cabal
Devastators
GI Joe
Born To Fight
Dynamite Duke
Guts n' Glory (Machine Gun)
Line of Fire
Mechanized Attack
Rambo III
Aqua Jack
NAM-1975
Spinal Breakers
Riot
Area 51
Maximum Force
Area 51 / Maximum Force Duo
Area 51: Site 4
Operation Thunder Hurricane
Behind Enemy Lines
Ranger Mission
Recommended Games (Shooting 3):
Operation Wolf
Operation Wolf 3
Operation Thunderbolt
Cabal
Beast Busters
Beast Busters 2nd Nightmare
Dynamite Duke
Guts n' Glory (Machine Gun)
Line of Fire
Mechanized Attack
Rambo III
NAM-1975
Space Gun
Spinal Breakers
Steel Gunner
Steel Gunner 2
Rail Chase
Rail Chase 2
Terminator 2 - Judgment Day
G.I. Joe
Lethal Enforcers
Lethal Enforcers II: Gun Fighters
Riot
Alien3: The Gun
Born To Fight
Dragon Gun
Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park 3
Under Fire
Locked 'n Loaded
Lord of Gun
Revolution X
Target Hits
Virtua Cop
Virtua Cop 2
Crypt Killer
Mobil Suit Gundam Final Shooting
Time Crisis
Zombie Raid
Area 51
Maximum Force
Area 51 / Maximum Force Duo
Area 51: Site 4
Crazy Fight
Lethal Justice
Police Trainer
House of the Dead
House of the Dead 2
The House of the Dead III
Behind Enemy Lines
CarnEvil
Teraburst
Flame Gunner
Golgo 13
Golgo 13 Kiseki no Dandou
Invasion - The Abductors
OutTrigger
Confidential Mission
Death Crimson OX
Gun Spike
Silent Scope
Silent Scope 2
Silent Scope EX
The Typing of the Dead
Gun Survivor 2: Bio Hazard Code Veronica
Lupin The Third - The Shooting
Ranger Mission
Romset: 2048 kb / 4 files / 594.8 zip
Harddisk: 1.19 GB (CYLS: 2484, HEADS: 16, SECS: 63 - Compressed: 517.6)
MAME XML Output:
| | <game name="area51a" sourcefile="jaguar.c" cloneof="area51" romof="area51"> |
| | | <description>Area 51 (Atari Games license)</description> |
| | | <manufacturer>Atari Games</manufacturer> |
| | | <rom name="136105-0003a.3h" size="524288" crc="116d37e6" sha1="5d36cae792dd349faa77cd2d8018722a28ee55c1" region="user1" offset="0"/> |
| | | <rom name="136105-0002a.3p" size="524288" crc="eb10f539" sha1="dadc4be5a442dd4bd17385033056555e528ed994" region="user1" offset="1"/> |
| | | <rom name="136105-0001a.3m" size="524288" crc="c6d8322b" sha1="90cf848a4195c51b505653cc2c74a3b9e3c851b8" region="user1" offset="2"/> |
| | | <rom name="136105-0000a.3k" size="524288" crc="729eb1b7" sha1="21864b4281b1ad17b2903e3aa294e4be74161e80" region="user1" offset="3"/> |
| | | <disk name="area51" merge="area51" sha1="3b303bc37e206a6d7339352c869f050d04186f11" region="drive_0" index="0" writable="yes"/> |
| | | <chip type="cpu" tag="maincpu" name="68EC020" clock="25000000"/> |
| | | <chip type="cpu" tag="gpu" name="Jaguar GPU" clock="26000000"/> |
| | | <chip type="cpu" tag="audiocpu" name="Jaguar DSP" clock="26000000"/> |
| | | <chip type="audio" tag="lspeaker" name="Speaker"/> |
| | | <chip type="audio" tag="rspeaker" name="Speaker"/> |
| | | <chip type="audio" tag="dac1" name="DAC"/> |
| | | <chip type="audio" tag="dac2" name="DAC"/> |
| | | <display tag="screen" type="raster" rotate="0" width="360" height="240" refresh="59.922743" pixclock="7159090" htotal="456" hbend="42" hbstart="402" vtotal="262" vbend="17" vbstart="257" /> |
| | | <input players="2" buttons="1" coins="4"> |
| | | | <control type="lightgun" minimum="0" maximum="255" sensitivity="70" keydelta="10"/> |
| | | <dipswitch name="Service Mode" tag="FAKE0" mask="64"> |
| | | | <dipvalue name="Off" value="64" default="yes"/> |
| | | | <dipvalue name="On" value="0"/> |
| | | <driver status="good" emulation="good" color="good" sound="good" graphic="good" savestate="unsupported" palettesize="0"/> |
| | | | <slotoption name="hdd" devname="hdd" default="yes"/> |
| | | | <slotoption name="hdd" devname="hdd"/> |
|
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