Like SHUMPS & Platformers? How about 1 merged together?

[Cauterize]

Ive been playing through my SMS collection recently as ive bought more than i had time to play and with it being the easter holidays, time is now back on my side...

Anyhow, im a huge fan of Platformers and especially Shumps, as i know a lot of you are...

This is where i came across this little game on SMS

Quartet

http://alexkidd.com/images/games/quartet.gif
http://alexkidd.com/images/screenshots/quartet_title.gif
http://alexkidd.com/images/screenshots/quartet2.gif

Based on the arcade game, you cant go wrong with a home version!

Quartet starts off as a Platformer, a very good one i should add...

But pick up the Jet Pac and your character can fly *obviously*

It has all your typical Shump style enemies, end of level bosses and yet it still keeps the idea of a platformer in it....
Die and youll have to jump your way back to the jet pac!

So i just thought id recommend this game and see if anyone else has a passion for it too... i recommend it!

[Steven]

Heh heh cool, ya gotta love those old school Sega covers back in the day, heh. Keio Yugekitai on Saturn is mostly platformer but it has one level where it plays like a shmup. Good game, too.

[NeoZeedeater]

Quartet is awesome(arcade and SMS). I like it more today even than back then. I wish they didn't turn Mary into a white chick for the domestic SMS release though. The Japanese version also has a hidden screen with other Sega characters like Opa Opa, Alex Kidd, Teddy Boy, and the Pit Pot guy.

http://bto8.smspower.org/segapower/1314/00.gif
http://bto8.smspower.org/segapower/1314/13.gif
http://bto8.smspower.org/segapower/1314/02.gif

[Jorpho]

What the heck were those SMS cover designers thinking!?

[NeoZeedeater]

Seriously, I think the only box art as bad as early domestic SMS packages were TurboGrafx ones.

I was just thinking how awesome a modern online version of Quartet would be, 2d or 3d.

[Gapporin]

I was just thinking how awesome a modern online version of Quartet would be, 2d or 3d.

Can you imagine Quartet being played over Xbox Live (or other such service)? Sweet mother...

[rbudrick]

What is the deal with that easter egg that went around for years about that hidden level?

I tried hundreds of times to get that to work. Since it was plastered everywhere online, I though I was oing something wrong. Just a big widespread hoax spread through ignorance?

-Rob

[Push Upstairs]

http://alexkidd.com/images/screenshots/quartet_title.gif

http://bto8.smspower.org/segapower/1314/00.gif


Mary looks much better on the 2nd title screen.

[rbudrick]

So...ummm, anyone ever tried that trick? Basically it involved shooting a brick in level four or five and it made a certain sound when you did...that much was true...

Oh, here's the cheat exactly as I remember it on a million web sites a few years ago:

http://db.gamefaqs.com/console/sms/file/quartet.txt

(In Level 5)


BONUS ROUND:
When you are in the surface world, shoot under the block which is
located at the right and down from the warp door. You will find
a spot where your bullet hits something. Keep shooting this
spot, until your bullet goes through. When it does, enter the
above warp door. If it should happen not to work, don't worry,
go back through the warp door, and try again!

I could NEVER get this to work, except if you shoot the block just the right way, it does make that sound.

Is that "Written by C Dyer" Clint Dyer by chance (not the actor)? I believe there is someone by that name in the scene...seen the name a few times over the years. Anyone know him? I think I've even seen him on DP...someone must know. :)

-Rob

[Ascending Wordsmith]

Quartet was the crack addition of arcade games back in youth. The only place where it could be found was in a very dank skating rink.

Many of us braved the odor of sweaty skates to play Quartet. With 4 players able to play, it was like a drug... a sweet, sweet, merciful drug.

*falls to ground and suffers withdrawal symptoms*

[Lemmy Kilmister]

Mary looks much better on the 2nd title screen.

I wonder why sega decided to change it? The sceen wasn't racist or anything bad at all.


Keio Yugekitai on Saturn is mostly platformer but it has one level where it plays like a shmup. Good game, too.

Rocket Knight Adventure also had a few shmup type levels in it.

[drewbrim]

Quartet was the crack addition of arcade games back in youth. The only place where it could be found was in a very dank skating rink.

Many of us braved the odor of sweaty skates to play Quartet. With 4 players able to play, it was like a drug... a sweet, sweet, merciful drug.

*falls to ground and suffers withdrawal symptoms*

Here here! The only machine near me growing up was in a bowling alley. Even though the lysol in the rental shoes never quite did the trick, it never stopped my brother and I from pumping quarter after quarter into this bad boy.

[Gapporin]

Is that "Written by C Dyer" Clint Dyer by chance (not the actor)? I believe there is someone by that name in the scene...seen the name a few times over the years. Anyone know him? I think I've even seen him on DP...someone must know. :)

Clint Dyer worked at Sega Of America around the time that the SMS was being manufactured. He wrote many "tip sheets" for SMS games. He's also been credited in Game Gear and Saturn games as a "product specialist" (whatever the heck that is). In fact, he was the editor of the SMS section in the DP guide (before Raccoon Lad took it over).

[Raccoon Lad]

I'd like this game alot more if your gun started with a longer range (same gripe for Alien Syndrome).
Still, it's pretty cool, and unlike the arcade game (as far as I can tell), this version actually has an ending.

Oh, and despite Clint Dyer's reputation as awesome SMS guy, I've corrected TONS of his mistakes.
I don't think this guy ever tested to see if any of his cheats actually worked.

[rbudrick]

Hmmm, I wonder where he got the cheats from then. Maybe someone at Sega wanted to mess with him and gave him some wrong info every now and then for shits and giggles. LOL

So I take it no one has ever got that bonus level to work, yes?

-Rob

[Raccoon Lad]

This might help, it's an old post from SMS.com's message board that I've been meaning to test:

Re: Quartet has a bonus round?
« Reply #3 on: 10/17/2004 at 15:28:27 »

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Is the bonus round the one where you shoot enemies to get up to 5000 points at a time?
If so i've found 2 bonus levels,if you've read the gameFAQS.com description on how to get to it it's not very helpful,i found their walkthroughs aren't detailed enough so it didn't help me either when i was stuck on Golden axe warrior last week.
I'll end a 17 year mystery for you,
the first bonus screen is on stage 2 basically walk along the bottom of the screen to the far end then jump up to the door then in the interior level walk along the bottom again and kill that lizard and make sure you have the jet pack when finished,go collect the star and bonus point ball.Exit the level you came from and keep pushing button 1 until you're in the bonus room,you will need the jet pack though and if you get hit you lose it altogether so keep dodging.
That one i found myself, it's not on gameFAQS.
For the second one it's on level 5,however you must go and kill the boss first (not explained on FAQ) then go back onto the exterior level with the jet pack and go underneath the door you came from where that small platform is in the very bottom right corner,you must shoot just underneath it,and it looks like you're hitting something invisible,hit it 10 times or so until it disappears.It must be hit from the right hand side (also not explained on FAQ) If you try from the left i think it goes on forever.Then head back up to the door and keep pushing button 1 a few times until you enter the bonus room.