A History of Korean Gaming

달 구조대 (Dal Gujodae) / 루나 시티 SOS (Lunar City SOS) - SPC-1000 (1984)

This game actually predates the founding of Static Soft. A port of the PC-8001 game by Takanari Suzuki (pen name: Geimu Kyouji), it was Hwang Geonsun's first success at the Samsung 3rd Software Competition, where he won a runner-up prize.

The player has to protect the city from an alien invasion. Starting with a single alien mothership, the player's efforts actually make the situation worse at first, as each destroyed enemy splits into two smaller ones, until the last form is defeated. A barrier keeps enemy bullets at bay for a time, but it is neutralized quickly.

Unlike most SPC-1000 games, Lunar City SOS gives players the choice between both the low-res color and hi-res monochrome screen modes, making the best use of each.

아스트로이드 (Asteroid Belt) - SPC-1000 (1985)

Another port of a Takanari Suzuki game. Given its 1985 "copyright", Asteroid Belt appears to be one of Static Soft's first games. The space shooter takes the barriers mechanic from Space Invaders, but applies more free-form, aggressive enemy waves to the concept. Like Lunar City SOS, the game supports both screen modes of the SPC-1000. The color mode is actually more difficult, though, as bullets do more damage to the barriers because of the lower resolution.

The similarity to SOS Lunar City was the reason that motivated further research into the former game, but actually Asteroid Belt is attributed in the title screen to one Kim Sangbeom. Given that he and Hwang Geonsun worked for the same company, though, it only makes sense that they would have shared their programming techniques.

Super Lode Runner I & II - SPC-1000 (1985 & 1986)

A port of Lode Runner. There have been two releases with different sets of stages.

건담 III (Gundam III) - SPC-1000 (1986)

Gundam III (SPC-1000)

Gundam III of course is based on the immensely popular anime series. Gundam III is also the name of the suit used in the game, and probably also refers to the three transformations that are realized within the game. The game is only known through vague magazine coverage, so there's no information how those transformation states played out.

슈퍼 제비우스 (Super Xevious) - SPC-1000 (1986)

Super Xevious is actually a port of the first Thunder Force, based on the PC-6001 version by Tecno Soft. The keyboard controls are a bit iffy. This is one of very few SPC-1000 games that feature background music during actual gameplay.

명탐정 바베크 (Myeongtamjeong Vaveque) - SPC-1000 (1986)

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Port of the PC6001 game Muday by Compaq. The title Myeongtamjeong Vaveque (Super Sleuth Vaveque) is based off a series in a Korean 1982 puppet show, which once again is said to be inspired by Johnston McCulley's Black Star. It's incredibly hard to find any footage of the series, but the game has nothing in common at least with the novels. The box also steals the title artwork from Legend of Zelda, talk about arbitrary.

Behind the confusing title stands a puzzle action game with a guy who looks like wearing a space suit and has to find colored keys in each of the 64 screens to access a series of doors to the exit. Five enemy types with individual movement and attack patterns try to prevent this, and the labyrinth stages and trampolines don't make the task easier, either. The hero can lie down on the floor to avoid enemy lasers, and also wields a gun himself. Enemies constantly respawn, however, and some are even immune to it.

우주전자 피리아 (Ujujeonja Firia) - SPC-1000 (1986)

Another space shooter, this time in "monochrome" only. Little to say about this one.

펜저스피체 (Panzerspitze) - SPC-1000 (1986)

One more shooter, originally released for the PC-6001 by Compac. Here the player takes place in a tank. Panzerspitze (a overgermanization of Panzer Front) is a rather slow paced game, but it plays out quite interesting. The tank cannot move diagonally, but instead its turret can be rotated in 360 degrees. There is only one button assigned to it, though, so one press will turn it clockwise, and the next one counter-clockwise, etc., which takes some getting used to. The tank also uses up fuel, which can be recharged at fuel stations.

톰과 제리 (Tom & Jerry) - SPC-1000 (1986)

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One of Static Soft's last PC-6001 ports, Tom & Jerry is based on Cheese World from PiO '84/08, but renamed to tie in with the famous cartoon of the same title. It's only known from short magazine coverage, but the screen composition is reminiscent of Boulder Dash.