1984 · UPL · Arcade · Platformer

Nova 2001

Nintendo console exclusive

Nova 2001 is an arcade shooter released by Universal in 1984.

Released: 1984
Platforms: Arcade Nintendo Switch
Genres: Arcade Platformer Shooter
Developers: UPL
Publishers: UPL
Modes: Single-player
Perspective: Side view
Themes: Action Science fiction
Languages: English

About

Nova 2001 is a 1983 multidirectional shooter video game developed and published by UPL for arcades. It was followed by a sequel, Ark Area, in 1988, which was released only in Japan.

Keywords

shoot 'em up

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

The player controls a spaceship which can shoot enemy aliens in eight different directions, in a manner similar to Williams Electronics' Sinistar, which was released the same year. This was innovative at the time as technical limitations motivated developers to limit shooting to a single direction. Enemies have unique movement patterns which must be exploited to dodge their attacks and shoot them. Power-ups are available to improve the spaceship's firepower, while a limited supply of bombs can be used to clear all onscreen enemies.