1991 · Data East · First-person shooter · Science

Silent Debuggers

Timed NEC exclusive

Make your way through a dungeon-like space station and defeat the prowling monsters in this real-time first-person shooter. You're a member of the elite Debuggers, a group of warriors who are jacks-of- all-trades. Assigned to inspect an unmanned space station, you have exactly 100 minutes to get in, destroy the monsters lurking in each block, make your way to the lowest level and deactivate the automatic detonator placed there. With each monster that slips by you, the core block becomes harder to survive in, so speed is key in preserving the facility and each separate block. Experience the thrill of survival as the timer ticks away and you uncover the truth of the events that occurred.

Released: 29 March 1991
Platforms: TurboGrafx-16 Wii
Genres: First-person shooter Science Shooter
Developers: Data East
Publishers: G-Mode
Modes: Single-player
Themes: Science fiction
Country: Japan
Age ratings: ESRB E CERO A
Languages: English

About

Silent Debuggers is a 1991 sci-fi horror first-person shooter video game developed and released by Data East for the PC Engine and published by NEC International for the TurboGrafx-16. The player investigates a space freight station called Gane, aided by a partner character named Leon, as they investigate why the station's crew have disappeared. The game features the "Sound Detection System" that detects, searches, and defeats enemies with sound. Silent Debuggers was notable for the TurboGrafx-16 in how it is an early entry in the first-person shooter genre.

The game was released in North America in 1991 and in Japan on March 29, 1991. It was re-released on the Virtual Console in Japan on June 26, 2007, in North America on July 16, 2007 and in Europe and Australia on July 20, 2007. However, the Virtual Console version was delisted in early March 2012.

Keywords

retroachievements
wii virtual console

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

Players explore the Gane cargo station in search of treasure which, when recovered, will triggers the station's self-destruct sequence. The player must then progress from level to level, killing every monster on that floor in order to advance. On the lowest floor is a computer that must be "debugged" in order to stop the self-destruct sequence. The player is assisted by a buddy character, a fellow debugger named Leon who provides information and weapons.

The game restricts the player's ability to look up and down. Selecting higher difficulties will also cause a monster to spawn on the ceiling, which is harder to detect on the game's viewfinder.

Story

From the Silent Debuggers Game Manual by NEC Technologies, 1991:

The Great War is over. Mankind is united into one peaceful world. Or is it?

Reception

Silent Debuggers received a 20.84/30 score in a 1993 readers' poll conducted by PC Engine Fan, ranking among PC Engine titles at the number 274 spot. The game garnered mixed reviews from critics.

The game has been cited as an inspiration for Enemy Zero by Warp and Kenji Eno. In particular, Silent Debuggers's "Sound Detection System" influenced the similar game mechanic featured in Enemy Zero.