
- 67/100
- Players9 ratings

1992 · Aicom · Shoot 'em up · Shooter
Viewpoint
Timed SNK exclusive
One or two players (in hot-seat or cooperative mode) control a spaceship equipped with a laser cannon which can be charged (by holding the shooting button down) for a stronger blast. Besides the main weapon, three special weapons are available: a wall of fire which wipes the screen up in a wave, a nova-like blast and a circle of spherical-green homing missiles.
- Released
- 20 November 1992
- Platforms
- ArcadeFM TownsNeo GeoNeo Geo CDPlayStationSega GenesisSharp X68000Windows
- Genres
- Shoot 'em upShooter
- Developers
- Aicom
- Publishers
- Sammy Corporation
- Modes
- Single-player
- Perspective
- Bird view / Isometric
- Themes
- Science fiction
- Country
- Japan
- Age ratings
- ESRB EACB GUSK 12
- Languages
- English, Japanese
About
Viewpoint is a scrolling shooter arcade game developed by Aicom and originally released in 1992 by Sammy and SNK for the Neo Geo hardware family. The arcade version was met with critical acclaim upon release for its cutting-edge visuals and hip hop-influenced soundtrack, though later ports for the Sega Genesis and Sony PlayStation saw much more mixed reviews.
Keywords
- shoot 'em up
- robots
- shmup
- alien invasion
Media
The articlegameplay, story, development, reception
Gameplay
Viewpoint is Sammy's only game for the Neo-Geo Multi Video System hardware. By default, Player 1 and Player 2 can only play one after another; in the Service Mode though, simultaneous gameplay can be enabled. Along with the ship's primary weapons, the player also has access to three bombs: one that can make a wave of fire that starts from behind the player's ship and scrolls "up" the screen, one that makes a powerful circular, nova-like blast, and one that shoots several mini-missiles capable of homing in on multiple targets. The game has six stages.
Development
Viewpoint was developed by Aicom, a small Japanese studio known for games such as The Legendary Axe and The Astyanax. It was published in November 1992 by Sammy Corporation, being their first foray into the market since the early 1980s. The game's isometric-scrolling gameplay was largely inspired by Sega's Zaxxon, with its overall aesthetic taking inspiration from games like Xevious and R-Type. Viewpoint ran on the Neo Geo MVS arcade system board, being Sammy's only game for the system. The game's 3D graphics were drawn entirely by hand, as opposed to using pre-rendering software or 3D hardware.
Viewpoint also saw release on a variety of home platforms, including the Genesis and PlayStation game consoles and the X68000 and FM Towns computers. The former port of the game made its international debut outside North America for the Genesis Mini 2 microconsole in late October 2022. A port for the Sega Saturn was due in 1996; however, it was cancelled. At one point, an 8-bit version for the Game Boy Color was planned, but it was cancelled as well.
Reception
In North America, RePlay reported Viewpoint to be the fifteenth most-popular arcade game in April 1993.
The Neo Geo version received critical acclaim. Viewpoint was awarded both Best Graphics and Best Music in a Video Game in Electronic Gaming Monthly's 1992 video game awards. On release, Famicom Tsūshin scored the Neo Geo version of the game a 30 out of 40. The Neo Geo arcade version received highly positive reviews from Computer and Video Games, which scored it 95%, and Sinclair User, which scored it 96%.
Legacy
Viewpoint 2064 was announced for the Nintendo 64 in 1999, but Sammy Corporation had development issues, so it was cancelled. A prototype resurfaced in October 2015 on an online auction. An apparently final version of the game was discovered in 2025.
Releases by platformdates and regions as published
Editions and related releases
- Included in
- Sega Genesis Mini 2Mega Drive Mini 2
- Ported as
- Viewpoint
- Built on it
- Viewpoint
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Collections8 collections
Platform libraries
- Sega Genesis gamesLicensed games
- Neo Geo gamesGames
- FM Towns gamesGames
- PlayStation (console) games (M–Z)Games list (M–Z)
Publishers
- SNK gamesOther consoles (1986–96) › Sega Genesis
- Electronic Arts games: 1983–1999
- Cancelled Sega Saturn gamesGames
Development status
Description adapted from its source, CC BY-SA 4.0.
