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[Maxim]

I was over on OCRemix and reading comments on a Zillion remix (damn these web filters, I can't listen until I get home) there was:

1. A link to a website with a little info on the US releases of the cartoon. Best part was this 12MB MPEG video of the title sequence of the cartoon, featuring the Zillion game song, with words. Good stuff.
2. Something mentioning that the game actually came out before the cartoon, and the cartoon was thus more of a tie-in promotion to sell more games, somewhat like Pokemon more recently, albeit on a different scale. Does anyone know more about this? I'm sure there's more Japanese Zillion information out there, I just haven't found it yet.

[Youltar]

I actually have 4 VHS tapes of the zillion cartoon. I have recoreded them into HQ MPEG and was able to fit all 4 episodes on 2 CD's. Time permitting I had planned on making some xvid's or something of the sort for web viewing. As far as I know, there were only 5 episodes ever done in english. The four I have are the english versions.

[das]

There where 31 episode and one special. Streamline pictures lisenced five episodes for domestic release. It ran from 4/87-12/87

I think it was released on DVD, anyone want to do fansubs?

[Maxim]

There were 2 box sets released (in Japan), I found a website selling them for more than $200 each. Also mention of episodes 1-4 on p2p with portuguese subs, but that might have been VHS rips.

Fansubs aren't too hard to do, I've done some myself before - it took me about 2 hours to sub a 2 minute video, though - timing without a jogwheel is a nightmare.

Anyway, any news on whether the cartoon or the game came first?

[Heliophobe]

I ordered a copy of the first tape (not sure if had on or two episodes) on eBay some years ago bu tit was smashed in shipping and the guy I bought it from didn't have another copy. I'd love to get a chance to see an episode.


I don't have any special information beyond the game's release date and the series's original air dates, assuming the air dates I googled up are correct. The TV show predates the game by one month, so I imagine they were in development at the same time. I'm sure both the game and show were developed to cross-promote eachother. While games based on anime were not uncommon, the Zillion anime is unique in that it has several Sega references that predate the series. Opa Opa is a character in the anime, and the Zillion gun looks suspiciously like the Sega Light Phaser - the Zillion gun even has a
cord like the Light Phaser's (though presumably without a DB9 connector...)

It's curious that there was never a Zillion game that used the light phaser.

About ten years ago, one of my Japanophile friends had told me that the Light Phaser in Japan was called the Zillion gun and the anime was based on that. I don't know if that's quite right, though there may have been a "Zillion edition" light phaser I have not heard of the standard gun going by that name, but it's interesting that I heard about it back then. I'm not sure where he got his information, but he did import an awful lot of anime and Japanese games along with other friends of his, so something tells me there was some truth to what he heard.

[Bock]

I got the first four episodes of US Zillion encoded. 120 megabyte each.
Last tape had a problem, couldn't encode properly.

I dropped the idea of uploading them when I learned that DVD were released in Japan. I'm expecting some kind of otaku-fan-sub-group to have that encoded and subtitled someday.

If I get pressure for uploading the 4 episodes I'd do that. But you'll be missing episode 5.

[Heliophobe]

[PrOfUnD Darkness]

Zillion was a hit here in Brazil back in the '80. The anime was broadcasted on the TV and TecToy even released the Zillion gun, a really cool toy.
I still have a album of "glue cards" (don't now how to say that in english) somewhere...



PD

[Heliophobe]

What does the Brazillian Zillion gun look like? Was it a "Laser Tag" type game or just a toy gun?

Of course, maybe you didn't get Laser Tag down there, or got it under another name, so I should explain: Laser Tag is sort of a cleaner version of paintball. Players get infrared (?) guns and wear infrared (?) sensors that light up and beep when hit by another player's gun beam. After being hit a certain number of times the player is 'out'.

Is Tec Toy a big player in the toy and game industry in Brazil? It's interesting that Zillion took off in Brazil but they barely tried to market it in the US except for releasing the game and a very limited release of the anime on VHS. I saw the Zillion tapes for sale just once, at a comic shop in 1994, but they were $30 a piece.

[PrOfUnD Darkness]

[Wizo]

Actually the Zillion gun was the first Tec Toy's product. I remember it was damn expensive and back in 1987, we kids would kill and die for one of those!

And yeah...it's a shame seeing Tec Toy in this state...Tec Toy was the only company here in Brazil to have TV ads for videogames. Consoles such as the Dreamcast and Saturn were released simultaneously in Brazil and US...it was the golden era of gaming here.

[Kenneth]

I've seen a VHS on ebay last month.

[PrOfUnD Darkness]

[Guest]

I finally got the 8 Japanese LDs (some months ago yet:)
I always wanted them but they were always expensive.Hopefully, the DVDs came out, and now the DVDs are expensive, not the LDs :)

[Wizo]