Major Title
Developer(s)Irem
Publisher(s)Irem
Composer(s)Masato Ishizaki[5]
SeriesMajor Title
Platform(s)Arcade, Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Release
February 1990
  • Arcade
    SNES
Genre(s)Sports
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Major Title[a] is a golf sports video game that was released by Irem to arcades in 1990. A version of the game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as well as an arcade sequel, Major Title 2: Tournament Leader, were released in 1992. The SNES game and the arcade sequel were released in the United States as The Irem Skins Game.

Gameplay

Arcade version screenshot

Major Title is an arcade-style golf simulation. The game is presented in a mixed perspective. The pre-shot perspective is a standard third-person view from just behind the golfer, but once the ball is hit, the view switches to a top-down perspective to track the ball in flight. The game takes a simplified approach to hitting the ball. Instead of setting the power and controlling the shot, the only function of the vertically oriented swing meter is to select the vertical angle of the shot, which, in turn, sets the amount of backspin/topspin applied to the ball. The strength of each swing is selected prior to the shot by setting a power gauge to one of 16 levels. Draw and fade can be applied to the ball by changing the players stance, but the game specifies the maximum distance for the putter in yards, but measures distance on the greens in meters.

Players can choose to play as one of four golfers (power hitter, all-round player, technician, and magician). Each of these golfers possess a unique skill set that influences the player's ability to make certain types of shots. The game provides the usual array of game modes: tournament, match play, stroke play, and a skins game. The control system is simple but still involved enough to provide a decent level of control for a fourth generation video game console sports simulation game. The key mappings are as follows: D-pad- (Up & Down) Navigate menus, (Left & Right) alter value on sub menus (Club, Direction, Stance, Power). L and R shoulder buttons switch between the in-game sub menus, as does the (A) button. (B) button is used to take the shot and must be timed to be as close to the centre section of the power bar as possible.

Reception

In Japan, Game Machine listed Major Title on their April 15, 1990 issue as being the ninth most-successful table arcade unit of the month.[20] In the July 1990 issue of Japanese publication Micom BASIC Magazine, the game was ranked on the number sixteen spot in popularity.[21] The arcade original has been met with positive reception from reviewers since its initial release.[22]

Notes

  1. ^ Japanese: メジャータイトル, Hepburn: Mejā Taitoru, also known as The Irem Skins Game in North America on Super Nintendo Entertainment System.

References

  1. ^ "Overseas Readers Column: Many Videos Unveiled At AOU Expo '90 Chiba" (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 377. Amusement Press, Inc. 1 April 1990. p. 26.
  2. ^ Miki, Koji; Yanma (May 1990). "Super Soft Hot Information: Video Game! - '90 AOUアミューズメント・エキスポ — メジャータイトル". Micom BASIC Magazine (in Japanese). No. 95. The Dempa Shimbunsha Corporation. p. 236.
  3. ^ Akagi, Masumi (13 October 2006). アイレム (アイヒ－エム) Irem (in Japanese) (1st ed.). Amusement News Agency. p. 14. ISBN 978-4990251215. ((cite book)): |work= ignored (help)
  4. ^ "Super NES Games" (PDF). Nintendo. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2008-09-20. Retrieved 2020-07-19.
  5. ^ Tanaka, Haruhisa (25 March 2014). "R-Type Creator Interview (クリエイターインタビュー): Masato Ishizaki (石崎正人)". Shooting Gameside (in Japanese). Vol. 9. Micro Magazine. pp. 50–57. ISBN 978-4896374551. (Translation by Shmuplations. Archived 2020-01-23 at the Wayback Machine).
  6. ^ "The Irem Skins Game for Super Nintendo". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. 2019. Archived from the original on 2019-12-09. Retrieved 2020-07-19.
  7. ^ Marriott, Scott Alan (1998). "The Irem Skins Game (Super Nintendo Entertainment System) - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on 2014-11-16. Retrieved 2020-07-19.
  8. ^ Defrance, Laurent; Barbe, Robert (December 1992). "Super Famicom Review - The Irem Skins Game". Consoles + (in French). No. 15. M.E.R.7. pp. 88–90.
  9. ^ Wilson, David (February 1992). "Kill Zone - Major Title". Game Zone. Vol. 1, no. 4. Dennis Publishing. p. 74.
  10. ^ Morisse, Jean-François; Demoly, Jean-Marc (November 1992). "Super Nintendo: Maitenant Golf Rime Avec Dollars - The Irem Skins Game". Joypad (in French). No. 14. Yellow Media. pp. 132–133.
  11. ^ Demoly, Jean-Marc (December 1992). "Console News - Super Nintendo: The Irem Skins Game". Joystick (in French). No. 33. Sipress. p. 192.
  12. ^ Rice, Chris; Rowley, Carl (January 1993). "Reviewed! - SNES: The Irem Skins Game". N-Force. No. 7. Europress Impact. pp. 40–41.
  13. ^ de Martin, Rod (February 1994). "Review - Super Nintendo: Major Title". Nintendo Magazine System. No. 11. Trielle Corporation. pp. 34–35.
  14. ^ Reischmann, Robert (February 1993). "Super NES Review: Marios Magic - The Irem Skins Game" (PDF). Play Time (in German). No. 20. Computec. p. 90.
  15. ^ Davies, Jonathan (January 1993). "Import Review - The Irem Skins Game". Super Play. No. 3. Future Publishing. pp. 70–71.
  16. ^ Amann, Hans-Joachim (January 1994). "SNES - Test: Major Title". Total! (in German). No. 8. X-Plain-Verlag. pp. 38–39.
  17. ^ Barysch, Jan (December 1993). "Rom Check - Super Nintendo: Feinarbeit - Major Title Golf". Video Games (in German). No. 25. Future-Verlag. p. 98.
  18. ^ Wilson, David (January 1991). "Slots Of Fun: Major Title - Irem". Your Sinclair. No. 61. Dennis Publishing. p. 91.
  19. ^ Wilson, David (January 1991). "Dosh Eaters: Major Title (Irem/50p a go) - Slotties Chart". Zero. No. 15. Dennis Publishing. p. 82.
  20. ^ "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - テーブル型TVゲーム機 (Table Videos)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 378. Amusement Press, Inc. 15 April 1990. p. 25.
  21. ^ Yanma (July 1990). "Super Soft Hot Information - Video Game! (ビデオゲーム) - Hot 20". Micom BASIC Magazine (in Japanese). No. 97. The Dempa Shimbunsha Corporation. p. 237.
  22. ^ Gaksch, Martin; Forster, Winfried (October 1990). "Power Tests / Automatenspiele: Simulations Siesta - Major Title". Power Play (in German). No. 30. Future Verlag. p. 146.

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