Gigaius (ギガイアス in Japanese) is the main protagonist of the 1991 PC Engine (and the x68k remake) shoot 'em up Override. It is a state-of-the-art transforming hover tank that is capable of switching between ground and air for transportation. It is sent to destroy a supercomputer named Freya that had malfunctioned and terrorizes colonists in Uranus.
History[]
In the distant future (second half of the 21st century), humanity began to migrate onto planets outside Earth. Following successful colonization of Moon and Mars, Uranus was the next planet to colonize. However, the rapid development of the new society caused major disruptions to the political and economic mechanisms, and conflicts among the immigrants on Uranus continued for a long time. but eventually public order was maintained and social order was restored.
A supercomputer dubbed as Freya was created to oversee colonists of Uranus. Uranus, supported by abundant underground resources, continued to develop with the aim of creating the greatest culture in human history. Contributions of Freya's which support of social order, were enormous. But one catastrophic day, Uranus goes rogue and threatens to bring about the eradication of the human race by means of unleashing an army of artificial intelligent robots. To counter this, humanity builds a unique combat vehicle to thwart its plans: Gigaius. This state-of-the-art hover tank has the unique trait of being able to transform between a ground and an air vehicle to maximize its mobility on hostile terrain. Once completed, the tank is launched immediately to fight off Freya's forces.
Gigaius engages against Freya's army in various environments, decimating the supercomputer's forces and destroying its commanding units. Eventually, the hover tank reaches Freya's hidden base and battles through the largest concentration of its army. Afterwards, it dives deep into the core of Uranus (3,000 meters underground) and confronts the final enemy: the supercomputer Freya. Freya anticipates Gigaius' approach, thus it responds by unleashing its ferocious arsenal of weapons at the mighty hover tank. Though it proves to be a powerful opponent, Gigaius ultimately manages to destroy the supercomputer.
With Freya destroyed, humanity breathes a sigh of relief, as the threat of extinction is averted. Gigaius meanwhile returns to base, following the successful mission. In x68k remake, There are multiple endings: In normal difficulty mode, Kane is congratulated by operator Emily, but his mind is elsewhere as his thoughts are overwhelmed by so many people who died in the war as he heads home. In easy difficulty mode, Kane celebrates victory with his fellow pilots as he heads back home. In hard difficulty mode, Kane survives the war but he is severely injured and his operator Emily becomes his caretaker as he recovers. After a while Kane and Emily marry.
Specification[]
| Width | 9.8 m |
| Length | 15.7 m |
| Height | 3.2 m |
| Weight | 22 t |
| Crew | 1 |
| Power System | Kron type D-IV reactor |
| Equipment | Titanium Ceramic Composite Armor Atmospheric Entry Cooling Unit Optional control unit x2 Dome-shaped radar x2 Propellant tank Field Barrier Generator Attitude control thrusters x12 Main rocket (35,731kg) x2 |
Weapons[]
Gigaius is armed with a single primary weapon, as well as numerous secondary weapons that are fired from Options. The primary weapon which can be upgraded by obtaining "P" power-ups that are dropped from missile-shaped capsules, while the secondary weapons are obtained by differently colored gem power-ups; the secondary weapons can be upgraded by collecting gems of the same color as the weapon currently equipped to Gigaius. Each secondary weapon has its strengths and weaknesses, so knowing which one works best is imperative to success.
ECS-type Beam Cannon - the main shot. Fires a standard, rapid-fire twin vulcan that can destroy most small enemies quickly, but requires additional firepower against larger enemies. When upgraded, the number of shots as well as their spread increases to a maximum of six shots.
Blazing Fire - obtained when the gem power-up is orange. It deploys two options positioned at a 45 degree angle to the left and right of Gigaius, which fires shots diagonally. When upgraded, the shots transform into ring shots, which deal more damage, at full power, these ring shots will gain homing properties, allowing them to track down nearby enemies and destroy them.
Reverse - obtained when the gem power-up is yellow. It deploys two options that flank around Gigaius; they will aim and fire in the opposite direction that the craft moves. This weapon has the widest coverage, but in turn is hard to use. When upgraded, the shots will transform into ring shots that deal increased damage. It is based on the red pods from Image Fight.
Tornazer - obtained when the gem power-up is green. It deploys two options that fire forward whilst rotating around Gigaius clockwise, it deals the most damage overall, but has the narrowest spread. When upgraded, the shots will transform into wave shots that have increased hitboxes and damage. It is based on the CLAW from Thunder Force.
Follow Wing - obtained when the gem power-up is blue. It deploys two options that fire forward whilst trailing behind Gigaius and mimic its every movement. When upgraded, the shots will transform into a laser which can penetrate through small enemies whilst dealing increased damage. It is based on the Options from Gradius.
Side Weapon - obtained when the gem power-up is purple. It deploys two options that flank the sides of Gigaius, firing to the left and right of the craft respectively. When upgraded, the shots will transform into wave shots that have increased hitboxes and damage.
Energy - while not technically a weapon, it is a vital part of Gigaius survival. It allows the craft to withstand up to four hits from enemy fire before being shot down. It can be replenished by obtaining "E" power-ups dropped by capsules.
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Backfire - this is a unique ability that can be activated whenever Gigiaius changes speeds, it unleashes a backfire from its thrusters, which if timed correctly can destroy enemies unfortunate enough to be behind the craft. (similar to backblast from OF-1 and 3 from Image Fight series) This ability however is very risky, as it has a very short range and has to e performed at a very close range to enemies.
- Pool Shot - when Gigaius stops firing, a charge will begin to build up, which is indicated by a green flame appearing in front of the craft, when the charge is filled (indicated by Gigaius starts flashing yellow), pressing the fire button will unleash a large seven shot spread that eliminates all enemies and projectiles in front of the craft, whilst dealing tremendous damage against bosses. If timed correctly, most bosses can be destroyed by the charged shot in one hit. The charge however will reset from the beginning if Gigaius takes damage from enemy fire.
Gallery[]
PC Engine[]
X68000[]
