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International Arcade Museum® — Killer List of Videogames®


Crack Down Crack Down - Japanese Logo - Katakana / Kanji

Crack Down - Cabinet - Video Game Marquee

Description

A futuristic city has been over-taken by a powerful force of mechanical men. Two elite agents must plant a series of time bombs to destroy their base and crush the rebellion.

Crack Down was produced by Sega in 1989.

Sega released 591 machines in our database under this trade name, starting in 1936.

Other machines made by Sega during the time period Crack Down was produced include: Excite League, Ufo Senshi Yohko Chan, Tetris (Sega), Scramble Spirits, Power Drift, A.B. Cop, Alex Kidd In The Enchanted Castle, Dynamite Dux, ESWAT Cyber Police, and Flash Point

Crack Down - Cabinet - Machine
Cabinet

Specs

Name Crack Down
Developer Sega
Year 1989
Type Videogame
KLOV/MOG # 7417
Class Wide Release
Genre Labyrinth/Maze
Monitor
Conversion Class Sega System 24
External Device FDD - 1.44MB (disk must match custom 68000 Security CPU made by HITACHI)
# Simultaneous Players 2
# Maximum Players 2
Gameplay Joint
Control Panel Layout Multiple Player
Controls
  • Joystick: 8-way
  • Buttons: 2 [Cannon/Machine Gun|Super Bomb]
Sound Amplified Stereo (two channel)
Cabinet Styles
  • Upright/Standard
Control Panel Crack Down Control Panel Image
Side Art Crack Down Side Art Image

Game Introduction

The game's action is fast. An innovative split screen lets two players work individually or as a team. Twin "overview" screens scroll in response to players' moves. Countdown timers and a pulsating sound track raise the game's excitement and tension.

D. Oscar K. is after human hide. This white-coat gone turncoat was in charge of experimental research at an underground factory that produced half-human, half-robot cyborgs. Former employees -- the ones who survived -- say he was a decent guy until he went crazy and wired his 'borgs for evil. Now they want to destroy human beings instead of putting hubcaps on new cars. Needless to say, it is up to you to destroy these haywire hybrids.

Do not be fooled by the flesh-tone. If it is pasty-faced, it is after anything that is pure biology. Take another freedom fighter down the manhole with you or go solo. Just see to it that all the bombs are set in all the right places. Then scram before they go off. Move onto more hostile sectors, where corners get darker and more dangerous.

You have machine guns and full brain capacity on your side. The cyborgs only have half-a-mind, but a sinister set of software to eliminate you.

Game Play

Two players work together, fighting their way through 16 levels of an underground laboratory. Time bombs must be set by running over areas marked with an 'X'. Machine guns and cannons must be reloaded by finding ammo on each level. If ammo runs out, the players must result to punching and kicking to defeat opponents. Each level is unique and full of surprises. The layouts, opponents, and obstacles very creative.

Players can move and shoot in all eight directions. The split-screen view panes scroll the maze individually, keeping each player centered. The left button fires the cannon and machine gun. The right button sets off the super bomb.

Crack Down KLOV/IAM 5 Point User Score: 4.13 (2 votes)

Fun Factor: 4.00

Overall Like 4.50
Fun (Social) 4.50
Fun (Solo) 3.50
Collector Desire 3.00

Technical Rating: 4.25

Gameplay 4.00
Graphics 4.50
Originality 4.50
Sound/Music 4.00

Personal Impressions and Technical Impressions each account for half of the total score. Within the Personal Impressions category, Like carries a little more weight than the other factors.

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More pictures

Cabinet Information

This game features a unique dual marquee. The "CRACKDOWN" title overlays the marquee with the "SEGA" title.

Conversion

To convert Scramble Spirits to Crack Down, simply swap the floppy and the custom 68000 processor.

VAPS Arcade/Coin-Op Crack Down Census

There are 14,716 members of the Video Arcade Preservation Society / Vintage Arcade Preservation Society, 9,455 whom participate in our arcade census project of games owned, wanted, or for sale. Census data currently includes 164,291 machines (6,886 unique titles).

Uncommon - There are 16 known instances of this machine owned by Crack Down collectors who are active members. Of these, 6 of them are original dedicated machines. 10 of them are only circuit boards which a collector could put into a generic case if desired.

For Sale - There is one active VAPS member with a Crack Down machine for sale. There is one active VAPS member with an extra Crack Down circuit board for sale.

Wanted - There are 2 active VAPS members currently looking for Crack Down. There is one active VAPS member looking for a Crack Down circuit board set.

This game ranks a 6 on a scale out of 100 (100 = most often seen, 1=least common) in popularity based on census ownership records.

This game ranks a 2 on a scale out of 100 (100 = most often seen, 1=least common) in popularity based on census want list records.

Rarity and Popularity independently are not necessarily indications of value. [More Information]

Flyers

Technical

This game runs on a System 24 board. The game itself resides on a floppy disk that requires a matching custom 68000, which is manufactured by Hitachi. The custom CPU decrypts program code only, not data. The reset vector and initial stack values are encrypted, but the remainder of the vector table is not.

Presumably the CPU either holds a decryption key in battery backed RAM, or the decryption key is hard-coded into the CPU itself. I have never heard of a custom 68000 dying before, but it's known that the custom Z80 modules (made by NEC) can stop working sometimes.

Manuals

Additional References (logged in members often see more)

  1. 3D Model (External): Upright

eBay Listings

Click to search eBay for Crack Down Videogame machines and related items.

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TOP WATCHED LISTINGS FOR: Crack Down

Ebay Compatible Application

Original Crack Down Sega Arcade video game Manual

Auction ends in: 2 weeks, 3 days

FixedPrice
$10.49

original Crack Down Sega Crackdown Arcade Video Game manual

Auction ends in: 1 week, 6 days

FixedPrice
$17.49

Sega Crack Down Video Arcade Game Flyer, 1989 NOS

Auction ends in: 1 week, 5 days

FixedPrice
$12.00

Crackdown 2-player type Owner's Manual, Sega 1989

Auction ends in: 3 weeks, 6 days

FixedPrice
$19.99

Sega, Original, Arcade, Crackdown, 2 Player Type, Owners Manual

Auction ends in: 3 days, 11 hours

FixedPrice
$16.99

Crackdown Arcade Game Manual

Auction ends in: 1 week, 2 days

FixedPrice
$15.00

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