For the 1989 video game, see Vortex (Amiga video game).
Vortex
DeveloperArgonaut Software
PublisherNA: Electro Brain; JP: Pack-In-Video; PAL: Sony Imagesoft
ProducerNeil Jackson
DesignerNic Cusworth
Michael Powell
ProgrammerMichael Powell
ArtistAlistair McNally
ComposerJustin Scharvona
PlatformsSuper Nintendo Entertainment System
ReleasedNA: September 1994; JP: December 9, 1994; PAL: 1995
Genre3D shooter
ModesSingle-player

Vortex is a 3D shooter game developed by Argonaut Software and released by Electro Brain for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in September 1994.[1] Titled Citadel during development, it is one of a few games designed to use the enhanced graphics of the Super FX powered GSU-1.

Gameplay

The player pilots an experimental mech called the Morphing Battle System against the five worlds of the Aki-Do Forces.[2] The player enters the Vortex, to save the Deoberon system, retrieving the core from the fierce forces, the Aki-Do. The MBS can transform between four different modes: The Walker, Sonic Jet, Land Burner, and Hard Shell.

Development and release

The overall concept of Vortex fueled unconfirmed speculation that the project may have been derived from an unreleased game based on Transformers,[3] but in a 2015 interview with Retro Gamer, programmer Michael Wong-Powell confirmed that Vortex and Transformers were entirely separate projects, with the latter being cancelled during development.[4]

In March 1994, Argonaut Software was signed as a third-party developer by Atari Corporation to develop games for the Atari Jaguar platform.[5] A port of Vortex for the Jaguar was announced at Spring ECTS '94, but it ultimately was never released.[6][7][8]

Reception

Vortex received generally favorable reception from critics.[9][10][11][12] Electronic Gaming Monthly's five editors remarked that the pace is slow, but complimented the unique concept and high challenge.[13]

References

  1. ^ "Super NES Games". Nintendo of America. Archived 2004-06-19 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2004-06-19.
  2. ^ "Vortex". SNES Central. Archived 2012-02-13 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
  3. ^ Oxford, Nadia (July 3, 2007). "Transformers: Robots in Disgust". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on October 13, 2007. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
  4. ^ "The Making of: Vortex". Retro Gamer. No. 147. October 2015. pp. 38–41.
  5. ^ "ATARI ANNOUNCES TOTAL OF 86 DEVELOPERS, PUBLISHERS AND LICENSEES FOR JAGUAR". Nine Lives. March 7, 1994. Archived from the original on 2018-07-25. Retrieved 2018-09-23.
  6. ^ "ProNews: Jaguar Licensee Count Grows". GamePro. No. 59. IDG. June 1994. p. 184. Archived 2018-07-31 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2019-01-05.
  7. ^ "Special - Release Schedule ECTS-Messe" (in German). Mega Fun. No. 21. CT Computec Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. June 1994. p. 18. Archived 2018-09-23 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2019-01-05.
  8. ^ "Scene - Erste CD-ROM-Titel für Jaguar" (in German). Mega Fun. No. 21. CT Computec Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. June 1994. p. 24. Archived 2018-07-22 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2019-01-05.
  9. ^ Leadbetter, Richard & Davies, Paul (November 1994). "Review - Super Nintendo Entertainment System: Vortex". Nintendo Magazine System. No. 26. United Kingdom: EMAP. pp. 40–42.
  10. ^ Wong, Amos; de Martin, Rod; Iredale, Andrew (October 1994). "Super NES Review: Vortex". Nintendo Magazine System. No. 19. Australia: Trielle Corporation. pp. 20–25.
  11. ^ "Vortex; Now Playing: Vortex (Super NES)". Nintendo Power. Vol. 64. Nintendo of America. September 1994. pp. 54–61, 106–107.
  12. ^ Captain Squideo (October 1994). "ProReview - SNES: Vortex". GamePro. No. 63. IDG. p. 60.
  13. ^ Semrad, Ed; Carpenter, Danyon; Manuel, Al; Sushi-X; Weigand, Mike (October 1994). "Review Crew". Electronic Gaming Monthly. Vol. 7, no. 10. Sendai Publishing Group. p. 32. ISSN 1058-918X. Retrieved December 1, 2025. – via Video Game History Foundation