Code Name: Viper (NES)

Code Name: Viper

Platform: NES Year: 1990 Developer: Capcom Co., Ltd. Buy: Amazon

Code Name: Viper is a platform shooter game where you infiltrate drug hideouts in South America. The game is extremely similar to Rolling Thunder (NES), making it either a shameless copy, or a well-designed tribute. Walking and jumping function the same, the doors with ammo and machine guns work the same, even the enemies glance about and jump around the exact same way. The only difference is the plot (you're killing drug lords instead of alien kidnappers).

In Code Name: Viper, you play as Agent Smith. Your boss, Commander Jones commissions you to go to South Africa to stop a drug cartel. In each level, Smith must open doors and find a hostage with the grenade, which is the key out of the level. After a level, the hostage will give you a piece of a letter. You must collect all the pieces to find out who is really behind the drug cartel.

Overall, Code Name: Viper is a better game than Rolling Thunder. The graphics are more detailed, the music is better, and there is a little bit more variety. However, Arc System Works, the same company that developed the NES version of Rolling Thunder, also programmed this game.

The game is also fantastically difficult, and even on easy mode you'll still probably have a tough time making it through the first area. It requires a great deal of memorizing when and where enemies pop out at you in order to make it. On difficult mode, the game becomes obscenely hard.

Screenshots

The title screen. Having a little chat with Commander Jones. The chopper flies you around South America. The jungle of Area 1. Finished the first area. Learning some more of the enemy message as I go.

Music

VGMPF Album Art

Code Name: Viper's has a nice jazzy sound common in Capcom NES games. However, since the game is so difficult, you'll probably only hear the music of the first two areas and the game over fanfare. The music from areas 3 & 4 has a nice technological sound akin to that of Elecman's music from Mega Man and the ending music has a great smooth sound.

Nearly all of the soundtrack was composed by Yoko Shimomura. However, Junko Tamiya composed the first track, and some of the sound effects are reused from her work in Bionic Commando (NES). For example, the gun shot is the same sound effect as the rocket launcher in Bionic Commando, and the sound of entering a door is the same sound as when you select an item in your inventory in Bionic Commando.

Atwiki.jp says of the soundtrack:

“

The background music, while wildly wild, is melodious, as is typical Capcom's style, for a hard-boiled game about the destruction of a South American drug ring.

„

Recording

#	Title	Composer	Length	Listen	Download
01	Areas 1 & 2	Junko Tamiya	1:32		Download
02	Areas 3 & 4	Yoko Shimomura	2:14		Download
03	Areas 5 & 6	Yoko Shimomura	2:09		Download
04	Areas 7 & 8	Yoko Shimomura	1:19		Download
05	Overview Map	Yoko Shimomura	0:17		Download
06	Bomb the Door	Yoko Shimomura	0:03		Download
07	Area Clear	Yoko Shimomura	0:08		Download
08	Conversations	Yoko Shimomura	1:01		Download
09	Password Entry	Yoko Shimomura	1:54		Download
10	Game Over	Yoko Shimomura	0:03		Download
11	Commander Jones	Yoko Shimomura	1:14		Download
12	Mission All Clear	Yoko Shimomura	2:10		Download

Credits

• Ripper: Chris Covell
• Recorder: TheAlmightyGuru
• Game Credits:
  • Not Credited Composer: Yoko Shimomura
  • Not Credited Composer: Junko Tamiya
  • Not Credited Sound Driver: Yoshihiro Sakaguchi

(Source: Personal verification from the audio team.)

While the game does not contain credits, Manami Matsumae, said that Junko only composed the first stage's music. Harumi Fujita verified Yoko Shimomura did the music for the rest of them, plus, Yoko's site lists the game in her works. Like most Capcom games, it uses Yoshihiro Sakaguchi's sound driver.

Game Rip

Format	Download
	Download (Info)

Ripping NES music is a very arduous process that is beyond the scope of this site.

Releases

Japan Title: 人間兵器 デッドフォックス (Human Weapon: Dead Fox) Platform: NES Released: 1990-02-23 Publisher: Capcom Co., Ltd.     USA Title: Code Name: Viper Platform: NES Released: 1990-03-?? Publisher: Capcom U.S.A., Inc.

Links

• mobygames.com/game/nes/code-name-viper - MobyGames.
• gamefaqs.com/nes/563397-code-name-viper - GameFAQs.
• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_Name_Viper- Wikipedia.
• w.atwiki.jp/gamemusicbest100/pages/5033.html - Atwiki.jp (Japanese).