Overview
Based on the assassin/sniper/marksman character Golgo 13, this is a media franchise that began with a manga in 1969. It then went on to become one of the most popular manga series in Japan, spawning adaptations into live-action films (including a 1977 film starring Sonny Chiba), anime (including a 1983 film, featuring some of the earliest uses of CGI), and of course video games.
Golgo 13 was the basic archetype for the modern assassin/hitman/sniper, influencing films such as Leon: The Professional, Kill Bill, and The Matrix, and games such as Hitman.
Games
Golgo-13, released for the Sega SG-1000 in 1984, featured unique gameplay, where Golgo moves back and forth in a car, and players aim and shoot at the windows of a train to free captives. Its most notable innovation was the use of sniping, a precursor of things to come in later games of the series.
The franchise's most notable contributions to video games were the NES games Golgo 13: Top Secret Episode, released in 1988, and its sequel, The Mafat Conspiracy. These titles featured groundbreaking game design that combined different styles of gameplay (platforming, shooting, FPS, and driving) into one cohesive espionage experience. Of particular importance was the introduction of first-person sniping, using a scope-equipped sniper rifle; the sniping even allowed the player to aim for a headshot, another first in gaming, though it did the same amount of damage as hitting any other part of the body. The games were also considerably mature for the time, with a dark and gritty plot, blood and violence, and sexual themes, which were especially rare for NES games of that era.
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