Tempo

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

Tempo is a Sega first-party platforming series starring the eponymous cartoony music-loving cockroach in a Band Land cutesy world, fighting against ants ruled by the evil Major Minor. The main goal is to collect musical notes and some treasures to score enough points to become rich. The series features gorgeous hand-drawn levels and sprites, in the same fashion of Rayman games.

However, the first installment, a launch title for the 32X hardware, being essentially a Sega Genesis game with some Mode 7-like BG effects, suffered greatly. Only the first two titles made it overseas, only to the US, as a consequence.

The series consist of the following titles:

  • Tempo (32X): Released in Japan and US. The very first title. Tempo can Goomba Stomp and attack using kicks and stunning projectiles.
  • Tempo Jr. (Game Gear): Released in Japan and US. A spinoff of the first game.
  • Super Tempo (Sega Saturn): Japan only. Made by Aspect, whith the minds behind the Bonk (PC Genjin) series. The last title of the series, it introduces Caty (Tempo's girlfriend) as a playable character. Has better level design, and introduces some shoot-em up phases, along with Rhythm Heaven-like minigames.
Tropes used in Tempo include:
  • American Kirby Is Hardcore: The US box art for the first game tried to make the main character look like a photo-realistic mutant cricket man in the vein of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, rippling with muscles and using kung-fu.
  • Ascended Meme: Super Tempo made it to the third game as a transformation.
  • Final Boss:
    • In the third game, you get to battle 'eight' evil clones of Tempo and Caty, including two in their Super Forms, named "Do, RE, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Si, Do". Their Weak Spot? Their names floating above their heads.
    • You then get to battle the Giant-Eyed Fortress housing the final level, by combining Tempo Super Form with his evil upgrade mask, to transform into a giant mecha.
  • Goomba Stomp: Present in the first game, but not in the Saturn sequel.
  • Have a Nice Death: In the first game, there are variious death animations. You also get to hear the crowd laughing at you if you die. And if you lose to a boss, then you'll have watch its victory dance and theme song.
  • Hub Level: In the first game only.
  • Invincibility Power-Up: With the silliest song ever for such a powerup.
  • The Maze:
    • The final level in all three games consist of a big maze-like elevator. However, in the first game, during to a programming oversight, you must grind musical notes a lot to get the beter endings.
    • Combined with a Boss Rush in the third game.
  • Medium Blending: Not only are there hand-drawn sprites in this game, but photorealistic and pre-rendered 3D sprites as well.
  • Multiple Endings: Depending on the score, Tempo can achieve with his girlfriend Caty his dream of getting out of poverty.
  • Scoring Points: In the first game, the A Winner Is You picture you get depends on how many points you have.
  • Unexpected Gameplay Change:
    • The third level in the Sega Saturn sequel consists of a shoot-em' up sequence with Caty, where you can choose out of ten levels where you'll play. It is surprisingly Nintendo Hard. A similar sequence exist in Level 5, with giant pizzas IN SPACE and a music quiz.
    • Three silly rhythm games are to be found in the Game Center.
  • Variable Mix: When you rescue Caty, an extra track is added to the background music.
  • Victory Pose: Tempo has a little dance he does after beating a boss. It changes if Caty is with him. Bosses also do this.
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