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DETAILED DESCRIPTION:
Dunk Star would have been the first basketball game for the NEOGEO system. It was
designed by Sammy, which had just become one of the very first third party licencees
to sign up for the NEOGEO. Sammy had previously released Ultimate Basketball for the
NES (Nintendo Entertainment System), and would later release Super Dunk Star for the
Nintendo Super Famicom (SNES) system. The games do have quite a number of similarities.
Sammy created their own completely original basketball teams for the game. They had
cool unique names and detailed logos. A few of them even made the transition from the
original NEOGEO game over to the Super Famicom version. It's interesting how an arcade
game that went unreleased, still somehow managed to get a home console port.
It is speculated that the slow moving players, coupled with the choppy animation,
as well as the presence of what appears to be screen flcker issues, caused this
5 on 5 Basketball game to be cancled. However, Sammy did release an amazing space shooter
called Viewpoint in 1992. And the NEOGEO did eventually get a basketball game
3 years later in 1994, a great 3 on 3 game by Data East called Street Slam / Dunk Dream.
INFORMATION TIMELINE:
-- January 1991 -- the original arcade flyer is printed as
promotional advertisement for distributors & operators in the arcade industry.
-- February 1991 -- Dunk Star is shown by SNK in their booth at the 1991 AOU show.
-- March 1991 -- SNK shows 4 new games including DUNK STAR at the 1991 AOU show.
-- April 1991 -- Game Machine provides a screen shot taken at the AOU show.
-- May 1991 -- Beep! Mega Drive Magazine gives a preview with a screenshot.
-- June 1991 -- Gamest Magazine #58 publishes an article with screenshots.
-- August 1991 -- Joystick Magazine #18 publishes an article with a screenshot.
-- September 1991 -- Dunk Star is shown by SNK in their booth at the 1991 AMOA show.
-- October 1991 -- The game is exhibited at the 1991 AM (Amusement Machine Show) in Japan.
-- November 1991 -- Game Machine reports on Dunk Star at the AM Show with a screenshot.
-- December 1991 -- The Neo Geo Club Newsletter has Dunk Star coming soon with screenshots.
-- April 1993 -- The abandoned property gets a second life when most of it's game elements are repurposed
and transformed into Super Dunk Star for the Nintendo Super Famicom.
-- January 2002 -- emulated screen shots are found which proves the rom data has been secured.
-- February 2005 -- emulated screen shots are found which proves the rom data has been secured.
-- August 2022 -- more emulated screen shots and software product number NGM-028 confirmed.
-- November 2022 -- emulated shots and video of the ending confirm that the game was complete.
CURRENT STATUS: SAFEGUARDED
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