Questions about Games

[Zzaped!]

Favourite game centre has a cabinet with 'Super Locomotive', Sega game, view from track side on bottom part of screen, map view of track switching and enemies on top half of screen.

Very close to a Commodore game I had/have (?). soundtrack by J. M. Jarre, '[something-or-other] Express', I think. Couldn't work out which was the original, the Sega game is copyright 1982, but am sure the C-64 one was released the year before (expensive but I bought it and worth every penny). Sega game does have one major difference, transforming the locomotive (steam to modern) and a cost in energy for that.

Questions: Title; which was 1st?

[Zzaped!]

Managed to track it down myself with a lot of searching .  Super Locomotive (http://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=9910) was a couple of years earlier.

The C-64 game was Suicide Express, don't know if it can really be called a SHMUP so posting the video here. It was later than I thought (must have confused one shopping trip with another) and has the sub-screens the other way around. Both have soundtracks by good electronic artists of the time (Yellow Magic Orchestra for Super Loco, J.M. Jarre for Suicide Express).

Eminently suitable concept for the DS, perhaps Sega should be contacted.

[flash]

This was quite an impressive C64 game in it's time, written by veteran Tony 'Ratt' Crowther of Blagger fame (amongst tons more).

[Zzaped!]

Indeed so, enjoyed wasting many hours on it (then realised the reason I didn't remember the title was because some bastard stole my copy long ago so I hadn't seen it for a long time). Thought the concept was a 64/Gremlin/Crowther original until I saw Super Loco a couple of weeks ago, still, sprite design and sounds are better on Suicide Express.

[flash]

Suicide Express was the semi-followup to LOCO.

[Zzaped!]

Never saw that one at the time, but it's clearly a direct take on Super Locomotive (same colours and all).