Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 8, 2026

Nova 2001

Nova 2001 is a 1983 multidirectional shooter video game developed and published by UPL for arcades. It was followed by a sequel, Ark Area, in 1988, which was released only in Japan.

Last revised
Jul 8, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
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329 w
Citations
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Source
Wikipedia ↗
Nova 2001
North American arcade flyer
DeveloperUPL
PublisherUPL
PlatformArcade
Release
  • JP: December 1983
  • NA: March 1984
GenreMultidirectional shooter
ModesSingle-player, multiplayer

Nova 2001a is a 1983 multidirectional shooter video game developed and published by UPL for arcades. It was followed by a sequel, Ark Area, in 1988, which was released only in Japan.1

Gameplay

The player controls a spaceship which can shoot enemy aliens in eight different directions, in a manner similar to Williams Electronics' Sinistar, which was released the same year. This was innovative at the time as technical limitations motivated developers to limit shooting to a single direction. Enemies have unique movement patterns which must be exploited to dodge their attacks and shoot them.2 Power-ups are available to improve the spaceship's firepower, while a limited supply of bombs can be used to clear all onscreen enemies.3

Release

Nova 2001 was released by UPL in Japan in December 1983 as the first game released under the UPL name and in North America in March 1984.4 After Hamster Corporation acquired the rights to UPL's games, they released it as part of the Arcade Archives series for the PlayStation 4 in 2014 and Nintendo Switch in 2021.56

Notes

Notes

  1. Japanese: ノバ2001, Hepburn: Noba 2001
References

References

  1. Akagi, Masumi (October 13, 2006). アーケードTVゲームリスト国内•海外編(1971-2005) [Arcade TV Game List: Domestic • Overseas Edition (1971-2005)] (in Japanese). Japan: Amusement News Agency. p. 62. ISBN 978-4990251215.
  2. Moyse, Chris (July 31, 2021). "Old-school 1983 shmup Nova 2001 is this week's Arcade Archives release". Destructoid. Retrieved July 28, 2025.
  3. Titchmarsh, Douglas (June 10, 2023). "80s Arcade Challenge Nova 2001". Douglas Titchmarsh. Retrieved July 28, 2025.
  4. Akagi, Masumi (October 13, 2006). アーケードTVゲームリスト国内•海外編(1971-2005) [Arcade TV Game List: Domestic • Overseas Edition (1971-2005)] (in Japanese). Japan: Amusement News Agency. pp. 62, 159. ISBN 978-4990251215.
  5. "Arcade Archives NOVA2001". Arcade Archives | HAMSTER Corporation. February 17, 2025. Retrieved July 28, 2025.
  6. Whitehead, Thomas (August 5, 2021). "Nintendo Download: 5th August (North America)". Nintendo Life. Retrieved July 28, 2025.
External links