Action52

[Lars]

Active Enterprises FAQ - Version 1.0 - 12/16/2002

Written by Andrew "MikeSanders" Harris [activefaq@blazemail.com]. This FAQ
being published on the internet, protects it under all applicable copyright
laws. This FAQ may not be used without the permission of Andrew Harris.

Credit goes out to Spoon for helping me proofread this thing, thanks.

If you have any information that would assist in improving this FAQ, please
contact activefaq@blazemail.com

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Index of The FAQ:

1. Who is Active Enterprises?
2. The Games
A. Action 52 [NES]
B. Action 52 [Genesis]
C. Cheetahmen 2 [NES]
3. The Unreleased
A. The Action Gamemaster
B. Sports 5 [SNES/Genesis]
C. Action 52 [SNES]
4. Other Information
A. The $104,000 Contest [Action 52 - NES]
B. Unknown Contest [Action 52 - Genesis]
5. Other Notes

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1. Who is Active Enterprises?

Active Enterprises was a company formed in 1991. It is speculated that the
company was run by one man, though it is nearly guaranteed that they operated
with a staff of less than ten. [If it was any higher than that, it would likely
be far easier to track down anyone who worked there.] The company operated out
of Florida, but had a headquarters set up in Nassau, in the Bahamas, to avoid
paying U.S. taxes.

In January of 1992, the company released their first title, Action 52, for
a price of two hundred dollars. The game was advertised in small ads in the
back of Gamepro magazine, and received very little attention. Sales were slow,
despite the promise of 52 games, many simply weren't willing to shell out two
hundred dollars to purchase something from an unknown company based out of the
Bahamas.

This apparently didn't deter Active Enterprises, who contacted Calfornia
based company FarSight Technologies [now operating as FarSight Studios] who had
created a few games, by this point, [Videomation [NES], Art Alive [Genesis],
and Color a Dinosaur [NES]] to begin work on a version of Action 52 for the
Genesis system. Farsight started work on the Genesis version of Action 52, all
the while Active sat back in Florida working on it's new project.

The new project was Cheetahmen II, the sequel to Game #52 on the NES
version of Action 52. In this game, the evil Dr. Morbis had engineered a new
batch of sub-humans to send after the three Cheetahmen, [Aries, Apollo, and
Hercules], and yes, that's the entire story. Also during this time, Active
apparently began work on several products to merchandise their Cheetahmen
characters. Among the plans were action figures, commercials, costumes for
children, and even an animated television program, none of which were ever
manufactured, or made available to the public.

In early 1993, FarSight had finished the Genesis version of Action 52.
Active apparently had put their seal of approval on it, and it was quickly
rushed out to the open market at a price of one hundred dollars. Active was
still an unknown company, and the few that knew of them had a sour taste in
their mouths after the NES Action 52. The Genesis version of Action 52 also
sold very poorly.

Yet Active continued to go on, they were convinced that their next game,
Cheetahmen II, would sell very well. Once the commercials and action figures
hit, people would be in a frenzy to purchase Active's works. Active even went
so far to state that the Cheetahmen would be the most desired and merchandised
items for Christmas '93. Sadly for them, things did not turn out as expected.
Somewhere in 1993, Active Enterprises ran out of money. Carts of Cheetahmen II
had been produced by this time, but Active didn't have the money to distribute
them. At this point, Active Enterprises seemingly disappeared off the face of
the earth.

Several years later [97 or later], the people who produced the carts for
Active and still had them laying around, decided to sell them themselves. At
that point, Cheetahmen II became the last NES game to receive a U.S. release.
Twelve to fifteen hundred copies of Cheetahmen II are thought to exist. That at
this point, ends the saga of Active Enterprises.

-----

2. The Games

A. Action 52 [NES]

Action 52 was released for the NES in January of 1992. It was the first of
it's kind, featuring 52 completely new and copyrighted games on one cart. It
sold for a staggering $200, which prompted it's low sales, not to mention that
most games on the cart were poorly programmed. Some games however are actually
not bad at all, Cheetahmen being undeniably the best game on the cart.

The six stage action side-scroller was the game Active hoped would make
Action 52 sell. While it didn't succeed in making the game fly off shelves,
Cheetahmen has a charm that many games lack. Despite it's obvious flaws, [poor
enemy placement in level 5, no enemies in level six, ladders to nowhere.] it's
still a very fun game to play, one I have personally beat on many occasions.

b. Cheetahmen [Game #52 - Also called Action Gamemaster] FAQ

Opening Cut Scenes -

The Action Gamemaster is at home playing his video game when suddenly... an
arm reached out of the TV and pulled him inside... when he looked up he saw
three gigantic yellow bodies, it was the Cheetahmen.... He began to explain,
the Cheetahmen told of the enemies in the game world. Don't worry, we will
fight for you... The Cheetahmen ran off... and now... The Cheetahmen!

During this game you will have three Cheetahmen, a different one in every
second level to fight for you.

Level 1 -

Use Aries' wooden clubs and martial arts skills to defeat the enemies on
the first two levels. Cheetahmen level 1 is a desert [apparently] level, the
strange thing being the amount of water that's present throughout the level...
then again, you're in the gameworld now, I suppose it doesn't need to make any
sense.

Walk forward throughout this level and strike out your clubs at anything
that approaches. Eventually you should get to a ladder. Go all the way to the
edge of the screen before climbing the ladder, for some reason the ladder is
unclimbable otherwise. Once you have climbed the ladder continue on, zig-
zagging around the bottomless pits, until you get to the point where the level
abruptly ends and sends you somewhere else.

Things to notice:

1. Level 1 was the only stage in which you cannot jump.

Level 2 -

Aries is still your Cheetahman for this level. You appear to be in an ice
cave now, which doesn't make much sense... I mean, you were just in the
desert... but oh well, it's the game world, it's not supposed to make sense.

Fall down to the bottom of the level to start off. Continue forward,
battling a bat and Hosain. Continue forward jumping over every pit you see, and
using the standard strike anything that even appears to be coming for you
theory. Eventually you shall reach the first of three bosses, Ktena [Possibly
inaccurate name, grabbed off a poor scan of the action figure ad.]

Ktena can be beaten quite easily, when it jumps in the air, wait for it to
land, and strike. Wash, rinse, and repeat and Ktena will go down very quickly.
An abrupt cut from this level takes us to level 3...

Things to notice:

1. Level 2 was the only stage with a boss that does not kill in one hit.

Level 3 -

Hercules is the strongest of the three. Jump if you can, but you must fight
others. With these words you now control Hercules, who can use his general
hugeness as a way to bash away at foes and destroy them.

For this level you are in a... well, I don't exactly know. All I know is it
appears to be an indoor green thing. Works for me, it's the game world you're
in, it's not supposed to make sense!

Standard strategy applies here for this level. Simply walk and strike or
jump over whatever you can. You shouldn't have much of a problem here. The
nastiest enemies in this level are the little cars that drive right at your
feet, if you can see them coming and leap over them they'll just zip right past
never to be seen again. As typical, the level will abruptly end and you'll
start somewhere else.

Things to notice:

1. Hercules was the only Cheetahman without a weapon.
2. Hercules was the only Cheetahman capable of jumping up ladders.

Level 4 -

You're once again Hercules, continuing your quest to thwart the evil Dr.
Morbis, and this time you're in a brick building. Apparently people have been
throwing splotches of red paint at the normally black walls.

This and the level following, are the two levels where you really have to
be patient. Enemies are flying over Hercules, so just remain patient as you
make your jumps, so you don't jump into one of them.

The level starts off in this flashing area, which will likely glitch your
sprite. Don't worry though, nothing other than look is effected here. Continue
on and you will reach a ladder. The ladder is interesting, as this marks the
only ladder you can actually jump up. The only negative thing is that the room
won't scroll with you if you jump up the ladder, which can actually lead to
your Cheetahman jumping off the screen and restarting from the bottom of it.

Continue on, nothing really tricky until you get to the area where water is
pouring down on the platform on which you stand. If you stand in the middle you
shouldn't start sliding away. Pass these and continue on. Be very patient with
your walking from here on out, at the end of the level is the boss White Rhino.
If you accidently walk into him, you are dead.

How do you beat White Rhino then? Stand at the far left of the screen, take
one step forward, and strike him everytime he charges forward. You'll both hit
each other, the game apparently doesn't know what to do in that situation, and
awards you the hit. Just stand there and strike away, and White Rhino will
eventually perish at the hands of the mighty Hercules. Now you move onto Level 5.

Things to notice:

1. This was the only stage with a unkillable boss, without using a glitch.
2. This was the only stage to feature water causing your Cheetahman to slide.

Level 5 -

You will control Apollo in the final two levels. Nothing was even written
about him. This level starts off in a desert like area, except with platforms
instead of sand. This is one of those stages where patience is a virtue and a
walkthrough probably won't help you a bit. This level is tough, for two
reasons, poor enemy placement, and Apollo's arrows sometimes go the opposite
way of where you're aiming. To add even more to this, there are roughly eight
million enemies in this stage.

The best course of action in this stage, is to simply learn where the
enemies are and their patterns. Make sure to be in position to shoot them
before they can get you. This is a stage that I still lose at quite a bit, no
matter how many times I've beaten the game.

The number one thing to avoid in this level are the first three enemies
that come after you. On the second platform two enemies will fly at you, on the
fourth another enemy will attack, and briefly after that there are another two
enemies. If you can defeat all of them without getting hit, you've got a WAY
better chance of surviving the level. Best of luck to you.

Things to notice:

1. Apollo was the only Cheetahman who has no text for his introduction.
2. Level 5 was the only level with a warp to another inside it.

Level 6 -

You're still controlling Apollo, in the easiest stage of the game. You
see... there are no enemies in level six. Level six is apparently a cave area,
with a pretty cool background going on... anyway, just continue going forward
and climbing up ladders until you reach the end of the level, where the boss,
Scavenger awaits.

Stand on the left side of the screen and just shoot away as he flies around
on the top platform, and you'll eventually shoot him to death. Touching him
will kill you instantly, so don't try that. Eventually you'll go to black and
boom, back to the one player/two player select screen. Congratulations you have
just beaten Cheetahmen.

Things to notice:

1. Level 6 was the only level without enemies.
2. Level 6 was the only level with a fully climbable ladder to nowhere.
3. The game has no ending, infact it quickly cuts away without the boss even
exploding, it exits in typical level switch fashion.

Other stages accessible in Cheetahmen:

Level 9 -

Level 9 is simply a small room in which there is a 1-up. You can only go
forwards, it is impossible to head backwards. This level is accessible by
falling into a specific pit in level 5.

Level 10 -

Unexplorable, glitchy level. Just a grey background with random stuff on
it. Sometimes the level six boss Scavenger will appear floating in the middle
of it. This is accessible by walking through level 9.


B. Action 52 [Genesis]

Action 52 for the Genesis was created by FarSight Technologies. It was
released in 1993, with a suggested retail price of one hundred dollars.
Published by Active Enterprises this game holds the distinction of being
Active's only title for the Genesis, and is apparently more scarce than the NES
version that came before it.

This game is not a direct port of the NES version. All the games on it are
different, though many share the same or similar names. A walkthrough of a game
or two from this cart will be added whenever I get around to playing it some
more.

C. Cheetahmen II [NES]

Cheetahmen II was the sequel to Cheetahmen from Action 52. It was to be six
more levels of action-packed Cheetah fun! It seemed to be pretty much thrown
together however, to the point where the game is actually incompletable and
freezes after level four. A full walkthrough of this game is coming soon.

-----

3. The Unreleased

A. The Action Gamemaster

Action Gamemaster was the character Active created to be warped into the
world of the Cheetahmen in Action 52. However, this wasn't a game, apparently
the Action Gamemaster had been thrown into a handheld system. Well... that's
not an official backstory, but it's probably what would have been come up with
had this system actually hit the market.

The Action Gamemaster was to be a handheld system capable of playing all
the formats available at the time. It would play NES, Genesis, SNES, even it's
own Action Gamemaster Carts, which were to breed a new Cheetahmen game. The
real kicker, it would play CD-Roms to usher in the "new age" of gaming as
Active called it... and it even had a TV tuner equipped!

An adverisement for this was distributed at the CES, and information on it
was seen in Gamepro, however it was not to be. It likely wasn't seriously
developed as the cost of such a machine would be astronomical, and a machine
capable of fitting all these carts, even through the use of adapters [as was
planned] would likely not be in anyway portable, and would definitely go
through batteries very, very, fast.

Regardless of this, it would have certainly been great had it been released.

B. Sports 5 [SNES/Genesis]

Sports 5 is an unknown, apparently 5 in 1, sports title to be released on
the SNES and Genesis... sadly, that's the only information available on it. It
was listed on the "Confidential Price List" distributed at the CES.

C. Action 52 [SNES]

Action 52 for the SNES was to be released in October 1993, according to the
"Confidential Price List" distributed at the CES. Nothing else is known other
than it likely would have been a port or remake of the NES Action 52, as no
company is known to have been licensed out for it's creation.

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4. Other Information

A. The $104,000 Contest [NES]

In hopes of selling Action 52, Active Enterprises had decided to have a
contest for $104,000 dollars. A secret code would be given upon completion of
Ooze [Game #5], taking a picture of it and sending it in would officially enter
you into the contest. Ooze can be beaten, but not without getting the game to
glitch the way you want it to. Some Action 52 carts have Ooze unplayable beyond
the second level. The game ends after level six, though a fully playable level
8 exists in the rom. It is believed that nobody won this contest.

B. Unknown Contest [Genesis]

The existence of this contest is unknown, however I have heard from several
sources that Action 52 on the Genesis featured a contest of it's own if
Challenge [Game #52] was beaten. This game was unbeatable however, so it's
nearly a guarantee that no one won this one, if it even existed.

C. Cheetahmen Action Figures

Cheetahmen action figures were to be released soon after Action 52 hit the
market. A print advertisement that Active distributed is available and the
figures are listed on Active's "Confidential Price List" distributed at the
CES. Whether these figures were ever produced or not is anyone's guess.

D. Cheetahmen "Servo" Costumes

These costumes were to have been available with the launch of the cartoon,
which also never came to existence. According to the papers distributed at the
CES these were to be made by the company Screaming Mad George. All attempts at
contacting this company about these costumes have resulted in no response.

E. Cheetahmen Cartoon

All hype for this came from a few lines in the CES papers discussing a
"Disney Quality" animated program that would run thirty minutes. According to
these papers, a short commercial advertising this cartoon and Action 52 had
already been distributed. Whether or not this is the case is unknown, as none
of these commercials have ever turned up.

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5. Other Notes

Action 52 and Cheetahmen are registered trademarks of Active Enterprises.
NES, Nintendo, Super Nintendo, and SNES are registered trademarks of Nintendo
of America. Sega and Sega Genesis are registered trademarks of Sega of America.
This FAQ copyright 2002, Andrew Harris.

http://www.planetnintendo.com/thewarpzone/activefaq.txt

--
Lars