Bank Panic

Bank Panic

Company type	Video game
Industry	Video games
Founded	1984
Founder	Sanritsu Denki
Products	Arcade shooter game
Parent	Sega

Bank Panic is an arcade shooter game created by Sanritsu Denki and launched by Sega in 1984. The game was produced in the United States by Bally-Midway. Players take on the role of an Old West sheriff who must defend a bank from a gang of masked bandits.

Gameplay

The controls consist of a two-directional joystick and three separate buttons used to shoot at targets positioned on the left, center, and right.

The bank's design is circular, featuring twelve numbered doors arranged around the player, who stands in the middle. Using the joystick, players rotate their viewpoint left or right to reveal three doors at once. Shooting is performed by pressing the button that corresponds to the door’s position. Behind these doors, players may encounter:

• Customers making deposits by dropping a bag of money.
• Robbers attempting to shoot at the player.
• A young boy wearing multiple stacked hats who can be rapidly targeted for extra deposits or bonus time.

A level concludes when each door has received at least one deposit. Deposits made at doors with a bank teller present yield additional points.

Above the screen, numbered boxes indicate each door’s status; a red dollar sign marks completed deposits. A progress gauge above each box signals approaching characters. If a robber steals a deposit—shown by disappearing dollar signs—the player must shoot the robber to retrieve it.

Occasionally, bombs appear on doors with a 99-second timer counting down. Players are required to eliminate these bombs promptly. Lives are lost if players shoot customers, get hit by robbers’ shots, fail to defuse bombs in time, or do not finish levels before the timer (displayed as a bar at the bottom) expires.

Some robbers wear white boots and need two shots to be defeated. They may push customers aside or duck to evade gunfire. Occasionally, customers tied up with ropes appear; shooting them frees them, allowing three deposits. Delays can result in robbers removing these customers.

Robbers have a timer displayed above their heads that counts up to 0:30 and then down to 0:00. Shooting them within this timeframe results in "FAIR" kills worth more points. Shots fired before the timer starts count as "UNFAIR" kills and award fewer points. End-of-level bonuses include points for deposits made, remaining time, and average FAIR kill times.

Targeting robbers wearing red shirts exactly at 0:00 grants letters that spell EXTRA; completing this sequence rewards players with a significant bonus, an extra life, and immediate progression to the next level.

Reception

In Japan, Game Machine listed Bank Panic as the second most successful table arcade game in their November 1, 1984 issue. Computer and Video Games magazine commended it as a well-crafted arcade title, drawing comparisons to Nintendo’s Hogan's Alley, which debuted that same year. Computer Gamer praised its "colourful and humorous graphics," describing it as an entertaining though straightforward experience.

Legacy

A clone named West Bank, developed by Dinamic Software, was released for platforms including the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, MSX, and Amstrad CPC. Additionally, an Atari 8-bit version called Bang! Bank! was launched in 1992.