Gals Panic 4 (Europe)

Gals Panic 4 challenges players with a unique twist on the classic Qix puzzle formula. Using an eight-way joystick, players trace lines to outline areas of the screen, gradually revealing images of seven different girls. Successfully uncovering portions of each girl’s image unlocks short “Showtime” interludes displaying them in swimwear – a series of visuals introduced for the first time in this installment of the franchise. Each stage features distinct background art that is progressively revealed as the player completes the outline. Strategic gameplay involves utilizing bombs to attack onscreen enemies and earn bonus points, with rapid bomb usage slowing down enemy movement. A two-player versus mode pits players against each other on a split screen, competing to reveal their assigned girl's image first; in this competitive format, bombs are used offensively to hinder the opponent’s progress. Released in Europe in 1996 and running on Kaneko’s Super Nova hardware, Gals Panic 4 offers a distinctive blend of puzzle mechanics with visually appealing character reveals, and represents an early entry point into the long-running series.