Target Earth

[Melf]

Nothing's better than piloting a big, bad mech, especially since it means that you get to blow things up without mercy. Dreamworks' Target Earth was one of the first Genesis games to bring the experience home in such style, and spawned a string of sequels. Read our full review (http://www.sega-16.com/2005/08/target-earth/) and see what all the hoopla is about.

[Drixxel]

Awesome review. I was tempted to write one up myself, but I remembered reading in an earlier thread that you had one in the works. Groovy game..

[Deltree]

I've been visiting this site every day in hopes that this one game would be reviewed. Not that I'll stop coming now that it has been, of course. It was certainly my favorite Genesis game I ever owned. I received it for my birthday in 1990, and after a few months could only get as far as the fourth stage boss (the big spinning reactor thing). Give me a break, I was 7. Anyway, one time I accidentally stumbled upon some sort of cheat/debug code which made me invincible, so I could play all the way through and at least see the story.

I still can't get to stage 5 without cheating.

[nonner242]

One of my top 5! Made me wanna beat it!
Cybernator (TE2) is awesome too! To bad it wasnt on the Genny!

[GameUser-16-32-128]

One of my top 5! Made me wanna beat it!
Cybernator (TE2) is awesome too! To bad it wasnt on the Genny!

Uhhh Cybernator wasn't actually an official sequel to Target Earth, it was actually Assault Suit Leynos 2 on the Saturn. I've never played Cybernator before, but I can understand how the game can be easily confused with being the sequel to Target Earth. I need to get Target Earth (again!)! I miss the rocking synth soundtrack and the hardcore challenge!

[Aarzak]

Awful game, awesome soundtrack. One of the Top 5 most difficult games on the Sega Genesis. I've never had the patience to get past the 3rd level......nor did I have the ability.

[GameUser-16-32-128]

Awful game, awesome soundtrack. One of the Top 5 most difficult games on the Sega Genesis. I've never had the patience to get past the 3rd level......nor did I have the ability.

Yeah this game was awfully tough! There's a lot going on at the same time and if you're not too careful, you're dead before you know it. This game requires PATIENCE, but it pays off with a jawsum ending. One of the best endings I've ever seen on the Genesis.

[A Black Falcon]

Uhhh Cybernator wasn't actually an official sequel to Target Earth, it was actually Assault Suit Leynos 2 on the Saturn. I've never played Cybernator before, but I can understand how the game can be easily confused with being the sequel to Target Earth. I need to get Target Earth (again!)! I miss the rocking synth soundtrack and the hardcore challenge!

They are part of the same series, actually. Cybernator's Japanese title is Assault Suits Valken, and it's the second game in the series, after Target Earth/Assault Suits Leynos. It's not a direct sequel, but they're definitely part of the same series.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assault_Suits_series

[Nintega Grafx-16]

The Japanese version Leynos has a death scene at the end of stage 3 that got cut out in the US version.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbZLgKC6odU

[Aarzak]

Didn't know that. The game always seemed to have a deep, Macross/Gundam-esque feel and storyline to it that was unlike most other games during the 16-Bit era, but dammit it was just too difficult, and the graphics and mechanics weren't up to par even for 1990.

[nonner242]

Awful game, awesome soundtrack. One of the Top 5 most difficult games on the Sega Genesis. I've never had the patience to get past the 3rd level......nor did I have the ability.


What!
OMG you didnt!
The game rocks!
And I love the music.....The intro music was great. Delinaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Dum da da dum dum....do do do I think it fits perfect.
They game was the bomb when released. I guess if you didnt see it back then when nothing came close you wouldnt know by now being ruined by newer stuff.
I still love all the Leynos series wish there were more.
Its hard but the ending is stellar!

[GameUser-16-32-128]

The horrific box art definitely steered away many but the very few. I knew it had potential when I bought it at Toys R Us. Now I have it once again! Oh the memories!

[Aarzak]

So, was it sold at a budget price from the start? (back in 1990)

[Iced Snowman]

I finished this game a few times many eons ago. It was brutally difficult, but the weapon system and storyline kept me coming back for more. I remember always wishing it was a Contra clone with two players. I got my wish granted years later with Hard Corps.

This was definitely priced at budget levels when my mitts got a hold of it. The cover art may be abysmal, but you should never judge a game by its cover. I made that mistake with Gunstar Heroes. The Japanese cover art is so much more appealing, (for both games).

Every level in this game offered something new which was quite rare for the time. The music was good but I found myself becoming annoyed with some of the tracks after multiple playings. The final battle and ending were of epic proportions.

I regret trading in this game. I shall reacquire it someday so that I can save the Earth once again.

[GameUser-16-32-128]

So, was it sold at a budget price from the start? (back in 1990)

I didn't buy it in 1990. I actually saw the display tag at the Toys R Us in '93 or '94 I think. It was actually going for $19.99.

[Alianger]

The space battle scenes were epic. I remember beating this on an emu in the early 00's and I thought it was a cakewalk. Turned out the rom was hacked though and you couldn't actually die. Never got past the third level or so in the non-hacked version.

[Jesse813]

Pretty Good Run & Gun for the Genny :)

[SirArthur]

So, was it sold at a budget price from the start? (back in 1990)

I bought Target Earth around release in 1990. If memory serves most new games released during the first year of the Genesis were $50 aside from PSII which I paid about $70 for (I still have the receipt somewhere).

Loved TE game back then, very unique & like others have said had great tunes & an insane level of difficulty.

I need to reaquire this as its always bothered me I never finished it. That one level where you freefall downward & once you hit the bottom you get hit by everything under the sun. I thought it wasn't possible to finish that level & there was a mistake in the programming.

I remember EGM had a contest back in 1990 for this game for high score. I would have received second place but the pictures I took of the TV didn't come out and I never mailed in my score. Glad it wouldn't have been first.