''Red Zone'' is a 1994 shoot 'em up video game, developed by

Zyrinx Zyrinx was a video game developer founded in 1992 in Copenhagen, Denmark. It consisted exclusively of people who had been active in the Amiga demo scene in the late 1980s and early 1990s, including composer Jesper Kyd. The first game develope ...

and published by Time Warner Interactive for the Sega Genesis. The player switches between piloting a helicopter and walking around on foot, both can be played from a top-down and first person shooter point of view. The game is notable for its use of several technologies that were not prevalent at the time on the Genesis, such as full-screen rotation, 3D vectors, real-time zoom, and full-motion video. Zyrinx released a beta version of the game into the

public domain The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work to which no Exclusive exclusive intellectual property rights apply. Those rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly Waiver, waived, or may be inapplicable. Because no one holds ...

, which is believed to have been done out of respect for their roots as a demogroup.

Plot

A military takes over a small fictional country called ''Zyristan''. Mass deportation and

torture Torture is the deliberate infliction of severe pain or suffering on a person for reasons including corporal punishment, punishment, forced confession, extracting a confession, interrogational torture, interrogation for information, or intimid ...

are occurring in the country during the annexation. ''Zyristan'' invades a small neighboring country in response to the annexation. Meanwhile, a dictator threatens the world with nuclear missiles shot at one country at a time.

Reception

'' Electronic Gaming Monthly'' rated the game 6.8 out of 10, praising its combat and aerial sequences as "innovative" while noting its difficulty and learning curve. They also mentioned the amount of weapons and missions available to the player. '' GamePro'' praised the helicopter handling and graphical intro, but concluded that the poor controls when maneuvering characters on the ground effectively killed any potential enjoyment. '' Next Generation'' rated the game 3 out of 5 stars, stating that "While ''Red Zones plot and gameplay are known as 'rip-offs' from '' Urban Strike'', the enormous challenges fundamentally make this title a viable alternative to the ongoing success of the ''Strike'' series."

Commercial performance

While the exact sales numbers are unknown, Red Zone's sales were described as "limited" due to the game being released late into the Genesis' lifespan.

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1994 video games Helicopter video games Scrolling shooters Sega Genesis games Sega Genesis-only games Single-player video games Time Warner Interactive games Top-down video games Video games about nuclear war and weapons Video games about terrorism Video games developed in Denmark Video games scored by Jesper Kyd Zyrinx games