is a run and gun

video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...

. It was developed and published by Masaya in 1990 for

Sega Genesis The Sega Genesis, known as the outside North America, is a 16-bit Fourth generation of video game consoles, fourth generation home video game console developed and sold by Sega. It was Sega's third console and the successor to the Master Syst ...

. It was released in America as ''Target Earth''. It was re-released on the

Wii The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America and in December 2006 for most other Regional lockout, regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major ho ...

’s

Virtual Console A virtual console (VC) – also known as a virtual terminal (VT) – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some Unix-like operating systems such as Linux, BSD, illumos, Unix ...

, and on the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack. It is the first game in the ''Assault Suits'' series.

Plot

In 2201 expanding technologies have given man the power to live anywhere in space. With this backdrop, the story begins with a war between

Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...

(and its colonies) fighting a cyborg army returning from deep space. In the early stages, the nature or purpose of these cybernetic adversaries, named Chron, is unknown. However, it is later revealed that Chron are the survivors of a failed space expedition (Outer Space Expeditionary Party) sent by Earth one hundred years earlier. The Earth Defense League fights to defend Earth. Its core is the Assault Suit—a twelve-foot-tall armored battle machine with powerful fighting capabilities. The player is Rex, an Assault Suit Wing commander and master at Assault Suit combat. The battle begins on Ganymede and shifts to battles in space, on the Earth, and inside enemy outposts.

Gameplay

''Target Earth'' offers 8 stages. Much of the game's mechanics fall in line with those of horizontal shooters with some subdued platforming elements. The player's performance after completing a stage dictates the weapons, armor, and accessories that are unlocked in the next stage. The game features 14 weapons, a lot of firepower in the early 1990s. The assortment of armaments increased replay value by encouraging the player to experiment with ways to defeat enemies. While the official information for the game indicates that it is only single-player, it is possible for a second player to have limited control over enemy movement and attacks on screen.

Release

Certain scenes in ''Target Earth'' were censored. For example, a scene in which a comrade does not make it back to the ship in time and burns up in the planet's atmosphere was removed. The romantic relationship between Rex and Leana was downplayed. These scenes were restored in the remake. The Western

localization Localization or localisation may refer to: Biology * Localization of function, locating psychological functions in the brain or nervous system; see Linguistic intelligence * Localization of sensation, ability to tell what part of the body is a ...

of the second game in the

Assault Suits series ''Assault Suit'', also known as ''Assault Suits'', is a series of futuristic robotic war video games developed by NCS featuring soldiers manning the eponymous gigantic humanoid mecha. Spanning the course of 15 years and beyond, the games would b ...

Cybernator , also known as ''Cybernator'', is a 2D mecha action game developed by Masaya and released in 1992 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The second entry in the ''Assault Suits series,'' it is a prequel to the first game, '' Target Earth ...

, was subject to censorship. The game is included on the Japanese Mega Drive Mini. The US version is accessible if the system is set to English. ''Assault Suit Leynos 2'' was released exclusively for the Sega Saturn in 1997, in Japan only. The gameplay is far more challenging as the shield cannot guard infinitely. A

remake A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the same ...

by Dracue Co., Ltd. was released for the PlayStation 4 in Japan in December 2015, and in North America/EU in July 2016. A Microsoft Windows port of the remake was released in August 2016. On June 30, 2022, the game was re-released on the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack.

Notes

References

External links