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Rambo: First Blood Part II (Master System game)
Encyclopedia
Rambo: First Blood Part II (simply titled Rambo in-game) is an overhead action shoot-'em-up video game loosely based on the film Rambo: First Blood Part II
that was released in North America
by Sega
for the Master System in . It was originally released in Japan
as , where it was released without the Rambo license. Another version was released in Europe
and Australia
titled Secret Command (Secret Commando on its title screen), which also lacked the Rambo license.
. The first player controls Rambo, who is armed with an M-60 machine gun with unlimited ammunition (which can only fire two shots on-screen) and a limited supply of explosive arrows used to take out tougher obstacles such as tanks and gates. A second player can play at the same time and control Rambo's partner Zane (a character created for the game), who wears a yellow headband. The objective of the game is to fight through the enemy's defenses, reach the gate at the end of each stage and then defeat as many enemy reinforcements as possible until the gate starts flashing in different colors. The player starts off the game with three lives and gains a new one every time he completes stage. A second player can join-in anytime during the first stage as well until the second stage, in which the game will end for either player if one loses all of his lives.
Unlike the aforementioned games, the player can only shoot his weapons in five directions (left, up, right, or diagonally up-left or up-right), even though movement is allowed for all eight basic directions. When the player moves downward, he will his weapon aimed upwards. The same applies to enemy soldiers, who can only shoot their guns left or right or downwards. Power-ups for the machine gun are obtained by killing a specific amount of enemy soldiers per stage, allowing the player to increase the range of his shots, as well as add piercing capability that allows his bullets to penetrate more than one enemy.
The player starts out each life with a supply of five explosive arrows and every time he picks an item (no matter which one it is), he gains two more (although the in-game counter maxes out at "9", the player can actually carry more than that). The player can obtain even more arrows (in packs of five) by destroying the prison camps located throughout the first four stages (which are only destroyable with arrows), as well as pick up a power-up that the causes the arrows to spread their explosions in four directions. There are also mystery power-ups (marked by a question mark
) that will either: destroy all on-screen enemies or give the player an extra life.
and Bishamon
, who are on a mission to rescue their kidnapped friends from the enemy.
When the game was being localized for the American market, Sega bought the license to base the game on Rambo: First Blood Part II. The Player 1 character was redesigned to resemble Rambo, while Player 2 was replaced with a similar character who serves as Rambo's partner. The artwork on the title screen was replaced with a reproduction of Sylvester Stallone
's pose from the film's theatrical poster, while the original title theme was replaced by a PSG
rendition of Jerry Goldsmith
's theme music from the movie. Some adjustments were also made to the game's difficulty (flamethrower soldiers for example, who could only could be killed using arrows in Ashura, are now vulnerable to regular gunshots in Rambo). The visuals on the Stage Clear screen, which originally showed various Asian landscapes and buildings in Ashura, were replaced with images of Rambo in various action poses.
The game was modified again for its release in PAL territories
, as the Rambo license was only usable for its North American release. As a result, the PAL version, Secret Command, combines elements from the previous two versions. The main characters are referred to as "Bishamon" and "Ashura" in the manual, but they still retain their designs from Rambo. The title music is also the same one from Ashura, but the artwork is different. The Stage Clear visuals are once again illustrations of Asian landscapes.
Both the Japanese (Ashura) and European (Secret Command) versions would later be released for the Wii
Virtual Console
, in their original release regions. Secret Command was also be released for the North American VC service as well, as an "Import" title.
Rambo: First Blood Part II
Rambo: First Blood Part II is a 1985 action film. A sequel to 1982's First Blood, it is the second installment in the Rambo series starring Sylvester Stallone, who reprises his role as Vietnam veteran John Rambo...
that was released in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
by Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
for the Master System in . It was originally released in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
as , where it was released without the Rambo license. Another version was released in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
titled Secret Command (Secret Commando on its title screen), which also lacked the Rambo license.
Gameplay
Rambo is an overhead action shoot-'em-up in the vein of Commando and Ikari WarriorsIkari Warriors
Ikari Warriors is a 1986 arcade game by SNK, published in the United States and Europe by Tradewest. Known simply as in Japan, this was SNK's first major breakthrough US release and became something of a classic. The game was released at the time when there were many Commando clones on the market...
. The first player controls Rambo, who is armed with an M-60 machine gun with unlimited ammunition (which can only fire two shots on-screen) and a limited supply of explosive arrows used to take out tougher obstacles such as tanks and gates. A second player can play at the same time and control Rambo's partner Zane (a character created for the game), who wears a yellow headband. The objective of the game is to fight through the enemy's defenses, reach the gate at the end of each stage and then defeat as many enemy reinforcements as possible until the gate starts flashing in different colors. The player starts off the game with three lives and gains a new one every time he completes stage. A second player can join-in anytime during the first stage as well until the second stage, in which the game will end for either player if one loses all of his lives.
Unlike the aforementioned games, the player can only shoot his weapons in five directions (left, up, right, or diagonally up-left or up-right), even though movement is allowed for all eight basic directions. When the player moves downward, he will his weapon aimed upwards. The same applies to enemy soldiers, who can only shoot their guns left or right or downwards. Power-ups for the machine gun are obtained by killing a specific amount of enemy soldiers per stage, allowing the player to increase the range of his shots, as well as add piercing capability that allows his bullets to penetrate more than one enemy.
The player starts out each life with a supply of five explosive arrows and every time he picks an item (no matter which one it is), he gains two more (although the in-game counter maxes out at "9", the player can actually carry more than that). The player can obtain even more arrows (in packs of five) by destroying the prison camps located throughout the first four stages (which are only destroyable with arrows), as well as pick up a power-up that the causes the arrows to spread their explosions in four directions. There are also mystery power-ups (marked by a question mark
Question mark
The question mark , is a punctuation mark that replaces the full stop at the end of an interrogative sentence in English and many other languages. The question mark is not used for indirect questions...
) that will either: destroy all on-screen enemies or give the player an extra life.
Regional differences
Rambo was originally released in Japan as Ashura. The Japanese version of the game had players controlling a pair of armed Buddhist monks named AshuraAsura (Buddhism)
Asura in Buddhism is the name of the lowest ranks of the deities or demigods of the Kāmadhātu.-Origins and etymology:...
and Bishamon
Vaisravana
' or ' also known as Jambhala in Tibet and Bishamonten in Japan is the name of the chief of the Four Heavenly Kings and an important figure in Buddhist mythology.-Names:...
, who are on a mission to rescue their kidnapped friends from the enemy.
When the game was being localized for the American market, Sega bought the license to base the game on Rambo: First Blood Part II. The Player 1 character was redesigned to resemble Rambo, while Player 2 was replaced with a similar character who serves as Rambo's partner. The artwork on the title screen was replaced with a reproduction of Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone
Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone , commonly known as Sylvester Stallone, and nicknamed Sly Stallone, is an American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, film director and occasional painter. Stallone is known for his machismo and Hollywood action roles. Two of the notable characters he has portrayed...
's pose from the film's theatrical poster, while the original title theme was replaced by a PSG
PSG
PSG may refer to:Firearms:* Prickskyttegevär, Swedish for sniper rifle, see PSG-90* Präzisions-Scharfschützen-Gewehr, a German sniper rifle, see PSG-1Places:* Petersburg James A...
rendition of Jerry Goldsmith
Jerry Goldsmith
Jerrald King Goldsmith was an American composer and conductor most known for his work in film and television scoring....
's theme music from the movie. Some adjustments were also made to the game's difficulty (flamethrower soldiers for example, who could only could be killed using arrows in Ashura, are now vulnerable to regular gunshots in Rambo). The visuals on the Stage Clear screen, which originally showed various Asian landscapes and buildings in Ashura, were replaced with images of Rambo in various action poses.
The game was modified again for its release in PAL territories
PAL region
The PAL region is a television publication territory which covers most of Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and most of Western Europe...
, as the Rambo license was only usable for its North American release. As a result, the PAL version, Secret Command, combines elements from the previous two versions. The main characters are referred to as "Bishamon" and "Ashura" in the manual, but they still retain their designs from Rambo. The title music is also the same one from Ashura, but the artwork is different. The Stage Clear visuals are once again illustrations of Asian landscapes.
Both the Japanese (Ashura) and European (Secret Command) versions would later be released for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
Virtual Console
Virtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
, in their original release regions. Secret Command was also be released for the North American VC service as well, as an "Import" title.