Target: Renegade
Encyclopedia
Target; Renegade is a scrolling beat'em up (or flip-screen
on certain versions) computer game released on the Amstrad CPC
, Commodore 64
and ZX Spectrum
systems in the late 1980s by Ocean Software
on their "Imagine
" label, as well as a Nintendo Entertainment System
version published by Taito
. The game is a sequel to Renegade
and was followed by Renegade 3. When acquiring the license to convert the original arcade game Renegade to home computers, Ocean acquired the option to produce and release their own home-computer-only sequels to the game, and Target Renegade was the first of these sequels.
The game caters for one or two players, providing a "Co-operative Mode" (it was a one-player game on the C64, though), and concerns itself with the adventures of a streetfighter known only as "Renegade", who seeks revenge against a local crime kingpin named "Mr. Big" for murdering his brother Matt. The player wears a white vest and sunglasses, apart from the Spectrum original version, where, due to technical limitations, the player wears a shaded black vest.
The cover of the game portrayed a topless street fighter, clearly well versed in martial arts, performing a flying kick through a window. In keeping with videogame box art
and advertising of the era, the character shown in this illustration bears no relation to any character in the game itself. The actual picture is of Martial Arts Legend Joe Lewis
from the cover of his book The World's Greatest Fighter Teaches You How To Master Bruce Lee's Fighting System but has been adjusted so as to fit in with the character of Renegade.
Clearly inspired by the success of Double Dragon
- Ocean were outbid for the official license - which was in turn pre-figured by the original Renegade arcade game, this side-scrolling "beat 'em up" was recognised at the time for its playability on the ZX Spectrum format. Though a multi-load game on most formats (the game would instruct you to "press play on tape" on completion of a level) the 128k Spectrum version made use of the machine's extra memory and loaded the whole game in one go.
The protagonists are attacked by several assailants and bikers
trying to run them over. The only way to defeat the bikers is to perform a flying kick, removing the biker from his seat without being struck by the vehicle itself. The car park comprises three floors which are accessed through an elevator
. Strangely the players begin the level at the top floor of the car park. On the Spectrum and Amstrad versions, some bikers carry sledgehammers which the player can retrieve and use.
) who enters the screen at the far left and fires a gun at the player. This character emerges to fight at close quarters after shooting a few times.
, and wearing baseball caps and hip-hop style clothing). This is also the first level in the game where the antagonists can avoid your flying kick move by crouching. Also present on this level is the Beasty Boys' mascot, a Pit Bull terrier
that runs onto the screen periodically and tries to savage the protagonist(s).
owned by Mr. Big, the game's final villain. To reach Mr. Big the player must fight through a number of burly staff / doormen / bouncers, some wielding snooker cues, dressed in waistcoats and bow ties. Their main offensive move is to grapple the player and deliver three head-butts. Once the player is grappled, he himself cannot break the hold. However, if a second player is present, his partner can be "rescued" by delivering a "back kick" to the bartender. Upon completing this stage, the player/s move on to a "back room" to fight Mr. Big. A fighter of large stature, Mr. Big can grapple a player and perform a bear hug
which is impossible to break and ultimately fatal (again, the exception is that the second player can interrupt the bear hug). However, Mr. Big cannot perform this move on the player if he has his back turned to him. Therefore, the most effective strategy for defeating Mr. Big is to face away from him for the duration of the fight, attacking using only back kicks.
produced a second Renegade sequel titled Renegade 3: The Final Chapter. Technos Japan Corp., the developers of the original arcade version of Renegade, produced their own line of sequels and spinoffs to Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun, the Japanese version of Renegade, for the Japanese market. Target: Renegade and Renegade 3 are not related in any way to the Kunio-kun series.
In 2006 an unofficial remake of the Spectrum version was released for Windows. Expanding the multiplayer element to allow six simultaneous players, Target; 2006 received a 70% score in issue 41 of Retro Gamer
.
Flip-screen
In video games, flip-screen is a principle whereby the playing environment is divided into single-screen portions...
on certain versions) computer game released on the Amstrad CPC
Amstrad CPC
The Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,...
, Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
and ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
systems in the late 1980s by Ocean Software
Ocean Software
The British company Ocean Software was one of the biggest European video game developers/publishers of the 1980s and 90s...
on their "Imagine
Imagine Software
Imagine Software was a British video games developer based in Liverpool which existed briefly in the early 1980s, initially producing software for the ZX Spectrum and VIC-20...
" label, as well as a Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
version published by Taito
Taito Corporation
The is a Japanese publisher of video game software and arcade hardware wholly owned by publisher Square Enix. Taito has their headquarters in the Shinjuku Bunka Quint Building in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo, sharing the facility with its parent company....
. The game is a sequel to Renegade
Renegade (video game)
Renegade is a video game released in American and European arcades in 1986 by Taito. It is a westernized conversion of the Japanese arcade game , released earlier the same year by Technos...
and was followed by Renegade 3. When acquiring the license to convert the original arcade game Renegade to home computers, Ocean acquired the option to produce and release their own home-computer-only sequels to the game, and Target Renegade was the first of these sequels.
The game caters for one or two players, providing a "Co-operative Mode" (it was a one-player game on the C64, though), and concerns itself with the adventures of a streetfighter known only as "Renegade", who seeks revenge against a local crime kingpin named "Mr. Big" for murdering his brother Matt. The player wears a white vest and sunglasses, apart from the Spectrum original version, where, due to technical limitations, the player wears a shaded black vest.
The cover of the game portrayed a topless street fighter, clearly well versed in martial arts, performing a flying kick through a window. In keeping with videogame box art
Computer and video game packaging
Video game packaging refers to the physical storage of the contents of a computer or video game, both for safekeeping and shop display. In the past, a number of materials and packaging designs were used, mostly paperboard or plastic...
and advertising of the era, the character shown in this illustration bears no relation to any character in the game itself. The actual picture is of Martial Arts Legend Joe Lewis
Joe Lewis
Joseph Peter "Joe" Lewis is an English footballer who plays for Peterborough United as a goalkeeper, having made a £400,000 transfer from Norwich City on 8 January 2008.-Norwich City:...
from the cover of his book The World's Greatest Fighter Teaches You How To Master Bruce Lee's Fighting System but has been adjusted so as to fit in with the character of Renegade.
Clearly inspired by the success of Double Dragon
Double Dragon
is a classic beat 'em up video game series initially developed by Technos Japan Corporation, who also developed the Kunio-kun series ....
- Ocean were outbid for the official license - which was in turn pre-figured by the original Renegade arcade game, this side-scrolling "beat 'em up" was recognised at the time for its playability on the ZX Spectrum format. Though a multi-load game on most formats (the game would instruct you to "press play on tape" on completion of a level) the 128k Spectrum version made use of the machine's extra memory and loaded the whole game in one go.
Levels
The game comprises five levels, though details of enemies / weapons vary from one version to another (the NES version in particular is more like Double Dragon than the home computer versions and is generally regarded as inferior to them). The NES and C64 versions of the game do not have a two-player co-operative mode.The Multi-Story Car Park
This level takes place in what appears to be a disused car park in the city.The protagonists are attacked by several assailants and bikers
Motorcycling
Motorcycling is the act of riding a motorcycle. A variety of subcultures and lifestyles have been built up around motorcycling.-Benefits:Robert M. Pirsig's book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was a paean celebrating motorcycling...
trying to run them over. The only way to defeat the bikers is to perform a flying kick, removing the biker from his seat without being struck by the vehicle itself. The car park comprises three floors which are accessed through an elevator
Elevator
An elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...
. Strangely the players begin the level at the top floor of the car park. On the Spectrum and Amstrad versions, some bikers carry sledgehammers which the player can retrieve and use.
The Sleazy Street at Night
The second level takes place in a run down, darkened street, and strangely for a game of such violence, the main antagonists are female and apparently prostitutes. Their main form of attack is a knee in the groin; some also carry a spiked club which the player can also use. Similarly to the bikers in the previous level, an added element of danger is added by a man (possibly a pimpPimp
A pimp is an agent for prostitutes who collects part of their earnings. The pimp may receive this money in return for advertising services, physical protection, or for providing a location where she may engage clients...
) who enters the screen at the far left and fires a gun at the player. This character emerges to fight at close quarters after shooting a few times.
The Park
The third level takes place in an empty park, complete with background trees and benches. The antagonists for this level are skin headed thugs wearing vests. Spectrum and Amstrad versions also include punks and pushers. Unlike in previous levels, where one particular enemy appears holding that location's weapon and must be disarmed, the weapon for this area, which is an axe, can be found lying on the ground in the middle of the park, and no enemies are able to use it.The Mall
The penultimate level of the game is located in a shopping mall. On some versions this is the first level in which ordinary antagonists carry weapons, in this case baseball bats. The Spectrum version has no weapons at all on this level, however in the Amstrad version the enemies carry a brick which they throw at you. If you manage to avoid it, you can pick up the brick and throw it back at them. To complete this level the player must fight through a street gang called the Beasty Boys (obviously based on hip-hop group The Beastie BoysBeastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
, and wearing baseball caps and hip-hop style clothing). This is also the first level in the game where the antagonists can avoid your flying kick move by crouching. Also present on this level is the Beasty Boys' mascot, a Pit Bull terrier
Pit bull
A Pit bull is any of several breeds of dog in the molosser breed group.Many jurisdictions that restrict pit bulls, including Ontario, Canada,, Miami, Florida, U.S...
that runs onto the screen periodically and tries to savage the protagonist(s).
The Bar
The climactic level of the game takes place in a barBar (establishment)
A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
owned by Mr. Big, the game's final villain. To reach Mr. Big the player must fight through a number of burly staff / doormen / bouncers, some wielding snooker cues, dressed in waistcoats and bow ties. Their main offensive move is to grapple the player and deliver three head-butts. Once the player is grappled, he himself cannot break the hold. However, if a second player is present, his partner can be "rescued" by delivering a "back kick" to the bartender. Upon completing this stage, the player/s move on to a "back room" to fight Mr. Big. A fighter of large stature, Mr. Big can grapple a player and perform a bear hug
Bear hug
In wrestling, a bear hug, also known as a bodylock, is a grappling clinch hold and stand-up grappling position where the arms are wrapped around the opponent, either around the opponent's chest, midsection, or thighs; sometimes with one or both of the opponents arms pinned to the opponent's body...
which is impossible to break and ultimately fatal (again, the exception is that the second player can interrupt the bear hug). However, Mr. Big cannot perform this move on the player if he has his back turned to him. Therefore, the most effective strategy for defeating Mr. Big is to face away from him for the duration of the fight, attacking using only back kicks.
Style and execution
The Spectrum and Amstrad versions were very similar in structure, enemy placement etc. The Commodore version used smaller, more stylised sprites.Cheat modes
In the single player mode of the Spectrum version, when the player is asked to enter their name in the High Score table they should press caps-shift repeatedly until an entire line of the screen is covered in symbols. Once this name has been submitted, the game will restart. The screen will become corrupted but this will be sorted once scrolling begins or a new screen is accessed. The player will now have infinite lives.Related games
Ocean SoftwareOcean Software
The British company Ocean Software was one of the biggest European video game developers/publishers of the 1980s and 90s...
produced a second Renegade sequel titled Renegade 3: The Final Chapter. Technos Japan Corp., the developers of the original arcade version of Renegade, produced their own line of sequels and spinoffs to Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun, the Japanese version of Renegade, for the Japanese market. Target: Renegade and Renegade 3 are not related in any way to the Kunio-kun series.
In 2006 an unofficial remake of the Spectrum version was released for Windows. Expanding the multiplayer element to allow six simultaneous players, Target; 2006 received a 70% score in issue 41 of Retro Gamer
Retro Gamer
Retro Gamer is a British magazine, published worldwide, covering retro video games. It was the first commercial magazine to be devoted entirely to the subject. Although launched as a quarterly publication, Retro Gamers soon became a monthly...
.