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Target Earth (video game)
Encyclopedia
Target Earth is a video game developed by NCS Corp in 1990 for the Sega Genesis and the Sega Mega Drive
. It has since been re-released on the Wii
as a Virtual Console
product in Japan. Target Earth is the English translation of the original Japanese version, Assault Suit Leynos
. While the official information for the game indicates that it is only single player, it is possible to have two players opposing each other by using two controllers.
(and its colonies) against a cyborg army returning from the farthest reaches of space. In the game's 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 a hundred years earlier.
The Earth Defense League fights to defend Earth. The heart of the defensive movement is the Assault Suit-- a twelve-foot tall armored battle machine with awesome fighting capabilities. You are Rex, an Assault Suit Wing commander and master at Assault Suit combat. The battle begins on Ganymede
but shifts to battles in space, on the Earth, and inside enemy outposts.
Target Earth is memorable for its well-developed storyline (particularly for an action shooter), catchy music, impressive parallax effects for its time, reward mechanics, and legendary difficulty.
Assault Suit Wing Chief Commander: Although not officially explained in-game, this character appears to Rex's superior and may be the chief commander of all Assault Suit Wings. Gets shot down in the last stage but sacrifices himself and crashes into the Chron mothership, creating an entrance for Rex.
Captain: A senior officer that appears in Stages 6-8 and appears to be the captain of the ship that is constructed after Stage 5.
Leana: Rex's sweetheart. She supplies Rex with weapons and constantly fears for his safety (although she tries hard to hide her concern). She appears on the options screen after the player utilizes a special trick to get 9 continues.
Rance Culzus: Rex's recurring nemesis. A formidable opponent and commander of Chron's Attack Suit Wing. Becomes a cyborg after suffering a severe defeat at the hands of the protagonist.
Enemy Commander: The overlord and commander of all of Chron's forces. Knows the true secret of Chron.
with some subdued platforming elements. The player's performance after completing a stage dictates what weapons, armor, and accessories are unlocked in the next stage. The game features 14 weapons, which was considered a lot of firepower for an action game in the early 90's. The wide assortment of armaments increased replay value by encouraging the player to experiment with different ways to defeat enemies.
, is actually a remake of original Target Earth. Both games, although different in genre and name, have more or less the same plot: outcasts return to Earth and attack the Earth Government that left them behind. Just like the first game, war begins in Ganymede. However, ASV2 has a more detailed story and many new characters. ASV2 never released in English and didn't receive much attention in Japan either, possibly because it was released shortly after Front Mission 3
.
In ASV2, hero of Cybernator (Assault Suit Valken), Jake (Full name: Jake Brain) makes a cameo appearance in the game as an NPC.
.
Sega Mega Drive
The Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that...
. It has since been re-released on 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...
as a 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...
product in Japan. Target Earth is the English translation of the original Japanese version, Assault Suit Leynos
Assault Suits series
The Assault Suits series is a series of futuristic robotic war video games developed by NCS featuring soldiers manning gigantic humanoid machines dubbed Assault Suits. Spanning the course of 15 years and beyond, the games would be cross-distributed, cross-published and developed between the U.S....
. While the official information for the game indicates that it is only single player, it is possible to have two players opposing each other by using two controllers.
Overview
It is the year 2201 and expanding technologies have given man the power to live anywhere in space. Amidst this backdrop, the story of Target Earth begins with a war between EarthEarth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
(and its colonies) against a cyborg army returning from the farthest reaches of space. In the game's 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 a hundred years earlier.
The Earth Defense League fights to defend Earth. The heart of the defensive movement is the Assault Suit-- a twelve-foot tall armored battle machine with awesome fighting capabilities. You are Rex, an Assault Suit Wing commander and master at Assault Suit combat. The battle begins on Ganymede
Ganymede (moon)
Ganymede is a satellite of Jupiter and the largest moon in the Solar System. It is the seventh moon and third Galilean satellite outward from Jupiter. Completing an orbit in roughly seven days, Ganymede participates in a 1:2:4 orbital resonance with the moons Europa and Io, respectively...
but shifts to battles in space, on the Earth, and inside enemy outposts.
Target Earth is memorable for its well-developed storyline (particularly for an action shooter), catchy music, impressive parallax effects for its time, reward mechanics, and legendary difficulty.
Main Characters
Rex: The hero and game's protagonist. A master of Assault Suit combat and commander of the Assault Suit Wing on Ganymede base.Assault Suit Wing Chief Commander: Although not officially explained in-game, this character appears to Rex's superior and may be the chief commander of all Assault Suit Wings. Gets shot down in the last stage but sacrifices himself and crashes into the Chron mothership, creating an entrance for Rex.
Captain: A senior officer that appears in Stages 6-8 and appears to be the captain of the ship that is constructed after Stage 5.
Leana: Rex's sweetheart. She supplies Rex with weapons and constantly fears for his safety (although she tries hard to hide her concern). She appears on the options screen after the player utilizes a special trick to get 9 continues.
Rance Culzus: Rex's recurring nemesis. A formidable opponent and commander of Chron's Attack Suit Wing. Becomes a cyborg after suffering a severe defeat at the hands of the protagonist.
Enemy Commander: The overlord and commander of all of Chron's forces. Knows the true secret of Chron.
Gameplay
Target Earth consists of 8 stages. Much of the game's mechanics fall in line with those of horizontal shootersShoot 'em up
Shoot 'em up is a subgenre of shooter video games. In a shoot 'em up, the player controls a lone character, often in a spacecraft or aircraft, shooting large numbers of enemies while dodging their attacks. The genre in turn encompasses various types or subgenres and critics differ on exactly what...
with some subdued platforming elements. The player's performance after completing a stage dictates what weapons, armor, and accessories are unlocked in the next stage. The game features 14 weapons, which was considered a lot of firepower for an action game in the early 90's. The wide assortment of armaments increased replay value by encouraging the player to experiment with different ways to defeat enemies.
Remake
Assault Suit Valken 2, a strategy game released for PlayStationPlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
, is actually a remake of original Target Earth. Both games, although different in genre and name, have more or less the same plot: outcasts return to Earth and attack the Earth Government that left them behind. Just like the first game, war begins in Ganymede. However, ASV2 has a more detailed story and many new characters. ASV2 never released in English and didn't receive much attention in Japan either, possibly because it was released shortly after Front Mission 3
Front Mission 3
is a tactical role-playing game for the PlayStation developed by and published by Square Co., Ltd., and was released in Japan on September 2, 1999, and later in North America on March 22, 2000, and in Europe on August 11, 2000. Front Mission 3 is the third main entry and the fifth entry overall in...
.
In ASV2, hero of Cybernator (Assault Suit Valken), Jake (Full name: Jake Brain) makes a cameo appearance in the game as an NPC.
Censorship
Certain scenes in Target Earth were censored. For example, a scene where a comrade does not make it back to the ship (and burns up in the atmosphere) was removed. The romantic relationship between Rex and Leana was also downplayed. Censorship also occurred in the spiritual prequel, CybernatorCybernator
Cybernator - known in Japan as - is a run and gun game released in 1992 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the indirect prequel to Target Earth as part of the Assault Suits series by NCS Corp. The game was localized and published overseas by Konami. A remake of Cybernator was...
.