Heavy Unit: Mega Drive Special

From Sega Retro

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HeavyUnit MDTitleScreen.png

Heavy Unit: Mega Drive Special
System(s): Sega Mega Drive
Publisher: Toho[1]
Developer:
Original system(s): Arcade boards
Developer(s) of original games: Kaneko
Genre: Shooting[2]

















Number of players: 1
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Mega Drive
JP
¥6,400 (6,592)6,400e[3] T-27013

Heavy Unit: Mega Drive Special (ヘビーユニット メガドライブスペシャル) is a Sega Mega Drive horizontal shoot-'em-up developed by Funari[1] and published by Toho.[1] An enhanced port of the titular 1988 Kaneko arcade game Heavy Unit, it was released exclusively in Japan in December 1990.[2]

Story

Humans have developed an artificial planet, "Le Tau," which under attack by genetically modified alien monsters. Only the Heavy Unit, a heavily armed, transforming mecha, can defeat the onslaught and protect the human colony.

Gameplay

The game is a side-scrolling shoot-'em-up played as the Heavy Unit, a spaceship that can transform into a giant robot. The Heavy Unit starts in its spaceship form initially but can transform between forms by collecting a power-up.

The Heavy Unit moves in any direction using the D-Pad. The ship's movement speed can be upgraded multiple times. While the game autoscrolls forward, some sections have more verticality and let the player fly the ship higher or lower. It fires its main weapon with A or C, which shoots straight ahead. The Heavy Unit uses its secondary weapon with B, which is dropping bombs directly downward in the spaceship form or a homing attack in the mecha form. Both the main and secondary weapons can be fired simultaneously, and rapid-fire for both can be enabled in the options before starting the game. All weapons can be upgraded by collecting power-ups. The spaceship's main weapon turns into a tall spread that covers more area and its bombs are dropped both upwards and downwards, while the mecha's weapons increase in power.

The Heavy Unit is destroyed in a single hit from an enemy (though there is a shield item that allows it to withstand more hits). Stages are divided into multiple parts, and the ship restarts at a predetermined checkpoint if the player has extra lives remaining (or the game ends if the player has no lives left but can be continued for a credit). The ship uses all of its upgrades when it is destroyed. There are three difficulty levels (Easy, Normal, and Hard). Unusually, there is an option called "Control" that affects whether the Heavy Unit has inertia (Normal is default movement, while Organize activates inertia).

Items

Items are dropped by some enemies when they are destroyed.

Heavy Unit MD, Items.png
S
Increases the speed of the ship, up to 7 times.
Heavy Unit MD, Items.png
P
Increases the firepower of the ship, up to 3 times.
Heavy Unit MD, Items.png
B
Grants the ship a shield that protects it from three hits before disappearing.
Heavy Unit MD, Items.png
T
Transforms between the spaceship and mecha forms.
Heavy Unit MD, Items.png
E
Gives the player an extra life, up to a maximum of 9.

Stages

Heavy Unit MD, Stage 1-1.png

Heavy Unit MD, Stage 1-2.png

Heavy Unit MD, Stage 1-3.png

Heavy Unit MD, Stage 1-4.png

  • Heavy Unit MD, Stage 1-1.png

  • Heavy Unit MD, Stage 1-2.png

  • Heavy Unit MD, Stage 1-3.png

  • Heavy Unit MD, Stage 1-4.png

敵基地外縁部

Heavy Unit MD, Stage 2-1.png

Heavy Unit MD, Stage 2-2.png

Heavy Unit MD, Stage 2-3.png

Heavy Unit MD, Stage 2-4.png

  • Heavy Unit MD, Stage 2-1.png

  • Heavy Unit MD, Stage 2-2.png

  • Heavy Unit MD, Stage 2-3.png

  • Heavy Unit MD, Stage 2-4.png

変成 植 物地帯

Heavy Unit MD, Stage 3-1.png

Heavy Unit MD, Stage 3-2.png

Heavy Unit MD, Stage 3-3.png

Heavy Unit MD, Stage 3-4.png

  • Heavy Unit MD, Stage 3-1.png

  • Heavy Unit MD, Stage 3-2.png

  • Heavy Unit MD, Stage 3-3.png

  • Heavy Unit MD, Stage 3-4.png

旧地下開発プラント

Heavy Unit MD, Stage 4-1.png

Heavy Unit MD, Stage 4-2.png

Heavy Unit MD, Stage 4-3.png

Heavy Unit MD, Stage 4-4.png

  • Heavy Unit MD, Stage 4-1.png

  • Heavy Unit MD, Stage 4-2.png

  • Heavy Unit MD, Stage 4-3.png

  • Heavy Unit MD, Stage 4-4.png

異常 生物地帯

Heavy Unit MD, Stage 5-1.png

Heavy Unit MD, Stage 5-2.png

Heavy Unit MD, Stage 5-3.png

Heavy Unit MD, Stage 5-4.png

Heavy Unit MD, Stage 5-5.png

Heavy Unit MD, Stage 5-6.png

  • Heavy Unit MD, Stage 5-1.png

  • Heavy Unit MD, Stage 5-2.png

  • Heavy Unit MD, Stage 5-3.png

  • Heavy Unit MD, Stage 5-4.png

  • Heavy Unit MD, Stage 5-5.png

  • Heavy Unit MD, Stage 5-6.png

敵基地中 心部

Heavy Unit MD, Final Boss.png

Last Stage

Versions

Heavy Unit: Mega Drive Special features the same amount of stages as its arcade counterpart but with partially modified enemies placements and behaviors. Stage 2 has now an underwater theme and an added raster scroll effect. Unlike the arcade release, the game also does not loop after finishing it.

Production credits

  • Presented by: Toho
  • Original Design by: Kaneko
  • Programmed by: Funari
  • Special Thanks to: Mr. Harada, Mr. Kasai, and Mr. Hasuya
Source:
In-game credits
Heavy Unit MD credits.pdf
[4]


Magazine articles

Main article: Heavy Unit: Mega Drive Special/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert in Beep! MegaDrive (JP) #1989-11: "November 1989" (1989-XX-XX)
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Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert in Beep! MegaDrive (JP) #1990-11: "November 1990" (1990-10-XX)
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Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert in Beep! MegaDrive (JP) #1990-12: "December 1990" (1990-11-08)
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Print advert in Beep! MegaDrive (JP) #1991-01: "January 1991" (1990-12-08)
also published in:
Logo-pdf.svg
HeavyUnit MD JP PrintAdvert.jpg
Print advert
HeavyUnit MD JP PrintAdvert.jpg

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
{{{{{icon}}}|L}} Division by zero.
Based on
0 review
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
1700 igr dlya Sega (RU)
30
[6]
Aktueller Software Markt (DE)
68
[7]
Beep! MegaDrive (JP) NTSC-J
55
[8]
The Complete Guide to Sega (UK) NTSC-J
82
[9]
Console XS (UK) NTSC-J
78
[10]
Computer & Video Games (UK)
75
[11]
Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide (UK)
75
[12]
Famitsu (JP) NTSC-J
63
[13]
Génération 4 (FR)
81
[14]
Game Zone (UK) NTSC-J
88
[15]
Hippon Super (JP) NTSC-J
30
[16]
Joystick (FR) NTSC-J
75
[17]
Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK) NTSC-J
27
[18]
Mega Drive Fan (JP) NTSC-J
60
[19]
MegaTech (UK) NTSC-J
85
[20]
Mean Machines Sega (UK)
85
[21]
Power Play (DE)
46
[22]
Sega Power (UK) NTSC-J
50
[23]
Sega Pro (UK)
79
[24]
Sega Pro (UK) NTSC-J
78
[25]
Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J
44
[26]
Tilt (FR)
75
[27]
Sega Mega Drive
65
Based on
22 reviews

Heavy Unit: Mega Drive Special

Mega Drive, JP
HeavyUnit MD JP Box.jpg
Cover
HeavyUnit MD JP CartTop.jpg
HeavyUnit MD JP Cart Back.jpgHeavyUnit MD JP Cart.jpg
Cart
HeavyUnit MD JP Manual.pdf
Manual

Technical information

Main article: Heavy Unit: Mega Drive Special/Technical information.

References

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NEC Retro has more information related to Heavy Unit
  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 http://gdri.smspower.org/wiki/index.php/Funari
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 https://sega.jp/history/hard/megadrive/software_l.html (Wayback Machine: 2020-07-02 23:21)
  3. Beep! MegaDrive, "January 1991" (JP; 1990-12-08), page 10
  4. File:Heavy Unit MD credits.pdf
  5. Mega Drive Fan, "January 1991" (JP; 1990-12-08), page 35
  6. 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 136
  7. Aktueller Software Markt, "März 1991" (DE; 1991-02-22), page 126
  8. Beep! MegaDrive, "February 1991" (JP; 1991-01-08), page 30
  9. The Complete Guide to Sega, "" (UK; 1991-05-xx), page 88
  10. Console XS, "June/July 1992" (UK; 1992-04-23), page 130
  11. Computer & Video Games, "March 1991" (UK; 1991-02-16), page 88
  12. Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 57
  13. Famitsu, "" (JP; 199x-xx-xx), page 1
  14. Génération 4, "Février 1991" (FR; 1991-xx-xx), page 99
  15. Game Zone, "November 1991" (UK; 1991-10-08), page 59
  16. Hippon Super, "January 1991" (JP; 1990-12-04), page 42
  17. Joystick, "Mars 1991" (FR; 1991-0x-xx), page 110
  18. Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "January 1993" (UK; 199x-xx-xx), page 92
  19. Mega Drive Fan, "March 1991" (JP; 1991-02-08), page 99
  20. MegaTech, "Xmas 1991" (UK; 1991-12-06), page 78
  21. Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 139
  22. Power Play, "4/91" (DE; 1991-03-15), page 134
  23. Sega Power, "October 1991" (UK; 1991-09-05), page 53
  24. Sega Pro, "Christmas 1991" (UK; 1991-12-12), page 47
  25. Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 66
  26. Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 87
  27. Tilt, "Mai 1991" (FR; 1991-0x-xx), page 83
Heavy Unit: Mega Drive Special

HeavyUnit MDTitleScreen.png

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Music: Heavy Unit Sound Charger (1990)

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