Rambo III (Mega Drive)

For the Sega Master System version, see Rambo III (Master System).

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Rambo III
System(s): Sega Mega Drive
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Sega
Licensor: Carolco
Sound driver: pre-SMPS Z80
Genre: Shooting, Action
Number of players: 1-2
Release Date RRP Code JP 1989-10-21 ¥5,5005,500 G-4010 US 1989-11 1006 EU 1990-09 1006 BX 199x PT 199x UK 1990-10 £29.9929.99 1006 SE (Rental) 199x AU 199x BR 199x KR 199x GM4007JG

Rambo III (ランボーIII) is a Sega Mega Drive overhead run-and-gun game developed and published by Sega. Based on the titular 1988 action film Rambo III, it was first released in Japan in October 1989, and is notably one of the first movie-based games released for the system.

Story

Rambo sets out on a dangerous journey to Afghanistan in order to rescue his former commander and his longtime best friend, Colonel Sam Trautman, from the hands of an extremely powerful and ruthless Soviet Army colonel.

Gameplay

The game is an overhead run-and-gun played as the soldier John Rambo. He moves in any direction with the D-Pad. He can move and backtrack through the stages freely. He fires his machine gun with . The machine gun has unlimited ammunition. If fired while moving, it fires in the direction that Rambo is running; if fired while standing still, it sweeps from side to side. Rambo is also equipped with three secondary weapons, which are switched with and used with .

Enemies fire slow-moving projectiles that can be dodged. Some enemies lob grenades or set timed bombs. Rambo loses a life if he is hit by enemy fire. He can also be blown up by his own bombs. He revives immediately with a brief period of invulnerability if the player has extra lives remaining. The game ends if the player runs out of lives. The player is given an extra life for completing a mission without losing a life.

After some of the missions, the perspective switches to a view behind Rambo and fights helicopters or tanks. He is armed with a bow and arrow, which is aimed with the D-Pad and fired with , , or . Holding the fire button charges the attack. Rambo can take cover behind rocks or other obstacles.

Most missions involve reaching the exit, but some of them have other objectives that must be completed first. The player receives bonus points for completing a mission under certain time thresholds.

There is a two-player mode where players take turns playing each mission. There are four difficulty levels (Easy, Normal, Hard, and Hardest).

Weapons

	Survival Knife
	Rambo can kill enemies in melee range with his knife. Enemies killed in this manner are more likely to drop items. The player is also awarded bonus points for each enemy killed with the knife; the amount of points awarded increases for each enemy killed (until Rambo loses a life or the stage ends).
	Bow and Arrow Explosives
	Rambo fires an exploding arrow with his longbow. Holding charges the arrow for a more powerful explosion. Explosive arrows are effective at destroying armored enemies such as tanks. This weapon has limited ammunition.
	Time Bomb
	Rambo drops a bomb with a 5-second countdown timer, which does damage in an area when it explodes. Bombs are useful for destroying vehicles, watch towers, and barricades. This weapon has limited supply.

Items

Items are sometimes dropped by enemies. They disappear if not collected.

	Bow and Arrow
	Increases Rambo's Bow and Arrow ammunition by 5.
	Time Bomb
	Increases Rambo's Time Bomb stock by 3.
	Life
	Gives the player an extra life.

Missions

	Infiltrate Enemy Lines!
	Map: 1️⃣
	Rescue Secret Agent!
	Map: 1️⃣
	Rambo must rescue all of the hostages before the exit opens.
	Get to the Arsenal!
	Map: 1️⃣
	Blow Up all the Enemy's Weapons!
	Map: 1️⃣
	Rambo must blow up all of the enemy weapon stores and helicopters before the exit opens.
	Penetrate the Fortress!
	Map: 1️⃣
	Rescue Colonel Trautman!
	Map: 1️⃣
	Rambo must locate and free Colonel Trautman.

Production credits

Though the game does not include a staff roll, two initials can be found in the game's levels. "ASO" can be found in Mission 4, likely referring to Hiroshi Aso. "Y.S" can be found in Mission 6, though it is unknown who this could be referring to.

• Sound all: Kazuhiko Nagai

Source:

Uncredited

Magazine articles

Main article: Rambo III (Mega Drive)/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

MX advert (1992)

Print advert in Beep! MegaDrive (JP) #1989-09: "September 1989" (1989-XX-XX)

Print advert in Beep! MegaDrive (JP) #1989-09: "September 1989" (1989-XX-XX)

Print advert in Mega Drive Fan (JP) #2: "November 1989" (1989-10-07)

Print advert in Computer Games (GR) #3: "Ioúnios 1990" (1990-xx-xx)

Print advert in ACE (UK) #37: "October 1990" (1990-09-xx)
also published in:

• Computer & Video Games (UK) #107: "October 1990" (1990-09-16)

Print advert in Mean Machines Sega (UK) #11: "September 1993" (1993-07-30)

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

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Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average

Publication Version Score 1700 igr dlya Sega (RU) 60 Aktueller Software Markt (DE) 52 Beep! MegaDrive (JP) NTSC-J 60 Computer Entertainer (US) 83 Complete Guide to Consoles (UK) 87 The Complete Guide to Sega (UK) 87 Console XS (UK) PAL 76 Cool Gamer (RU) 50 Computer & Video Games (UK) 85 Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U 65 Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 10 (RU) 80 Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide (UK) 80 Famitsu (JP) NTSC-J 60 Joystick (FR) 84 Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK) PAL 47 Mega Drive Fan (JP) NTSC-J 66 Mega (UK) PAL 74 MegaTech (UK) PAL 83 Mean Machines (UK) 86 Mean Machines Sega (UK) 87 Pixel (GR) 93 Power Play (DE) 78 Raze (UK) PAL 80 Sega Power (UK) PAL 75 Sega Pro (UK) 80 Sega Pro (UK) PAL 76 Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J 54 Tricks 16 bit (RU) 76 User (GR) NTSC-J 92

	74
Based on 29 reviews

Rambo III (Mega Drive)

Mega Drive, JP
Cover
Cart Manual

Mega Drive, US
Cover
Cart Manual

Mega Drive, EU
Cover
Cart Manual Manual Back PCB

Mega Drive, BX†
Cover

Mega Drive, PT
Cover

Mega Drive, SE (rental)

Mega Drive, AU
Cover

Mega Drive, BR
Cover
Cart Manual

Mega Drive, KR
Cover
Cart

Technical information

Main article: Rambo III (Mega Drive)/Technical information.

References

Games based on movies starring Sylvester Stallone for Sega systems
	Rambo: First Blood Part II (1986) | Rocky (1987) | Rambo III (1988)
	Rambo III (1989) | Cliffhanger (1993) | Demolition Man (1995) | Judge Dredd (1995)
	Cliffhanger (1993) | Demolition Man (1995)
	Cliffhanger (1993) | Judge Dredd (1995)
	Rambo (2008)