Running Battle
From Sega Retro
Running Battle | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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System(s): Sega Master System | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Publisher: Sega | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Developer: Sega | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Distributor: Tec Toy (BR) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Genre: Action[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Number of players: 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Running Battle is a beat-'em-up game released for the Sega Master System. It was released only in Europe and Brazil. The game received mixed to negative reviews due to the repetitive gameplay, backgrounds, and soundtrack.
The instruction manual is unique in that it contains several comic book-style story segments, which is unusual for a manual of an overseas Master System release.
Contents
Story
The mysterious "M" and his "Soldiers of Darkness" operate in a shadowy part of the city called the "Dark Zone." Sgt. Brody of the police force decided to put an end to their wanton killing, but he was killed by M. His partner, Detective Sgt. Gray, ventures into the Dark Zone with the intent of taking down M and avenging his partner.
Gameplay
This game is a side-scrolling beat-'em-up where a police officer named Detective Sgt. Gray attempts to infiltrate the "Dark Zone," a place in the city so dangerous even police are reluctant to enter, and bring the killers of his partner Brody to justice. Stages are divided into multiple sections, with a boss at the end.
Gray moves with and , crouches with , and jumps with . He attacks with . He can attack with a jumping kick with while in the air, a crouching punch with +, or a high kick with +. Gray can find special weapons that replace his standing attack (but not his crouching or jumping attacks). Weapons have limited ammunition. At the end of a section, Gray can enter the doors to the next section with when all of the enemies on the screen have been defeated.
Gray has a health meter consisting of 20 segments. He loses health segments when he is attacked by enemies and loses a life (depicted as a heart) when he loses his last segment. Health is not restored between stages but can be recovered by collecting health items. He can lose a life by falling into bottomless pits between platforms as well. Enemies also have health meters. When Gray loses a life, one of his extra life hearts drops down and transforms into him, letting him continue the stage. The game ends if the player runs out of lives, but it can be continued from the beginning of the current stage up to five times.
Items
Only one power-up effect can be active at a time (which includes possessing firearms), so collecting one replaces any other effect that may be active.
G | |
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Arms Gray with a pistol with 30 shots. The pistol shoots fast bullets that hit a single enemy. | |
R | |
Arms Gray with a rifle with 10 cartridges. The rifle shoots slow rounds that can penetrate through multiple enemies. | |
Life | |
Restores all of Gray's lost health. | |
SS | |
Increases Gray's attack power by four times and his defense by two times for a duration. | |
SR | |
Makes Gray invincible and grants him increased speed and agility for a duration. He can run forward with super speed after collecting this item, defeating enemies he touches and running over gaps in platforms and past obstacles. The player receives 2,000 bonus points for each enemy defeated while in this state. | |
1 Up | |
Awards an extra life. |
Stages
Dark Zone | |
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Map: 1️⃣ | |
Parson Hangout 1 | |
Map: 1️⃣
Boss: Captain Brass | |
Parson Hangout 2 | |
Map: 1️⃣
Boss: Killer the Kid | |
Parson Hangout 3 | |
Map: 1️⃣
Boss: Samrai Man | |
If the player gets a game over and continues on this stage or after, Gray restarts at this stage. | |
ESP Training Room | |
Map: 1️⃣
Boss: Milacle Man | |
Hitting the switch leads to a different room where someone named Mary is being held captive before heading into the boss room, which changes the ending. | |
Mr. M Last Boss | |
Boss: Mr. M | |
Production credits
Magazine articles
- Main article: Running Battle/Magazine articles.
Promotional material
Physical scans
ExpandSega Retro Average |
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58 | |
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Based on 13 reviews |
Master System, BX† |
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Master System, CZ/SK (ITO CS) |
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Master System, BR |
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Technical information
ROM dump status
System | Hash | Size | Build Date | Source | Comments | |||
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? | 256kB | Cartridge (EU) |
References
- ↑ File:RunningBattle SMS EU Box.jpg
- ↑ Sega Pro, "November 1991" (UK; 1991-xx-xx), page 9
- ↑ Sega Power, "November 1991" (UK; 1991-10-04), page 11
- ↑ Computer & Video Games, "November 1991" (UK; 1991-10-15), page 83
- ↑ Jump up to: 5.0 5.1 Sega Power, "March 1992" (UK; 1992-02-06), page 47
- ↑ Supergame, "Março 1992" (BR; 1992-03-xx), page 44
- ↑ http://hikoshi.matrix.jp/prof/index.shtml (Wayback Machine: 2021-07-22 01:11)
- ↑ Ação Games, "Fevereiro 1992" (BR; 1992-02-xx), page 36
- ↑ Consoles +, "Février 1992" (FR; 1992-0x-xx), page 124
- ↑ Console XS, "June/July 1992" (UK; 1992-04-23), page 144
- ↑ Joystick, "Janvier 1992" (FR; 199x-xx-xx), page 125
- ↑ Mega Force, "Janvier 1992" (FR; 1992-01-15), page 96
- ↑ Mean Machines, "February 1992" (UK; 1992-01-27), page 56
- ↑ Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 135
- ↑ Player One, "Février 1992" (FR; 1992-xx-xx), page 85
- ↑ Play Time, "2/92" (DE; 1992-01-08), page 90
- ↑ Sega Pro, "March 1992" (UK; 1992-02-20), page 36
- ↑ Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 72
- ↑ Sega Force, "Februrary 1992" (UK; 1992-01-23), page 30
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