The Terminator (Mega-CD)
From Sega Retro
- For the Sega Mega Drive, Sega Master System and Sega Game Gear games, see The Terminator.
The Terminator | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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System(s): Sega Mega-CD | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Publisher: Virgin Games | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Developer: Virgin Games | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Genre: Action | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Number of players: 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Terminator is a Sega Mega-CD action platform game developed and published by Virgin Games. Based on the 1984 film The Terminator, the game was released in June 1993 to positive reception, particularly in regards to composer Tommy Tallarico's soundtrack. The game is based on the Mega Drive version, but it has been significantly reworked and is substantially longer.
The game was a standout title for both Virgin Games and the Sega Mega-CD platform, and was praised for its detailed graphics and animation, its memorable soundtrack, and the inclusion of digitized scenes from the original film.
Contents
Story
The game follows the story of the film. In the future, man and machine are locked in an existential war with one another. Skynet, the artificial intelligence controlling the machines and trying to eradicate the human race, sends a cyborg assassin back in time to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor, the mother of resistance leader John Connor. John Connor, in turn, sends soldier Kyle Reese back in time to find Sarah first and protect her.
Gameplay
The Terminator is a run-and-gun platform game where the player plays as the time-traveling soldier Kyle Reese. The early levels are set in the apocalyptic future of 2029 during the war between humanity and the machines. At the end of the Skynet stages, Reese travels back in time to Los Angeles in 1984.
Reese is moved with and
. He is armed with a rifle with unlimited ammunition that is fired with
. The rifle can be upgraded by finding weapon power-ups throughout the stages. In both time periods, the rifle is initially single-shot but all of the upgraded weapons can be rapidly fired by holding the button. He throws grenades in 2029 and pipe bombs in 1984 with
. These weapons are limited in quantity but can be found as item pick-ups. He kneels with
and jumps with
. He climbs ladders with
and descends them with
. All weapons can be used while crouching, jumping, running, or on ladders. The rifle can also be fired in the upward diagonal directions when standing or the downward diagonal directions when on a ladder. Reese also controls elevators with
and
.
Reese has a health gauge, which can be replenished by finding health pick-ups. Reese takes damage from enemies, hazards, and falling from great heights. He loses a life if he loses all of his health, though extra lives can be found throughout the stages as well. The game ends if the player runs out of lives. There are no continues and no save or password system.
Items
Partial Health Pack | |
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Replenishes a quarter of Reese's health gauge. | |
Full Health Pack | |
Fully replenishes Reese's health gauge. | |
Flak Vest | |
Temporary shields Reese from damage. | |
1-Up | |
Awards the player with an extra life. | |
Bomb Canister | |
Gives Reese three more grenades or pipe bombs. | |
Node | |
Checkpoint where Reese is revived after losing a life. |
Weapons
2029
Repeater Rifle | |
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An improved version of the standard rifle that has continuous fire. Found in the Human Outpost stage. | |
Battle Rifle | |
Shoots fewer but stronger shots. Found near the end of the Skynet Base 1 stage. |
1984
M15 CAW | |
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An improved version of the standard rifle that has continuous fire. Found in the City Streets stage. | |
M205 | |
Shoots fewer but stronger shots. Found in the TechNoir Bar stage. | |
Flame Thrower | |
Powerful weapon that hurls balls of fire. Found in the Cyberdyne Factory 1 stage. | |
Grenade Launcher | |
Slow-firing weapon that lobs grenades. Found near the end of the Cyberdyne Factory 2 stage. |
Stages
Human Outpost | |
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Holocaust L.A. | |
Skynet Base 1 | |
Skynet Base 2 | |
City Streets | |
City Rooftops | |
TechNoir Bar | |
Police Station | |
Cyberdyne Factory 1 | |
Cyberdyne Factory 2 | |
Music and sound
The game has been particularly praised for its soundtrack, which was composed by Tommy Tallarico and includes hard rock, pop, and techno music.
“ | If you played The Terminator CD, the graphics were still very much 16-bit-looking and the music you'd hear would be like music on the radio or on an album – and it was a bit jarring. So I would get into screaming matches with the producers because they told me they didn't want that proper music in the game. They said it doesn't sound like a videogame and I said exactly – it doesn't have to any more! | „ |
The game uses QSound. The developers were given the rights to use the Terminator theme but not the original recording, so it was re-recorded in MIDI for the game.
Production credits
The game divides its credits into two: the main developers are listed in the introduction, while assistant staff are listed in the end credits.
- Developed by: Virgin Games
- Programmed by: Salias Warner
- Script: Erik Yeo, Justin Norr
- Set Design: Nick Bruty, Kevin Toft
- Character Design: Doug Cope, Roger Hardy, Clark Sorensen
- Original Music: Tommy Tallarico
- Video and Sound: Steve Henifin
- Original Concept: Dave Perry
- Producers: Tom Gibson, Barry Pringle
- Design Assistance: Justin Norr, Kevin Norr, Mark Yamada
- Programming Assistance: John Alvaardo, Matt From, David Perry
- Artists: Mike Dietz, Shawn Maclean, Barry J.S. Pringle, Dean Ruggles, Edward Schofield, Bob Steele, Bob Stevenson, Daniel Wong, Willis Wong
- Quality Assurance: Mike McCaa, Chris McFarland, Jared Brinkley, David Fries, Bijan Shaheer, Harvard Bonin, Nick Camerota, Susan Haight, Erik Harshman, Ken Love, Paul Moore, Chad Soares, Chris Toft, Jon Williams, Noah Tool, Tim Williams
- Executive Producers: "Doc" Clarke-Willson, Guy Johnson, David Bishop
- Production: Seth Mandlesohn, Craig Warmsley, Jeff Buccellato, Kevin Norr
- Produced With: ROM DevBios from Malibu Interactive
- Music Mixed in QSound™ by Buzz Borrowes
- ©1993 Virgin Games USA.
Magazine articles
- Main article: The Terminator (Mega-CD)/Magazine articles.
Promotional material
also published in:
- Sega Visions (US) #15: "October/November 1993" (1993-xx-xx)[11]
also published in:
- GamePro (US) #57: "April 1994" (1994-xx-xx)[12]
- Game Players (US) #0705: "Vol. 7 No. 5 May 1994" (1994-0x-xx)[13]
- Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) #58: "May 1994" (1994-xx-xx)[14]
Physical scans
Sega Retro Average | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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74 | |
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Based on 16 reviews |
Technical information
- Main article: The Terminator (Mega-CD)/Technical information.
ROM dump status
System | Hash | Size | Build Date | Source | Comments | |||||||||
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? |
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474,737,088 | CD-ROM (EU) | T-70015-50 | ||||||||||
✔ |
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468,937,056 | CD-ROM (US) | T-70015 | ||||||||||
? |
|
1993-05-11 | CD-R | Page |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 GamePro, "June 1993" (US; 1993-xx-xx), page 64
- ↑ Mega Play, "June 1993" (US; 1993-0x-xx), page 44
- ↑ Sega Force Mega, "January 1994" (UK; 1993-12-16), page 8
- ↑ Computer Trade Weekly, "" (UK; 1994-03-07), page 17
- ↑ Mega, "January 1994" (UK; 1993-12-16), page 45
- ↑ Mega Power, "May 1994" (UK; 1994-04-21), page 61
- ↑ Video Games, "9/93" (DE; 1993-08-25), page 43
- ↑ https://www.retrogamer.net/profiles/developer/tommy-tallarico/
- ↑ File:Terminator MCD opening credits.pdf
- ↑ File:Terminator MCD ending credits.pdf
- ↑ Sega Visions, "October/November 1993" (US; 1993-xx-xx), page 36
- ↑ GamePro, "April 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 25
- ↑ Game Players, "Vol. 7 No. 5 May 1994" (US; 1994-0x-xx), page 23
- ↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly, "May 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 209
- ↑ Ação Games, "Março 1994" (BR; 1994-03-01), page 28
- ↑ Console Mania, "Aprile 1994" (IT; 1994-0x-xx), page 94
- ↑ Consoles +, "Avril 1994" (FR; 1994-0x-xx), page 112
- ↑ Game Players, "Vol. 7 No. 3 March 1994" (US; 1994-0x-xx), page 50
- ↑ Joypad, "Avril 1994" (FR; 1994-0x-xx), page 98
- ↑ MAN!AC, "04/94" (DE; 1994-03-09), page 39
- ↑ Mega, "January 1994" (UK; 1993-12-16), page 44
- ↑ Mega Force, "Avril 1994" (FR; 1994-0x-xx), page 76
- ↑ MegaTech, "February 1994" (UK; 1994-01-20), page 64
- ↑ Player One, "Avril 1994" (FR; 1994-0x-xx), page 98
- ↑ Sega Power, "February 1994" (UK; 1994-01-06), page 74
- ↑ Sega Zone, "February 1994" (UK; 1994-01-27), page 63
- ↑ Supersonic, "Avril 1994" (FR; 1994-xx-xx), page 16
- ↑ Video Games, "3/94" (DE; 1994-02-23), page 76
- ↑ VideoGames, "April 1994" (US; 1994-0x-xx), page 82
The Terminator (Mega-CD) | |
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Main page | Comparisons | Maps | Hidden content | Magazine articles | Reception
Prototypes: 1993-05-11
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RoboCop and Terminator franchise games for Sega systems | |
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The Terminator (1992) | T2: The Arcade Game (1992) | RoboCop 3 (1993) | Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1993) | RoboCop Versus The Terminator (1993) | |
The Terminator (1992) | T2: The Arcade Game (1993) | RoboCop 3 (1993) | Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1993) | RoboCop Versus The Terminator (1994) | |
The Terminator (1992) | T2: The Arcade Game (1993) | RoboCop 3 (1993) | Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1993) | RoboCop Versus The Terminator (1994) | |
The Terminator (1993) |
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