Mick & Mack as the Global Gladiators

n/a

Mega Drive Master System Game Gear
Mick & Mack as the Global Gladiators
System(s): Sega Mega Drive, Sega Master System, Sega Game Gear
Publisher: Virgin Games
Developer: Virgin Games, Graftgold
Supporting companies: Krisalis Software (audio)
Distributor: Ecofilmes (PT) Hent Gruppen (SE rental) Tec Toy (BR)
Licensor: McDonald's Corporation
Sound driver: GEMS
Genre: Action, Arcade
Number of players: 1
Release Date RRP Code US 1992-11 $59.9959.99 T-70066 EU 1993-04 T-70066-50 EU (Classic) 1996 70066-50 DE 1993-04 DM 119.95119.95 T-70066-50 PT 1993 MDJ70066 UK 1993-05 £39.9939.99 T-70066-50 SE (Rental) 199x AU 199x BR 199x 044370 EU 1993-05 MK-27062-50 DE 1993-06 DM 89.9589.95 MK-27062-50 PT 1993 MSJ27062 UK 1993-05 £29.9929.99 MK-27062-50 AU 199x BR 1993 027090 EU 1993-05-26 T-70058-50 EU (Classic) 199x 70058-50 PT 199x UK 1993-06 £29.9929.99 T-70058-50
Non-Sega versions No results

Mick & Mack as the Global Gladiators, called just Global Gladiators in Europe and Brazil, is a run-and-gun platformer by Virgin Games for the Sega Mega Drive and Sega Master System. The Sega Game Gear version was also meant to be released in North America in July 1993 but was cancelled for unknown reasons.

The game is a McDonald's licensed game with an environmental theme, with the protagonists fighting enemies and machinery that represent pollution. It was also one of the first games to have a dark-skinned protagonist.

Story

Introduction

Mick and Mack are hanging out at a McDonald's and reading a comic book when Ronald McDonald appears and sucks them into the comic book.

Gameplay

Mega Drive version

The game is a run-and-gun platformer played as Mick or Mack (selectable in the options before starting the game). There are four worlds with three levels each, and there is only one boss fight, at the end of the game. The goal of each level is to collect Golden Arches, which unlocks the exit, similar to the later Virgin game Cool Spot. The player must collect 30 Golden Arches to complete the level or 75 Golden Arches to unlock the bonus game. Each level has 100 Golden Arches total.

Mick and Mack walk with and and break into a run after traveling in the same direction for a moment. They jump with . They are equipped with guns that shoot goo, which are fired with . Their weapons resemble Super Soaker water guns. The trajectory of the shot can be arced upward with + or downward with +. The guns can be fired while in the air or moving. Firing has a bit of recoil that pushes the character back (potentially off a platform), even in the air.

The character's health is depicted by an arrow at the bottom of the screen. The player loses a life and restarts at the last checkpoint if the character runs out of health. Some hazards instantly kill the character, such as falling into a slime pit. Each level is timed, and the player loses a life by running out of time as well. The player retains the number of Golden Arches collected after losing a life. If the player runs out of lives, the game ends unless the player has continues remaining. Continues can be collected in the bonus game.

Items

	Golden Arches
	Collect 30 to complete the level or 75 to access the bonus game. The arches spin at different rates, with the faster arches awarding more bonus points, but they are all worth the same for completing the level.
	Heart
	Fully replenishes Mick or Mack's health.
	Clock
	Gives the player more time to complete the level.
	Continue Arrow
	Checkpoint where Mick or Mack restarts after losing a life.
	1-Up
	Gives the player an extra life.
	Continue Coin
	Gives the player an extra continue.

Worlds

	Slime World
	Mystical Forest
	Toxi-Town
	Arctic World

Bonus game

Bonus game

If the player collects 75 Golden Arches in a single level, the bonus game unlocks. It is a recycling game where Mick or Mack collects falling cans, bottles, and newspapers and throws them into the matching recycling bin (by standing in front of it and pressing , , or ). The game ends if the Mick or Mack is hit by a falling anvil or lets a can, bottle, or newspaper settle on the floor for too long. The player can earn extra lives and continues in the bonus game.

History

Global Gladiators was originally announced as MC Kids 2, being a successor to the earlier M.C. Kids from 1992, another Virgin game based on McDonald's (that stars characters called Mick and Mack).

At one point, the Mega Drive version was reportedly scheduled to be published in Japan. This ultimately never came to pass, with fan speculation pointing to the release of McDonald's Treasure Land Adventure deterring a second McDonald's-themed video game in the Japanese market.

Versions

Like most Virgin Games releases, this game has speed up music for the PAL release but gameplay speed was unchanged. Playing the game at 60Hz makes the music play too fast.

Super NES and Game Boy ports were planned but eventually cancelled.

Localised names

Also known as

Language	Localised Name	English Translation
English	Global Gladiators	Global Gladiators
English (US)	Mick & Mack as the Global Gladiators	Mick & Mack as the Global Gladiators
Portuguese (Brazil)	Global Gladiators	Global Gladiators

Production credits

Mega Drive version

• Programmed by: David Perry
• Animation by: Mike Dietz
• Background Art by: Christian Laursen
• Music, Sound FX & Samples by: Tommy Tallarico
• Game Designer: David Bishop
• Levels Designed by: Bill Anderson
• Additional Background Art by: Mike Field, Steve Crow
• Artists: Shawn McLean, Clark Sorensen, Roger Hardy, Tom Tanaka, John Weir, John Wong, Rene Boutin, Willis Wong, Bill Anderson
• Sprite Engineering by: Tim Williams, Doug Cope
• FX Technician: Steven S. Henifin
• Manual by: Cathie A. Bartz-Todd
• Testing and Quality Control: Joey Kuras, Noah Tool, Justin Norr, Danny Lewis, Mike Glosecki, Eugene Martin, Michael Gater, Tim Williams
• Creative Art Direction by: Stan Gorman
• Produced by: David Luehmann
• Executive Producer: Dr. Stephen H. Clarke-Willson

Source:

In-game credits

---

• Animation: Michael Francis Dietz, Shawn McLean, Edward Schofield

Source:

US manual

Master System version

• Designed by: Virgin Games USA
• Programmed by: David Leitch
• Graphics by: Graftgold
• Music and SFX by: Krisalis
• Produced by: Matthew Spall

Source:

In-game credits

Magazine articles

Main article: Mick & Mack as the Global Gladiators/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Main article: Mick & Mack as the Global Gladiators/Promotional material.

Physical scans

Mega Drive version

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) 82 Aktueller Software Markt (DE) 75 Consoles + (FR) 92 Computer & Video Games (UK) 90 Electronic Games (1992-1995) (US) NTSC-U 83 Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U 75 Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 1 (RU) 60 Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide (UK) 79 GameFan (US) 94 Game Power (IT) 90 GamePro (US) NTSC-U 95 Gamer (GR) 88 GamesMaster (UK) PAL 86 Game Informer (US) 90 Joypad (FR) 95 Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK) PAL 83 Mega (UK) PAL 75 Mega Action (UK) 93 Mega Action (UK) PAL 88 Mega Force (FR) 96 Mega Fun (DE) NTSC-U 72 Mega Fun (DE) PAL 75 MegaTech (UK) PAL 81 Megazin (SI) 57 Micromanía (segunda época) (ES) 92 Mean Machines Sega (UK) 80 Player One (FR) 97 Play Time (DE) 81 Power Up! (UK) 86 Score (CZ) 71 Sega Magazin (DE) 82 Sega Power (UK) PAL 88 Sega Pro (UK) PAL 93 Sega Pro (UK) PAL 93 Sega Zone (UK) PAL 80 Sega Force (SE) 83 Sega Force (UK) PAL 94 Sega Force (UK) PAL 88 Supergame (BR) NTSC-U 84 Supersonic (FR) 91 Todo Sega (ES) 90 Top Secret (PL) 100 Tricks 16 bit (RU) 80 VideoGames & Computer Entertainment (US) NTSC-U 90

	84
Based on 45 reviews

Mick & Mack as the Global Gladiators

Mega Drive, US
Cover
Cart Manual

Mega Drive, US (Game of the Year!) Unreleased?
Cover

Mega Drive, EU
Cover
Cart Manual PCB

Mega Drive, EU (Classic)
Cover
Cart Manual

Mega Drive, FR
Manual

Mega Drive, FR (Blister pack)
Cover

Mega Drive, PT
Cover
Cart Manual EU Manual

Mega Drive, SE (rental; Hent; orange)
Cover

Mega Drive, AU
Cover

Mega Drive, BR
Cover
Cart

Master System version

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

{{{{{icon}}}|L}}
Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average

Publication Version Score Aktueller Software Markt (DE) 58 Consoles + (FR) 90 Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide (UK) 77 Game Power (IT) 90 Gamers (DE) 53 Mega Force (FR) 91 Mega Fun (DE) PAL 61 Megazin (SI) PAL 57 Micromanía (segunda época) (ES) 88 Mean Machines Sega (UK) PAL 77 Player One (FR) 89 Sega Magazin (DE) PAL 67 Sega Power (UK) PAL 82 Sega Pro (UK) PAL 64 Sega Zone (UK) PAL 74 Sega Force (SE) 86 Sega Force (UK) PAL 86 Sega Master Force (UK) PAL 86 Todo Sega (ES) 87

	77
Based on 19 reviews

Mick & Mack as the Global Gladiators

Master System, EU
Cover
Cart

Master System, PT
Cover
Manual AU Manual (Avalable on AU Release)

Master System, PT (Super Preço)
Cover
Manual AU Manual (Avalable on AU Release)

Master System, AU
Cart Manual

Master System, BR
Cover
Cart Manual Coupon (outside) Coupon (inside) Gift voucher

Game Gear version

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

{{{{{icon}}}|L}}
Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average

Publication Version Score Consoles + (FR) 92 Computer & Video Games (UK) 91 Digitiser (UK) 74 Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U 70 Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide (UK) 85 GamePro (US) NTSC-U 90 Megablast (DE) 37 Mega Force (FR) 93 Mega Fun (DE) PAL 61 Megazin (SI) 57 Micromanía (segunda época) (ES) 90 Player One (FR) 80 Sega Magazin (DE) 80 Sega Power (UK) PAL 74 Sega Pro (UK) PAL 58 Sega Zone (UK) PAL 70 Sega Force (SE) 86 Sega Force (UK) PAL 87 Todo Sega (ES) 89 Video Games (DE) PAL 70

	77
Based on 20 reviews

Mick & Mack as the Global Gladiators

Game Gear, EU
Cover
Cart Manual

Game Gear, EU (Classic Game Gear)
Cover
Cart Manual

Game Gear, PT
Manual

Technical information

Main article: Mick & Mack as the Global Gladiators/Technical information.