Battle Squadron

From Sega Retro

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BattleSquadron MDTitleScreen.png

Battle Squadron
System(s): Sega Mega Drive
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer:
Genre: Shoot-'em-Up

















Number of players: 1-2
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Mega Drive
US
702701
Sega Mega Drive
EU
E166SMXI
Sega Mega Drive
BR
Non-Sega versions

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Battle Squadron is a 1990 shoot-'em-up developed by Innerprise Software Inc and published by Electronic Arts exclusively in the US and Europe for the Sega Mega Drive and Commodore Amiga. There are certain differences between the Amiga and Sega Mega Drive release.

Story

The alien Barrax Empire has been at war with Earth for centuries to gain control over the Universe. While returning from a mission to destroy all Barrax on Planet Urainia while gathering information on the empire's fleets, Commander Barry D. Mayers and Commander Lori Bergin were taken hostage by a Barrax nova cruiser, their last transmission mentioning something about being able to turn invisible for a short period of time. The mission is to rescue them.

Gameplay

A and C shoot; with a rather slow rapidfire ability. B drops a missile which destroys enemies within a radius of your ship (there is a limited stock of missiles). The game offers four standard weapons:

  • red: wide spreadshot, front only
  • green: narrow spreadshot, front only
  • blue: front and backwards shot
  • orange: 5 way spreadshot

Unusual for the genre, the game has an overworld and three lower sections that can be entered through craters. Each of these have to be cleared to reach the final boss. Ignoring all craters makes the overworld restart from the beginning.

Versions

  • The Amiga version has a bit more varied background tiles and switches background colors more often
  • The Sega Mega Drive version has certain layers right in front of the screen, making it harder to see certain objects
  • The Sega Mega Drive version runs faster and is harder
  • The Amiga version has an extra space background for the final boss

Magazine articles

Main article: Battle Squadron/Magazine articles.

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
79 [3]
85 [4]
83 [5]
83 [6]
68 №5, p90
85 №1, p65
80 [7]
85 [8]
72 [9]
84 [10]
90 [11]
80 [12]
87 [13]
85 №18, p64
Sega Mega Drive
82
Based on
14 reviews
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
1700 igr dlya Sega (RU)
60
[14]
ACE (UK)
79
[3]
Console XS (UK) PAL
88
[15]
Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U
50
[16]
Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide (UK)
85
[4]
Gamers (DE)
67
[17]
Génération 4 (FR)
83
[5]
Hobby Consolas (ES)
83
[6]
Joystick (FR)
77
[18]
Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK) PAL
68
[19]
Mega Action (UK)
85
[20]
MegaTech (UK)
80
[7]
Micromanía (segunda época) (ES)
80
[21]
Mean Machines (UK)
85
[22]
Mean Machines Sega (UK)
80
[23]
Player One (FR)
72
[9]
Power Play (DE)
74
[24]
Raze (UK) PAL
84
[10]
Sega Power (UK) PAL
90
[25]
Sega Power (UK) PAL
75
[12]
Sega Pro (UK) PAL
87
[13]
Sega Pro (UK) PAL
87
[26]
Sega Pro (UK) PAL
85
[27]
Tricks 16 bit (RU)
56
[28]
VideoGames & Computer Entertainment (US) NTSC-U
80
[29]
Sega Mega Drive
78
Based on
25 reviews

Battle Squadron

Mega Drive, US
BattleSquadron MD US Box.jpg
Cover
BattleSquadron US cart.jpg
Cart
Battle Squadron MD US Manual.pdf
Manual
Mega Drive, EU
BattleSquadron MD EU Box.jpg
Cover
BattleSquadron US cart.jpg
Cart
Mega Drive, BR
BattleSquadron BR cover.jpg
Cover
BattleSquadron MD BR Cart Back.jpgBattleSquadron MD BR Cart.jpg
Cart

Technical information

ROM dump status

System Hash Size Build Date Source Comments
Sega Mega Drive
CRC32 0feaa8bf
MD5 b5b815ef99b943fe0bad48dc13239b35
SHA-1 f003f7af0f7edccc317c944b88e57f4c9b66935a
512kB Cartridge (US/EU)
Sega Mega Drive
 ?
CRC32
MD5
SHA-1
1991-01-18 Page

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Mean Machines, "January 1991" (UK; 1991-01-03), page 70
  2. ACE, "January 1991" (UK; 1990-12-xx), page 165
  3. 3.0 3.1 ACE, "March 1991" (UK; 1991-02-08), page 63
  4. 4.0 4.1 Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 25
  5. 5.0 5.1 Génération 4, "Février 1991" (FR; 1991-xx-xx), page 91
  6. 6.0 6.1 Hobby Consolas, "Noviembre 1991" (ES; 1991-1x-xx), page 72
  7. 7.0 7.1 MegaTech, "Xmas 1991" (UK; 1991-12-06), page 76
  8. Mean Machines, "January 1991" (UK; 1991-01-03), page 68-70 (68)
  9. 9.0 9.1 Player One, "Mars 1991" (FR; 1991-xx-xx), page 44
  10. 10.0 10.1 Raze, "March 1991" (UK; 1991-01-31), page 54
  11. Sega Power, "January 1991" (UK; 1990-12-06), page 10-11 (10)
  12. 12.0 12.1 Sega Power, "October 1991" (UK; 1991-09-05), page 52
  13. 13.0 13.1 Sega Pro, "November 1991" (UK; 1991-xx-xx), page 39
  14. 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 29
  15. Console XS, "June/July 1992" (UK; 1992-04-23), page 127
  16. Electronic Gaming Monthly, "January 1991" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 22
  17. Gamers, "Dezember/Januar 1993" (DE; 1992-11-19), page 101
  18. Joystick, "Février 1991" (FR; 1991-0x-xx), page 122
  19. Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "January 1993" (UK; 199x-xx-xx), page 90
  20. Mega Action, "June 1993" (UK; 1993-05-20), page 65
  21. Micromanía (segunda época), "Marzo 1991" (ES; 1991-0x-xx), page 38
  22. Mean Machines, "January 1991" (UK; 1991-01-03), page 68
  23. Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 137
  24. Power Play, "4/91" (DE; 1991-03-15), page 135
  25. Sega Power, "January 1991" (UK; 1990-12-06), page 10
  26. Sega Pro, "July 1992" (UK; 1992-06-18), page 28
  27. Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 64
  28. Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 22
  29. VideoGames & Computer Entertainment, "February 1991" (US; 1991-0x-xx), page 40