Heavy Unit: Mega Drive Special

n/a

Heavy Unit: Mega Drive Special

System(s): Sega Mega Drive

Publisher: Toho

Developer: Funari

Original system(s): Arcade boards

Developer(s) of original games: Kaneko

Genre: Shoot-'em-Up

Number of players: 1

Release	Date	RRP	Code
JP	1990-12-26	¥6,5006,500	T-27013

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Heavy Unit: Mega Drive Special (ヘビーユニットメガドライブスペシャル) is a 1990 Sega Mega Drive shoot-'em-up developed by Kaneko and published by Toho exclusively in Japan. It is a modified port of Kaneko's 1988 arcade shoot-'em-up Heavy Unit.

Story

Humans have developed an artificial planet, "Le Tau," which is being attacked by aliens, and only the Heavy Unit transforming ship can stop them.

Gameplay

and shoot; rapidfire is an option. drops a bomb, which you have an unlimited supply of but must collect as a powerup. Among the various powerups is one, labeled T, that transforms your ship into a mecha and back, which plays identically, except its bombs will home in on enemies. The ship has a spreadshot, while the mecha is power oriented.

There is a strange option called "control", it effects whether the ship/mecha has inertia or not ("organize" means inertia is activated).

Tips and tricks

The big head monster in stage 1 can be exploited for infinite score. This is exclusive to the Sega Mega Drive port, as the arcade version auto scrolls past the boss. The game lacks a score table

The Password option is used to enable cheats:

Password	Effect
TOMOYO	Credit increase 99.
OGOSHI	DEMO-REC mode
OHNUKI	Invincible
LOCATE	Display stage scroll position
SOSITE	Stage select

Hidden Message: In option menu, x100

Versions

Heavy Unit: Mega Drive Special features the same amount of stages as its arcade counterpart but with partially modified enemies placements and behaviors. Stage 2 has now an underwater theme and an added raster scroll effect. Unlike the arcade release, the game also doesn't loop after finishing it.

Magazine articles

Main article: Heavy Unit: Mega Drive Special/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Print advert in Beep! MegaDrive (JP) #1989-11: "November 1989" (1989-XX-XX)

Print advert in Beep! MegaDrive (JP) #1990-11: "November 1990" (1990-10-XX)

Print advert in Beep! MegaDrive (JP) #1990-12: "December 1990" (1990-11-08)

Print advert in Beep! MegaDrive (JP) #1991-01: "January 1991" (1990-12-08)
also published in:

Mega Drive Fan (JP) #12: "January 1991" (1990-12-08)^[1]

Print advert

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average

Publication

Version

Score

1700 igr dlya Sega (RU)

30

^[10]

Aktueller Software Markt (DE)

68

^[11]

Beep! MegaDrive (JP)

NTSC-J

55

^[12]

The Complete Guide to Sega (UK)

NTSC-J

82

^[13]

Console XS (UK)

NTSC-J

78

^[14]

Computer & Video Games (UK)

75

^[15]

Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide (UK)

75

^[16]

Famitsu (JP)

NTSC-J

63

^[17]

Génération 4 (FR)

81

^[5]

Game Zone (UK)

NTSC-J

88

^[18]

Hippon Super (JP)

NTSC-J

30

^[19]

Joystick (FR)

NTSC-J

75

^[6]

Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK)

NTSC-J

27

^[20]

Mega Drive Fan (JP)

NTSC-J

60

^[21]

MegaTech (UK)

NTSC-J

85

^[7]

Mean Machines Sega (UK)

85

^[22]

Power Play (DE)

46

^[23]

Sega Power (UK)

NTSC-J

50

^[8]

Sega Pro (UK)

79

^[9]

Sega Pro (UK)

NTSC-J

78

^[24]

Sega Saturn Magazine (JP)

NTSC-J

44

^[25]

Tilt (FR)

75

^[26]

	65
Based on 22 reviews

Heavy Unit: Mega Drive Special

Mega Drive, JP
Cover
Cart Manual

Technical information

ROM dump status

System

Hash

Size

Build Date

Source

Comments

✔

CRC32	1acbe608
MD5	6b60e70252280b1cc22d80cb4c70d54a
SHA-1	198e243cc21e4aea97e2c6aca376cb2ae70bc1c9

512kB

1990-09

Cartridge (JP)

References

↑ Mega Drive Fan, "January 1991" (JP; 1990-12-08), page 35
↑ Beep! MegaDrive, "February 1991" (JP; 1991-01-08), page 30 (32)
↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 85 (87)
↑ Computer & Video Games, "March 1991" (UK; 1991-02-16), page 72
↑ ^5.0 ^5.1 Génération 4, "Février 1991" (FR; 1991-xx-xx), page 99
↑ ^6.0 ^6.1 Joystick, "Mars 1991" (FR; 1991-0x-xx), page 110
↑ ^7.0 ^7.1 MegaTech, "Xmas 1991" (UK; 1991-12-06), page 78
↑ ^8.0 ^8.1 Sega Power, "October 1991" (UK; 1991-09-05), page 53
↑ ^9.0 ^9.1 Sega Pro, "Christmas 1991" (UK; 1991-12-12), page 47
↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 136
↑ Aktueller Software Markt, "März 1991" (DE; 1991-02-22), page 126
↑ Beep! MegaDrive, "February 1991" (JP; 1991-01-08), page 30
↑ The Complete Guide to Sega, "" (UK; 1991-05-xx), page 88
↑ Console XS, "June/July 1992" (UK; 1992-04-23), page 130
↑ Computer & Video Games, "March 1991" (UK; 1991-02-16), page 88
↑ Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 57
↑ Famitsu, "" (JP; 199x-xx-xx), page 1
↑ Game Zone, "November 1991" (UK; 1991-10-08), page 59
↑ Hippon Super, "January 1991" (JP; 1990-12-04), page 42
↑ Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "January 1993" (UK; 199x-xx-xx), page 92
↑ Mega Drive Fan, "March 1991" (JP; 1991-02-08), page 99
↑ Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 139
↑ Power Play, "4/91" (DE; 1991-03-15), page 134
↑ Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 66
↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 87
↑ Tilt, "Mai 1991" (FR; 1991-0x-xx), page 83

NEC Retro has more information related to Heavy Unit

[:File:Megadrive_Fan_1991-01.pdf_p35-1] Mega Drive Fan, "January 1991" (JP; 1990-12-08), page 35

[:File:BeepMD_JP_1991-02.pdf_p32_.2830.29-2] Beep! MegaDrive, "February 1991" (JP; 1991-01-08), page 30 (32)

[:File:SSM_JP_19950901_1995-09.pdf_p87_.2885.29-3] Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 85 (87)

[:File:CVG_UK_112.pdf_p72-4] Computer & Video Games, "March 1991" (UK; 1991-02-16), page 72

[:File:Generation4_FR_030.pdf_p99-5] 5.0 ^5.1 Génération 4, "Février 1991" (FR; 1991-xx-xx), page 99

[:File:Joystick_FR_014.pdf_p110-6] 6.0 ^6.1 Joystick, "Mars 1991" (FR; 1991-0x-xx), page 110

[:File:MegaTech_UK_01.pdf_p78-7] 7.0 ^7.1 MegaTech, "Xmas 1991" (UK; 1991-12-06), page 78

[:File:SegaPower_UK_23.pdf_p53-8] 8.0 ^8.1 Sega Power, "October 1991" (UK; 1991-09-05), page 53

[:File:SegaPro_UK_03.pdf_p47-9] 9.0 ^9.1 Sega Pro, "Christmas 1991" (UK; 1991-12-12), page 47

[10] 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 136

[:File:ASM_DE_1991-03.pdf_p126-11] Aktueller Software Markt, "März 1991" (DE; 1991-02-22), page 126

[:File:BeepMD_JP_1991-02.pdf_p30-12] Beep! MegaDrive, "February 1991" (JP; 1991-01-08), page 30

[:File:TheCompleteGuideToSega_UK.pdf_p88-13] The Complete Guide to Sega, "" (UK; 1991-05-xx), page 88

[:File:Console_XS_UK_01.pdf_p130-14] Console XS, "June/July 1992" (UK; 1992-04-23), page 130

[:File:CVG_UK_112.pdf_p88-15] Computer & Video Games, "March 1991" (UK; 1991-02-16), page 88

[:File:MeanMachinesEssentialSegaGuide_Book_UK.pdf_p57-16] Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 57

[17] Famitsu, "" (JP; 199x-xx-xx), page 1

[:File:GameZone_UK_01.pdf_p59-18] Game Zone, "November 1991" (UK; 1991-10-08), page 59

[19] Hippon Super, "January 1991" (JP; 1990-12-04), page 42

[:File:MDAG_UK_05.pdf_p92-20] Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "January 1993" (UK; 199x-xx-xx), page 92

[:File:Megadrive_Fan_1991-03.pdf_p99-21] Mega Drive Fan, "March 1991" (JP; 1991-02-08), page 99

[:File:MeanMachinesSega01UK.pdf_p139-22] Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 139

[:File:PowerPlay_DE_1991-04.pdf_p134-23] Power Play, "4/91" (DE; 1991-03-15), page 134

[:File:SegaPro_UK_18.pdf_p66-24] Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 66

[:File:SSM_JP_19950901_1995-09.pdf_p87-25] Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 87

[:File:Tilt_FR_090.pdf_p83-26] Tilt, "Mai 1991" (FR; 1991-0x-xx), page 83

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Heavy Unit: Mega Drive Special

From Sega Retro

Contents

Story

Gameplay

Tips and tricks

Versions

Magazine articles

Promotional material

Physical scans

Technical information

ROM dump status

References