Maximum Force

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Maximum Force
System(s): Sega Saturn
Publisher: Midway Home Entertainment (US), GT Interactive Software (EU)
Developer: Mesa Logic, Tantalus Interactive, Perfect Entertainment
Distributor: Ecofilmes (PT)
Licensor: Atari Games
Original system(s): Arcade boards
Peripherals supported: Virtua Gun
Genre: Shoot-'em-Up
Number of players: 1
Release Date RRP Code US 1997-10-13 T-9707H EU 1998-03 T-25417H-50 DE 1998-03 T-25417H-50 ES 1998-02-24 T-25417H-50 PT 199x UK 1998-03 T-25417H-50 PL 1998 AU 199x FMAX03SSC
Non-Sega versions Arcade PlayStation Windows PC

Maximum Force is a light-gun arcade game that was ported to the Sega Saturn. It is a successor to Area 51.

Story

Players take the roles of top counter-terrorism agents with missions to dismantle three terrorist organizations that are plotting to unleash worldwide chaos: Ground Zero, a group of animal activists who want to eliminate most of humanity to depopulate the world; the Fiduciary Liberation Front, who believe that money is alive and want to liberate it from the global banking system; and the Somnolia Cartel, who want to enslave people through a nefarious snack food ingredient.

Gameplay

The game is a light-gun rail shooter. Players are assigned this role of an unnamed anti-terrorism special agent and spy hitman engaging in three of these major combat zones: a freight liner at a dock, a large bank, and a jungle. Stages use digitized video sprites for enemies and innocent bystanders, laid over prerendered 3D environments. The game supports two-player cooperative play.

Players can use control pads or Virtua Guns. Using a control pad, the D-Pad moves the crosshair, shoots, and reloads. Players start the game with semi-automatic pistols that hold 8 rounds each. Using a light gun, pulling the trigger while the gun is pointed at the screen shoots while pulling the trigger while aiming away from the screen reloads.

Players have a limited amount of lives, depicted by skulls on the bottom of the screen. When an enemy appears, players have a limited amount of time to shoot the enemy before taking damage from it and losing a life. Shooting an innocent civilian also costs a life. Enemies wear black or other dark colors; innocents wear white or other light colors. Players revert to the standard pistol when they lose a life. The game ends if the player runs out of lives but can be continued if the player has a credit remaining.

The game contains numerous secret rooms, unlocked by shooting certain objects.

There are five selectable difficulty levels (Coward, Hill Billy, Grunt, Commando, and Green Beret). Players can also set the starting number of lives in the options prior to starting the game.

Objects

	Power Up
	Shooting a Power Up equips players with either a shotgun (green) or a machine gun (pink). Shotguns have 6 rounds and do area damage. Machine guns carry 12 rounds, which can be rapidly fired by holding down the fire button or trigger.

Missions

Mission select

The first two missions can be played in either order. The last mission unlocks once the other two missions have been completed.

The game returns to the mission select screen after the final mission has been completed, and players can replay any of the missions.

Easter Island

	Stage 1
	Stage 2
	Stage 3

World City Bank

	Stage 1
	Stage 2
	Stage 3

Jungle Cartel

	Stage 1
	Stage 2

Versions

As with its predecessor, Area 51, the Saturn version of Maximum Force introduces a border, reducing the size of the playfield and by extension, the resolution of full-motion video and assets. This is not seen in other versions of the game.

Production credits

Arcade Games Squad

• Producer: Rob Rowe
• Programmer: Charlie Grisafi
• Video Production: Brent Englund
• Lead Technician: Darrell Robinson
• Product Manager: Derryl DePriest
• Audio & Music: John Paul
• Hardware Engineer: Brian McKee

Midway Home Entertainment Squad

• Executive Producer: Bill Hindorff
• Producer: Howard Lehr
• Test Supervisor: Mike Kruse
• Lead Tester: Randy Slafsky
• Testers: Todd Papy, Chris Thornton, Jesse Meza & Pablo Buitrago
• Print Desion & Production: Debra Austin, Shawn Murphy, Jon Mongelluzzo, Erin Shems, Robert Shepherd & Dave Young

Mesa Logic Squad

• Concept & Game Design: Robert Weatherby
• 3D Animators: James Mestemaker, Guy Fumagalli, Hector Silva & James Webb

Tantalus Entertainment Squad

• Programmer: Trevor Nuridin
• Artist: Alun Bjorksten
• Executive Producer: Trevor Nuridin
• Quality Assurance: John Szoke
• Technical Director: Andrew Bailey

Perfect Entertainment Squad

• Producer: Tim Larby
• Quality Assurance: Matt Stamps
• Special Thanks: Deborah Fulton

Source:

US manual

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Magazine articles

Main article: Maximum Force/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Print advert in Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) #99: "October 1997" (1997-xx-xx)

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

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Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average
Publication Version Score Game Informer (US) 70 Sega Saturn Magazine (UK) PAL 71

	71
Based on 2 reviews

Maximum Force

Saturn, US
Cover
Manual

Saturn, EU
Cover

Saturn, PT

Saturn, AU
Cover

Technical information

Main article: Maximum Force/Technical information.