Grind Stormer

From Sega Retro


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GrindStormer MDTitleScreen.png

Grind Stormer
System(s): Sega Mega Drive
Publisher: Tengen
Developer:
Genre: Shoot-'em-Up

















Release Date RRP Code

Grind Stormer, called V-Five (ヴイ・ファイヴ) in Japan (and often erroneously as V-V), is a 1992 arcade shoot-'em-up developed by Toaplan. It was ported to the Sega Mega Drive in 1994 and released by Tengen exclusively in the US and Japan.

Though the two games have the same art, weapons, music, and enemy layout, their gameplay is slightly different:

  • V-Five: Gradius-style weapon upgrades, with A/C shooting and B choosing a weapon
  • Grind Stormer: more conventional weapon upgrades, with A/C shooting and B dropping a bomb

You can select which mode to play in the Options Menu by pressing A at the title screen. Also during gameplay, you always have two auxiliary guns at your sides — Up and Down move them toward your front/rear. When at the front, the shots combine with yours to form a more powerful shot; when at the rear, you have a spread shot. Regardless of configuration, you can hold A/C to rapidfire.

Some (many?) American copies of the game are plagued with a manufacturing defect (supposedly poor quality PCBs?) that reduce the cartridge's lifespan.

Physical Scans

Mega Drive Version

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
Sega Mega Drive
Division by zero.
Based on
0 review
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
1700 igr dlya Sega (RU)
40
[1]
Beep! MegaDrive (JP) NTSC-J
70
[2]
Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U
68
[3]
Game Players (US) NTSC-U
58
[4]
Hippon Super (JP) NTSC-J
65
[5]
Joypad (FR) NTSC-J
68
[6]
MAN!AC (DE) PAL
67
[7]
Mega (UK) NTSC-U
39
[8]
Mega Fun (DE) NTSC-U
61
[9]
MegaTech (UK) NTSC-U
54
[10]
Mean Machines Sega (UK) NTSC-U
82
[11]
Power Unlimited (NL)
80
[12]
Sega Power (UK) NTSC-U
27
[13]
Sega Pro (UK) NTSC-U
57
[14]
Sega Zone (UK) NTSC-U
78
[15]
Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J
83
[16]
Tricks 16 bit (RU)
57
[17]
Video Games (DE) NTSC-U
65
[18]
Sega Mega Drive
62
Based on
18 reviews

Grind Stormer

Mega Drive, US
GrindStormer MD US Box.jpg
Cover
Mega Drive, JP
V5 MD JP Box.jpg
Cover
V5 MD JP Cart.jpg
Cart