Ranger X
Encyclopedia
is a side scrolling run and gun shoot 'em up
video game for the Mega Drive. Developed by Gau Entertainment and published by Sega
, the game was released in 1993
.
who leads the fight back for his home planet against the invading Rahuna forces. Ranger X is equipped with a jet pack and an assortment of weapons. The jet pack allows for short periods of flight, the duration of which is limited by the jet pack's temperature. Upon overheating, the player must land and wait for cool down. Alongside Ranger X's standard pulse rifle, the player has access to various special weapons including a flamethrower and homing attacks. Unlike the pulse rifle, the special weapons drain a power bar, which can only be recharged when Ranger X is in a bright light source. This special arsenal can be increased by collecting power ups scattered across the levels. On certain levels, the player may also control a supporting vehicle - an Ex-Up, such as Indra - a futuristic motorcycle, a premise described as "RoboCop
on a Harley
". Indra can move and fire independently of Ranger X, although Ranger X can enter it to take advantage of its separate shielding.
The game is split across several levels, each of which is introduced via a wire frame 3D cutscene detailing a specific target objective. The player must battle through enemy forces and destroy all target objectives, followed by the stage boss, in order to progress.
The graphics impressed, with some reviews claiming that Ranger X had broken through the Mega Drive hardware's colour limitations. Almost every aspect of the graphics were praised, from the detail of the backgrounds, to the clarity of the sprites
, and even the presentation of the cutscenes. EGM felt that Ranger X featured "some of the best graphics ever seen on the [Mega Drive]".
Not all criticism was positive, while some felt the difficulty was just right, and welcome in an age of "too-easy games", others felt that it could be too difficult for novices. Some reviewers at EGM also found the controls lacking, making effective movement difficult and frustrating. Still, the game received recommendations from the majority of critics, with Mega concluding that "it's so chocka full of imagination, that you'll be left wondering why other shoot 'em ups are so repetitive".
Shoot 'em up
Shoot 'em up is a subgenre of shooter video games. In a shoot 'em up, the player controls a lone character, often in a spacecraft or aircraft, shooting large numbers of enemies while dodging their attacks. The genre in turn encompasses various types or subgenres and critics differ on exactly what...
video game for the Mega Drive. Developed by Gau Entertainment and published by Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
, the game was released in 1993
1993 in video gaming
-Events:*March — In Sweden, the Swedish video game magazine Super PLAY starts. The original name is Super Power.*Midway Games embroiled in controversy for its game Mortal Kombat from 1992 when the game is launched for video game consoles in 1993....
.
Gameplay
The player assumes the role of Ranger X, piloting a powered exoskeletonPowered exoskeleton
A powered exoskeleton, also known as powered armor, or exoframe, is a powered mobile machine consisting primarily of an exoskeleton-like framework worn by a person and a power supply that supplies at least part of the activation-energy for limb movement.Powered exoskeletons are designed to assist...
who leads the fight back for his home planet against the invading Rahuna forces. Ranger X is equipped with a jet pack and an assortment of weapons. The jet pack allows for short periods of flight, the duration of which is limited by the jet pack's temperature. Upon overheating, the player must land and wait for cool down. Alongside Ranger X's standard pulse rifle, the player has access to various special weapons including a flamethrower and homing attacks. Unlike the pulse rifle, the special weapons drain a power bar, which can only be recharged when Ranger X is in a bright light source. This special arsenal can be increased by collecting power ups scattered across the levels. On certain levels, the player may also control a supporting vehicle - an Ex-Up, such as Indra - a futuristic motorcycle, a premise described as "RoboCop
RoboCop
RoboCop is a 1987 American science fiction-action film directed by Paul Verhoeven. Set in a crime-ridden Detroit, Michigan in the near future, RoboCop centers on a police officer who is brutally murdered and subsequently re-created as a super-human cyborg known as "RoboCop"...
on a Harley
Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson , often abbreviated H-D or Harley, is an American motorcycle manufacturer. Founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the first decade of the 20th century, it was one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression...
". Indra can move and fire independently of Ranger X, although Ranger X can enter it to take advantage of its separate shielding.
The game is split across several levels, each of which is introduced via a wire frame 3D cutscene detailing a specific target objective. The player must battle through enemy forces and destroy all target objectives, followed by the stage boss, in order to progress.
Reception
Critical reception was generally positive. Mega praised the tactical opportunities offered by the different weaponry, and the need to manage the supporting vehicle. Similar sentiments were echoed in Sega Force Mega and GamePro, who felt that "the unique dual action of flying and riding a motorcycle gives this game a step up against over other shooters".The graphics impressed, with some reviews claiming that Ranger X had broken through the Mega Drive hardware's colour limitations. Almost every aspect of the graphics were praised, from the detail of the backgrounds, to the clarity of the sprites
Sprite (computer graphics)
In computer graphics, a sprite is a two-dimensional image or animation that is integrated into a larger scene...
, and even the presentation of the cutscenes. EGM felt that Ranger X featured "some of the best graphics ever seen on the [Mega Drive]".
Not all criticism was positive, while some felt the difficulty was just right, and welcome in an age of "too-easy games", others felt that it could be too difficult for novices. Some reviewers at EGM also found the controls lacking, making effective movement difficult and frustrating. Still, the game received recommendations from the majority of critics, with Mega concluding that "it's so chocka full of imagination, that you'll be left wondering why other shoot 'em ups are so repetitive".