Platform: Sega Genesis

Developer: Sanritsu Denki/Sega

Publisher: Renovation Products, Inc.

Release Date (NA): January 2nd, 1991

Genre: Strategy, Action,  Arcade-Style

Nerd Rating: 8 out of 10

Retroary is upon us once again, ladies and gentlemen. And this means one thing: I gotta get off my ass and finally write another video game review.

So, tonight, today, whenever you might be reading this, we’re going to explore a little gem from Sega you may have found on one of those Genesis compilation discs. That’s certainly where I first discovered it back in 2007-2008.

I was fortunate enough to run across an original cartridge for $7 a couple years ago, and thus my library of Genesis games was even closer to being complete.

I think at this point it’s clear I like this game. But how much do I like it?

Playing it again for evaluation was much like this review – I knew I liked the game, but I discovered for myself just how much.

Gain Ground is an incredibly unique game. You start out with three warriors who will individually take to an overhead-view battlefield. The objective is to either A.) get as many of your warriors to the end of the stage via the “Exit” sign as possible or B.) kill all enemies on screen. You control one character until you die or make it to the end. After that, you select the next person on your team who will take to the battlefield.

Certain stages have one or more captive allies on the screen. If you collect (rescue) and bring one to the exit, that person becomes a new addition to your team and you can choose him or her in the following levels. If one of your characters dies, they will become one of these tiny allies. They can be rescued and brought to the exit by another one of your characters, thus returning them to the team. If the next person on your team dies and you did not already rescue one of your fallen troops, that warrior replaces the previous one you lost, removing him or her from that stage. And of course, if you fail to bring any member of your team to the exit, you will earn a game over, forcing you to use one of your precious and limited continues. That’s right, this game is unforgiving – old school style, without a save feature. My favorite!

(Not being sarcastic by the way. I really do prefer these types of games. Refer to my Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels review for reference.)

The game packs in 20 total characters. Each one has a standard multi-directional shot and a specialty weapon ranging anywhere from a long shot to a boomerang, to a rocket, to a small barrier. Discovering new warriors’ abilities is fun, and it pays to learn how they work.

Attacks vary quite a bit. Some can span up to the entire screen, some fire in unique directions, and some can be tossed in an arc. Certain warriors are able to hurl their weapon much higher than others, allowing them to hit enemies on elevated planes. Some will only throw their secondary weapon forward, which can be beneficial against a line of opposing troops. And if that isn’t enough, you also have warriors who fire from their right and warriors who fire from their left, which will come into play much more in the later levels. As you approach a new stage, you’ll want to choose the warrior best suited to either clear a path for the others or decimate everyone on the battlefield.

The best way to describe Gain Ground’s gameplay is that it is a war of attrition. It’s slow-paced, but still action-packed and engaging. The screen is loaded with enemies who hurl projectiles from every corner. And they are both dogged and relentless in their quest to hunt you down! You must be tactful and methodical in your approach to successfully make your way to the end. While the difficulty level is high – especially as you get deeper in – it’s still very possible to progress. At no point does it seem unfair, even at its most intense. Well, let me take that back. There are a couple of bullshit levels later on, but considering how few they are, I’ll give this game a pass. It takes time, careful maneuvering, and a bit of strategy, but as you progressively clear the field, you will feel a great sense of accomplishment. Believe me, this game is addictive fun!

There is a single-player option and a two-player option. This is one of the few games where I’ve played the two-player mode almost exclusively, forcing me to dust off old friends for each occasion. Before this review, I don’t think I had ever played Gain Ground by myself. And oddly enough, I made more progress playing solo than with a pal-o-mine by my side. I’m not sure if this is because there’s less distraction without a cohort or just a coincidence, but it does seem as if it’s easier to take this game for a spin by yourself. And still quite fun!

Though I’ll admit, I have not progressed beyond the third round when playing the physical copy. Cue the losing horn from The Price is Right.

I did make it all the way to the final round on an emulator though! Using the fuck out of save states. Cue the losing horn from The Price is Right again.

There are five rounds, each broken up into 10 boards with boss fights thrown in. Yes, I’m using the old-school arcade term for level, as this is an arcade-style game with a fixed screen.

Each round represents a different period in time. In the Genesis version, you progress from the Dark Ages to the Middle Ages, to Pre-Revolutionary China, to Present Day, and finally, the Future.

This is an early Genesis title, so it’s not a prime example of the system’s graphical capabilities. However, considering how small everything is on screen, they did a pretty decent job giving us in-game elements that are discernable and clear, so long as your monitor’s resolution is sharp. Gain Ground’s architecture seems fairly simple, but with a constant rearrangement of new enemies and barriers – not to mention an ever-rotating cast of warriors with different speeds, ranges, and abilities – the gameplay never grows stale.

As mentioned previously, Gain Ground has a generally slow pace. With this in mind, the controls feel a bit sluggish and heavy, even when controlling your faster warriors. But this does not impede your enjoyment of the game in any way. Since the playing field is not that long, the slower pace is appropriate and makes for some nail-biting moments. And because your characters are not very speedy, your reflexes will have to be sharp when it comes to getting those tight shots in amidst a barrage of projectiles hurled from all sides.

There is a timer, which really matters in this game. Sometimes killing all opposing forces on screen can run up the clock. In situations where you only have 1-4 warriors on your team, you may just want to bring them all to the exit after clearing a safe path. But if you have a greater number of characters, it can be faster to kill every attacker on that board. Failing to bring everyone to the exit in time without killing all enemies will not force you to lose the level, but those who are left behind will not be with you for the next stage. With that in mind, you’ll have to use your best judgment and keep an eye on the clock. Just don’t forget to rescue as many allies on screen as possible before you fell that last enemy!

The music is unmistakably early Genesis with its simple, tinny, low-fi, arcadey synth. It’s repetitive but catchy. And thank god it is catchy, because tracks repeat for every stage within a round. I definitely enjoy it though, as the music has been running in my head throughout the entire process of writing this review.

Gain Ground is up there with my favorite Sega classics. It’s simple and easy to pick up, fun by yourself or with friends, aggressively challenging, and a one-of-a-kind game overall. While I might be able to find one or two imperfections here or there, Gain Ground has no notable flaws. It is perfectly executed and perfectly fun.