Mean! Moody! Malevolent! A good description of the SEGA FORCE deadheads on a Monday morning and a spot-on account of the latest handheld release from Virgin!

Game Gear freaks get ready for action, atmosphere and Arnie! The Terminator blasts onto the small screen and you, as Kyle Reese, are even more determined to stop old Termie in his tracks, save the world and get Sarah Connor home in time for Eldorado!

Like its MS and MD counterparts, the GG barnstormer follows the plot of the movie. The first level’s a scene cut from the metallic monster movie, where you race through a maze of corridors, blow up a nuclear reactor and hop into a time travel machine. Then make haste in the streets of Los Angeles and find the TechNoir nightclub.

Once inside, locate the Terminator and blast his ass. Grab Sarah and race through a police station to the final level, the steel mill. The Terminator reappears to seek revenge.

Each level’s choc-full of time-travelling tyrants like Terminator robots, cyberpunks, assorted thugs and policemen by the helmet-load! Can you grab Sarah, destroy the Terminator and secure the planet’s future before your life force runs dry? (Not me! I ain’t got no muscles! —Dep Ed.)

Mat gags... ‘JUST AS TOUGH AS THE MS VERSION!'

It seems like the Game Gear’s been around for blinkin’ ages, when in fact it’s only been about a year! Nip into any games shop and take a look at the software available for it. Not a lot, Is there? The amount of good quality games on offer is very small, at the moment — but that’ll change over time when more awesome games like The Terminator appear!

Unless you’ve been living in a small shoebox for the last few years (or Ludlow — It’s the same thing!), you should know the plot. If you don’t, read the storyline elsewhere in this review (that’s what it’s there for!). I reviewed the MS version of The Terminator in Issue 8, and what a stormer it was! Basically, both 8-bit games are the same. The action’s terrifyingly fast and Arnie’s as unstoppable as ever!

Playing the game really knocks you back! It’s like watching a mini movie unfold. The graphics are superb, with amazing still pics used to good effect.

The only gripe I have Is that the whole darned thing’s too difficult! As with the MS and MD versions, there are no continues to help you out so you need real skill to survive!

MAT 88%

Ade roars... ‘IT’S TOUGH AND INCREDIBLY ATMOSPHERIC!’

Let’s go straight for the throat! This is a great conversion. The MS game was stunning and the GG blast by no means falls by the wayside.

The Terminator’s tough and incredibly atmospheric. Film tie-ins usually aren’t my favourite games, but they’ve got better over the past year, and Virgin have a real winner on their hands. The graphics are ace! All sprites are well animated and the backdrops give a real sinister feel to the game. The digitised pics are still included and pretty impressive they are, too!

Your time, energy and points are displayed at the top of the screen, and boy, does that life force soon dwindle! Thankfully, access certain areas of a level and your energy zips back up to 100%.

Apart from the action slowing down a touch when there’s a lot onscreen, I can’t find fault. The soundtracks are absolutely superb and suit The Terminator down to the ground.

If you’re after a game that’s challenging and worthy of play time and time again, this is the one for you!

ADE 86%

SF Rating

Presentation
82% - Opening sequence, great digitised film pics, no continues
Visuals
91% - Cracking animation, slick scrolling, mean and moody backdrops
Sonics
85% - Loud and proud! Atmospheric ditties, weird and wonderful title theme
Playability
82% - No problems with control method. Each level has its own patterns of play
Lastability
80% - Few levels, but it’s a tough game with a high challenge

87%

Good graphics, great playability. Even when completed, you’ll play again

Producer
Probe/Virgin
GG
Nov
MS
Oct
Memory
256K
Players
1
Price
£TBA
Rating
87
Reviewer
Sega Force magazine
Region
UK
Scans
Sega Force - Issue 11

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