Rescue Mission Master System
Rescue Mission is a light gun shooter game developed and published by Sega for the Sega Master System, released in April 1988 in the US and December 1988 in Europe. It requires the use of the Sega Light Phaser peripheral to play.
Gameplay
In a departure from typical shooting gallery games, the player takes on the role of an army sharpshooter providing protective fire from an overhead perspective. The main objective is to protect a medic who is operating a handcart on railroad tracks through a warzone to rescue wounded friendly soldiers. The game is a “rail shooter” in the sense that the player has no control over the medic’s movement, only the aiming and shooting.
Key gameplay elements:
- Protection Focus: The primary goal is defence rather than self-preservation, with the player needing to shoot enemy soldiers, mines, rockets, grenades, and fireballs before they hit the medic or the cart.
- Medics as Lives: The player gets three medics (Mike, Steve, and John), each serving as a “life” with different movement speeds and healing rates.
- Friendly Fire: Players must be careful not to shoot friendly, green-uniformed soldiers or the medic, which results in penalties or stunning the medic temporarily.
- Power-ups: Rescued soldiers provide items like first-aid kits (which can heal the medic or act as a screen-clearing bomb if he is at full health) or protectors (which offer a shield against specific enemy weapons).
- Five Levels: The game features five increasingly intense levels set in different environments, including a jungle, swamp, village, bridge, and ammunition depot.
Rescue Mission is generally considered one of the better light gun titles for the system due to its unique premise, fast-paced action, and addictive gameplay.
