Gain Ground

aka: Gain Ground SX, SEGA AGES: Gain Ground
Moby ID: 16198
Arcade Specs
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Conversion (official)

Description

Gain Ground is an arcade style action game with a bit of strategy thrown in. The goal is get all of the soldiers to the opposite side of the screen or to kill all of the enemies. Each soldier in the army has a unique specialization, from among 20 types. Each soldier can attack in two different ways, using either a normal weapon or a special weapon. The strategy comes from deciding which soldier would do best in which situation. Some weapons are better at dealing with certain enemies and obstacles than other weapons.

Players start with only three soldiers but can encounter other soldiers that can be rescued, by touching them. If the new soldier survives long enough to reach the exit, they can be added to the soldier inventory. The number of possible soldier in a player's army is over 30 soldiers. There are 50 stages total, divided into rounds of 10. At the end of each round, players encounter an enemy boss.

Spellings

  • SEGA AGES ゲイングランド - Japanese Nintendo Switch spelling
  • ゲイングランド - Japanese spelling

Groups +

Screenshots

Promos

Credits (Arcade version)

10 People

Project Coordinator
Original Design
Planner
Lead Programmer
Programmer
  • Kuribho!!
Graphic Artists
Illustrator
Music
Sound Effects

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 65% (based on 24 ratings)

Players

Average score: 3.6 out of 5 (based on 27 ratings with 3 reviews)

You got ground? No? Let's gain some!

The Good
Well, this is possibly my favourite game ever released onto the Mega Drive. It's the simplicity of the game which is responsible for my love. It's so ridiculously simple, get your guy from the bottom of the screen to the exit or eliminate the enemies in the time limit.

This game is still one of the games that I repeatedly play with my friends. Even those who had no concept of the Mega Drive. It's a classic for it's ability to appeal to those who have only a partial interest in gaming.

I love it for the structure. You start with only the most limited of characters. But can acquire & attain more accomplished marksmen as you go along. Thus expanding the game as you are able to do more as a player. The enemies and levels will become more difficult as you progress but this is only to be expected and the difficulty curve is not one that cannot be vanquished.

I love this game for it's perfect simplicity & great music.

The Bad
I don't like the clipping. But this is an early Mega Drive game so it can be forgiven.

The Bottom Line
Top down shooting, arching, firebombing, spearing, missiling, lasering perfection.

Genesis · by Liam Dowds (39) · 2005

Playing this game 2 player will result in you yelling "COVER ME!!!" or "RETREAT!!!"

The Good
What a cool game. Basically you have to work your way through 50 stages. Each stage has enemies laid out ready to attack. When the round begins you take 'em out and try and get to the exit. Kill everyone or get all your men out to advance to the next level.

This is not a game you can just rush through. Each level requires planning and strategy. Before the level begins it shows you what enemies you have to fight. Some will be visible some will be waiting to rush out of no where and attack. So pay attention to the enemy counter up top.

Also when a round begins evaluate the scenario and choose your first soldier wisely. See a guys on a bridge who might cause trouble? Choose a soldier capable of attacking up high and nail 'em.

This isn't a game you can really rush through your first time playing. So make sure you have a good amount of time to play before you start. Also the only reason you will die in this game will be due to your own errors. You will have people shooting at you almost constantly so don't rush around, take your time and dodge.



The Bad
The only thing I didn't like about this game was the initial learning curve. At first I hated this game, that was because I was running around like a idiot. Once I understood the pace of the game, I did much better.

The Bottom Line
Awesome strategy game for Genesis. A very unique game that will definitely keep you busy for a while. Good replay value also.

Genesis · by DudeOfMonson (97) · 2007

Gameplay is more important than graphics or story.

The Good
The levels get progressively harder making it long lasting, and the two-player mode really improves the game. The different character types are fun and the strategy involved is refreshing. There are better looking games out there, but not many are as fun as this one. Really this is a great game that was well worth the money i paid for it.

The Bad
The final boss is incredibly hard even with 10-15 soldiers coming in. The collision detection is sometimes killer but is rarely a problem. I don't think there's much wrong with it, except the graphics are kind of smudgy.

The Bottom Line
Gain Ground is a strategy-light shooter with emphasis on gameplay rather than graphics. The visuals are adequate but they're not the best of the year. Just sitting down and playing the game for 5 minutes is as fun as a full game, especially with a friend.

Genesis · by Sean Booth (25) · 2005

Discussion

Subject By Date
FREE at GamersGate this weekend! chirinea (47504) Jan 15, 2011

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  • MobyGames ID: 16198
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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by Sean Booth.

Arcade added by Trypticon. Wii added by Corn Popper. Nintendo Switch added by Rik Hideto. SEGA Master System, TurboGrafx CD added by Zovni. Macintosh, Windows, Linux added by Foxhack.

Additional contributors: Zovni, j.raido 【雷堂嬢太朗】, Rik Hideto.

Game added January 12, 2005. Last modified February 4, 2024.