SEGA AGES Gain Ground

Fri 5th Apr 2019

Nintendo Life said:

While M2's emulation work cannot be faulted and the inclusion of a 'Rewind' feature reduces the frustration, there's no escaping the fact that Gain Ground isn't a particularly good video game. Granted, it was perhaps slightly misunderstood back in 1988 because it tried to present a more cerebral experience to an audience weaned on games like Gauntlet and Commando, but the end result is a slow-paced and tactical experience that isn't really suited to amusement arcades. Even when played in the comfort of your home, Gain Ground has too many issues to be anything more than a retro curiosity.

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5/10

Wed 28th May 2025

JJtheTexan said:

Like all of M2's work for SEGA Ages and other retro ports / compilations, Gain Ground is better than arcade-perfect. It looks, sounds, and plays flawlessly, and it's packed with improvements and features that make it more accessible.

The problem here is that the original arcade game, Gain Ground, is very much a product of its time. This is a single-screen action game, in which you must control a small group of warriors with various ranged weapons as they attempt to navigate a battlefield, moving from the bottom to the top before time runs out.

This is much harder than it sounds. Gain Ground is extremely difficult when played in its original, raw form, and save states can only do so much to offset its absolutely brutal, punishing difficulty.

At least the music is pretty good!

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6/10