Gain Ground

Gain Ground began as a 1988 Sega arcade game and later reached the Mega Drive, and it is a curious hybrid of action and strategy that does not fit neatly into either box. Each stage is a self-contained battlefield viewed from a slightly overhead angle, and your objective is usually to guide your characters to an exit or defeat all enemies. The twist is a roster of very different fighters — some fire straight ahead, some lob projectiles in arcs, some are melee only — and choosing the right one for each situation is the real puzzle.

When a character falls, they can be rescued and added to your usable pool, which encourages careful, deliberate play rather than reckless charging. That thoughtful, almost tactical rhythm is what gives Gain Ground its identity and its cult following. It is more cerebral than the average arcade blaster of its time, and cooperative play adds another layer as two players coordinate their squads. It can feel stiff and stern to newcomers, but players who click with its methodical approach find a lot of depth in what looks at first like a simple shooter.