Rambo III (video game)

Rambo III is a series of video games based on the film Rambo III (1988). Like in the film, their main plots center on former Vietnam-era Green Beret John Rambo being recalled up to duty one last time to rescue his former commander, Colonel Sam Trautman, who was captured during a covert operation mission in Soviet Union-controlled Afghanistan. The console versions are developed and published by Sega, the PC DOS version was developed by Ocean and published by Taito and Ocean developed and published the rest (Atari ST, Amiga, Spectrum, C64, Amstrad). Taito also released an arcade game based on the film.

Rambo III
Cover art
Developer(s)Ocean Software, Sega, Taito
Publisher(s)Ocean/Taito, Sega
SeriesRambo franchise
Platform(s)Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, DOS, MSX, ZX Spectrum, Sega Mega Drive, Master System, Arcade
Release1989
Genre(s)Shooter, Action
Mode(s)1st-Person Perspective, 3rd-Person Perspective, Top-Down

Versions

The Sega Master System version, released in 1988, is a light gun rail shooter in the lines of Operation Wolf. The Light Phaser is supported. What makes this game also unique is that unlike the NES (and Sega Master System Port, ironically) port of Operation Wolf, as long as the player has ammunition in the game, the light phaser's trigger can be held down to supply full automatic shooting. When the ammunition runs out though, the player will have to pull the trigger each time when shooting.

Reception
Review score
PublicationScore
Mega74%[1]

The Sega Mega Drive version, released in 1989, follows Rambo in six missions, in each one with various objectives. Besides finding the exit of the level, in some missions, prisoners must be freed or enemy ammunition supplies destroyed. Rambo is controlled from an overhead perspective and has several weapons at his disposal. Besides a machine gun that never runs out of ammo, he can use a knife for close range kills, set off timed bombs and use his famous longbow with explosive arrows. Ammunition for the bow and the bombs is limited and can be collected from dead enemies. Rambo himself, on the other hand, is vulnerable and can be killed after one hit.

After some of the missions, the perspective switches to a view behind Rambo and additional boss fights take place. Soviet tanks or helicopters must be destroyed using the crossbow. While aiming the bow, Rambo cannot move, but otherwise he can hide behind rocks or other obstacles from enemy fire. This is reminiscent of the Taito arcade game of the same name, which also had the player firing into the screen at helicopters and jeeps, but instead of just a single segment after each stage, the whole game is played out in this perspective.

Taito released a rail shooter based on the film as well. It features both Rambo and Sam Trautman as playable characters.

The ZX Spectrum, Atari ST, Commodore Amiga, Commodore 64, and Amstrad CPC versions had three missions, and varied from the console version drastically, in terms of gameplay, graphics and music.

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References
  1. Mega rating, issue 9, page 21, Future Publishing, June 1993
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