Bomber Raid

n/a

Bomber Raid

Publisher: Sega (Japan, Europe), Activision (US)

Developer: Sanritsu^[1]

Peripherals supported: FM Sound Unit

Genre: Shooting^[2]^[3]

Number of players: 1

Release	Date	RRP	Code
JP	1989-02-04^[2]	¥5,5005,500	G-1373
US	1989-01^[4]
EU	1989-06^[5]		27006
UK	1989-06^[5]	£24.9524.95^[6]	27006
SE	19xx
AU	1989		MK-27006-50
KR	19xx		GB-2373

Bomber Raid (ボンバーレイド) is a Sega Master System game developed by Sanritsu and published by Sega in 1989. It is notable for being the last Master System game to be released in Japan. It is a shoot-'em-up game, where the player pilots a small "freedom fighter" aircraft, destroying other planes and ships.

The game's western covers are misleading as they depict what appears to be an SR-71 Blackbird, a modern reconnaissance aircraft; in game, players take control of a World War II-era, propeller-driven fighter.

During development the game was known as Battle Wings. Activision may have intended to release the game under the title Super River Raid (tying it into an earlier game of theirs).^[7]

Gameplay

The game is an overhead shoot-'em-up. The player's plane is moved in any direction with the D-Pad. It shoots its primary gun with (which can be held for continuous fire, though it is much faster to press the button repeatedly). The player is equipped with cluster bombs, which are fired with and spread out to attack multiple targets. The player gains another three cluster bombs at the beginning of each mission.

The player can collect power-ups that upgrade the plane's weapon power and movement speed. Numbered power-ups give the player up to two squadron planes, which follow the player's plane and provide support fire. The formation of the planes and the direction in which they fire is determined by the number on the last collected power-up. Cluster bombs are strengthened by having more squadron planes. Squadron planes are destroyed when they are shot or collide with enemies.

Any collision with an enemy aircraft or enemy fire results in losing a life. The player's plane loses its power-ups when it is destroyed but starts each life with three cluster bombs. The game ends if the player runs out of lives. The player gains an extra life at 50,000 and 100,000 points and then every 100,000 points after that.

Items

	Power Pod
	Destroy to release an item.
	Power
	Empowers the player's primary gun, up to eight times, and gives the player 100 points.
	Speed
	Increases the speed of the player's plane and gives the player 200 points.
	Squadron 1
	Gives the player a squadron plane, up to two. Moves the first plane into the left side and the second plane into the right side, with each plane shooting to each side.
	Squadron 2
	Gives the player a squadron plane, up to two. Moves the first plane into the upper-left side and the second plane into the upper-right side, with each plane shooting at 45-degree angles to the front on each side.
	Squadron 3
	Gives the player a squadron plane, up to two. Moves the first plane into the lower-left side and the second plane into the lower-right side, with each plane shooting at 45-degree angles to the back on each side.
	Squadron 4
	Gives the player a squadron plane, up to two. Moves both squadron planes below the player's plane, with the first plane shooting to the left and the second plane shooting to the right.