Rambo III
System: SMS
Release Date: December 1988
Developer: Sega
Publisher: Sega
Genre: Light Gun Shooter
Hey we’re back to my good old friend John Rambo with Rambo III! Oh, hey, look, it’s a light gun shooter… Great! Stages scroll from left to right and you have to kill all the bad guys before they can chip away at your health and kill you.
You start with ammo in your AK-47 that allows rapid fire as long as you hold the shoot button. Once you run out of ammo, you have to pull the trigger to shoot. If you run low on health you can shoot the bottle looking thingy to replenish your health. You’ll probably need it on most levels. You also have one bomb that can destroy all the enemies on screen. The manual says you can find extra bombs, but I didn’t.
There are seven stages that you have to go through and they’re all the same thing with slight background changes. Except the last level. That has tanks and helicopters coming at you that take multiple hits to kill. I thought I wasn’t going to be able to win with the mouse, but I gave myself one last chance and was able to win!
Graphics: 2.5
They’re decent. Things are detailed enough so as not to blend in.
Sound: 1.5
Sound and music are generally unremarkable.
Gameplay: 1.5
It’s a typical light gun shooter. The bombs and life drinks are a boon.
Difficulty: 2.0
Persevere through this one, it’s not that bad, but certainly not simple until you learn the enemy placements.
Fun Factor: 1.5
Ehhhh… it’s alright, but I’m not going to give it much praise.
Overall Grade: 1.8
Rambo III earns a C. It’s an average game that’s probably better with true hardware. Give it a shot if you have a Master System.