Target: Renegade

Nintendo console exclusive

Target: Renegade is a scrolling beat'em up (or flip-screen on certain versions) computer game released on the Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum systems in the late 1980s by Ocean Software on their "Imagine" label, as well as a Nintendo Entertainment System version published by Taito. The game is a sequel to Renegade and was followed by Renegade 3. When acquiring the license to convert the original arcade game Renegade to home computers, Ocean acquired the option to produce and release their own home-computer-only sequels to the game, and Target Renegade was the first of these sequels.

Released: 1988
Platforms: Amstrad CPC Commodore 64 Commodore C64/128/MAX NES ZX Spectrum
Genres: Arcade Beat 'em up Fighting
Developers: Gary Biasillo
Publishers: Imagine Software
Modes: Co-op Single-player
Perspective: Side view
Themes: Action
Country: United Kingdom
Languages: English
Composers: Tim Follin

About

Target: Renegade (stylized as TARGET; RENEGADE) is a beat'em up video game released on the Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum systems in the late 1980s by Ocean Software on their "Imagine" label, as well as a Nintendo Entertainment System version developed by Software Creations and published by Taito. The game is a sequel to Renegade and was followed by Renegade III: The Final Chapter. When acquiring the license to convert the original arcade game Renegade to home computers, Ocean acquired the option to produce and release their own home-computer-only sequels to the game, and Target Renegade was the first of these sequels.

›Story

Mr. Big is back in town, and this time he's captured your brother! He's being held at Big's Pig Pen which is located on the upper side of town. The problem is, every gang in the city is out looking for you.

It is now up to you to beat the odds and rescue your brother. You start the game armed only with your fists, and along the way there are some additional weapons to be found such as baseball bats or garbage cans. Gameplay is an arcade style side scrolling action game for one player.

Keywords

motorcycle
death
brawler
side-scrolling
time limit
crime
revenge
high score
boss fight
melee
western games based on japanese ips
bpjm indexed

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

On most formats, the game caters for one or two players and concerns itself with the adventures of a streetfighter (or a pair of identical streetfighters) known only as "Renegade", who seek(s) revenge against a local crime kingpin named "Mr. Big" for murdering Matt, "Renegade"'s brother. Other versions have said Matt was not murdered, but instead held hostage by Mr. Big and the player needs to free him.

In the Spectrum version, "Mr. Big" holds "Renegade"'s girlfriend as hostage. The player character varies, depending on the format, but is usually represented as topless apart from a leather vest and wearing jeans. Early stages show the player outdoors and after defeating a boss character, reaching a pay phone to report on his progress.

Reception

The ZX Spectrum version was voted number 13 in the Your Sinclair Readers' Top 100 Games of All Time.

Legacy

Ocean Software produced a second Renegade sequel titled Renegade III: The Final Chapter. Technos Japan Corp., the developers of the original arcade version of Renegade, produced their own line of sequels and spin-offs to Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun, the Japanese version of Renegade, for the Japanese market. Target: Renegade and Renegade 3 are not related in any way to the Kunio-kun series.

In 2006 an unofficial remake of the Spectrum version was released for Windows. Expanding the multiplayer element to allow six simultaneous players, Target: 2006 received a 70% score in issue 41 of Retro Gamer.