Gain Ground SX TurboGrafx-CD Arcade port Retro Game Session 27

Gain Ground is an action game with strategy elements released as an arcade video game by Sega in 1988. It was ported to the Master System, Mega Drive/Genesis, and TurboGrafx-CD.
In Gain Ground, players control one of a set of characters at a time, each with different weapons. To beat a level, players must reach the exit point with at least one character or destroy all enemies on the level before time runs out. There are forty levels in the arcade version of the game. The Master System and the Genesis/Mega Drive have fifty levels in the game.
Normal mode starts with three players. There are captive characters littered across all levels, which can be rescued by walking over, then escorting the controlled character to the exit point. If a player controlled character is killed, that character turns into a captive, except that they will disappear if the next active player controlled character dies, exits the level without them, or the player has no characters left in their party. In Hard mode, the player starts the game with all twenty characters, but all the captive characters are removed from the levels.
The game is over when all controlled characters in the party are killed without any reaching the exit. However, there are three continues which allow a player to restart the level with their original three characters.
The game consists out of four rounds, each having ten stages, where the tenth stage is a boss level. There are also ten completely new levels added to the Genesis/Mega Drive version, this Modern Epoch takes place in the streets of the city. The Master System version also has 10 newly themed levels, placed after other versions' final Round "Future," ostensibly taking place within the "Gain Ground Main System" itself according to its opening stage.

[@Arial55555]

Just looking at some of the physics of this is interesting to me... Water Fountains dissapearing upon colliding with walls, Glow Knight's orbs floating off with momentum after his death, and Continues useable in the final world, even against the final boss?
SX truly is a strange version.

[@gamergames2687]

ha ha, i like this version lol. Maybe it's cause it's easier. I like you can continue against the final boss he's a pain in the ass and if you couldn't continue it barely gives you a chance to figure out a pattern. Seems like you can't avoid those rockets unless you run all the way back or they'll just follow you around til you're dead.

[@Arial55555]

@@gamergames2687 Ironically, because both the player and the missiles move faster in the Genesis version, they are easier to dodge by running circles around them and are near-impossible to avoid when running directly away from them! In fact, any character in the Genesis version can solo the final boss, given the player knows the flaws to exploit.
I don’t doubt there’s a way to do SX deathless. If not by abusing blind spots, then probably by using Zaemon’s Tornado or General’s flamethrower, like in other Arcade-similar versions.

[@gamergames2687]

@@Arial55555 Ah. You really know your stuff when it comes to this game! I don't think i ever got to the boss in the genesis version. I've gotten to the boss in the arcade on m.a.m.e but man so disappointing you only get one try lol. One of these days i will beat Gain Ground.

[@Arial55555]

@@gamergames2687Well if you ever want to practice the final boss on Genesis, the level select code is “A C B C” on the options menu. Also, Hard difficulty will give you one of each character immediately, but removes all in-level hostages and take away your continues.
Alternatively, if P2 is active, more in-game hostages will spawn, bumping your potential max party size from 30 to 45 in Normal mode.
And it that ain’t enough, my videos are always there to teach nonsensical Gain Ground strategies and trivia. Good luck man!