Game infoThis is a video game first released in 1992 based on the original 1984 film of the same name. It was coded by Probe Software and released by Virgin Games on all the Sega video game consoles available at the time (Mega Drive/Genesis, Master System, Game Gear). In 1993, another game coded by Virgin Games USA was developed and released by Virgin for the Mega-CD/Sega CD.
The Terminator by Probe Software is an action shooter game for the Mega Drive/Genesis programmed by David Perry and scored by Matt Furniss. The main character, Kyle Reese, traverses through levels that closely parallel the movie's environment. In all levels, the main character has a jump and has various weapons throughout the game. The first level takes place in the future, and the main character has hand grenades, timed bombs, and a machine gun as weapon choices. The later levels take place in modern settings, and the primary weapon is a shotgun only. The final level takes place inside the Cyberdyne factory, where you battle the Terminator alone. The objective of this level is to lead the Terminator into a compactor which destroys him. Conversions of this very same game were also developed by Probe for the Master System and Game Gear.
The Mega-CD/Sega CD version, released by Virgin Games USA, was an entirely revamped game which had all-new levels, with development based on the David Perry engine, and was noted for its musical score by Tommy Tallarico, Bijan Shaheer, Joey Kuras, and TeknoMan. This music is generated in Q Sound. The objective is identical to the movie, which involves future soldier Kyle Reese going through the Time Displacement equipment located inside a Skynet base in the year 2029 AD, to go back in time to Los Angeles 1984 to protect Sarah Connor from the Terminator. It is considered to be the best game based on the original The Terminator.
The name in text on the scrolling intro, "Hemdale's The Terminator" (only in the Mega Drive/Genesis version) refers to the independent Hemdale Film Corporation, who produced the original movie. Once the studio closed, Orion Pictures became the owner of most of the films Hemdale had once owned.
