Target: Renegade

Screenshots

Summary

Target: Renegade is a side-scrolling beat 'em up (or flip-screen in some versions) computer game launched in the late 1980s for the Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum by Ocean Software under their "Imagine" label, with a Nintendo Entertainment System version published by Taito. It serves as a follow-up to Renegade and is succeeded by Renegade 3. When Ocean secured the rights to adapt the original arcade game Renegade for home computers, they also gained the right to develop and release exclusive sequels for home systems, with Target: Renegade being the first of these. On most platforms, the game supports one or two players and follows the story of a street fighter (or a pair of identical street fighters) known simply as "Renegade," who seeks vengeance against a local crime boss named "Mr. Big" for killing his or their brother, Matt. The playable character may differ slightly depending on the version, but is typically depicted as shirtless, wearing a leather vest and jeans. No matter the platform, the game's box art and title screen (as shown in the image) feature a shirtless street fighter executing a flying kick through a window. As was common in video game packaging and ads of the time, the figure in the illustration has little connection to any in-game character. The image is actually based on Martial Arts Legend Joe Lewis from the cover of his book The World's Greatest Fighter Teaches You How To Master Bruce Lee's Fighting System, modified to align with the Renegade character. The game consists of five levels, although the types of enemies and weapons encountered can differ between versions (with the NES edition in particular resembling Double Dragon more closely than the home computer versions). The NES and C64 versions of the game do not include a two-player cooperative mode.

Storyline

Mr. Big has returned to the city, and this time he's taken your brother hostage! He's being kept at Big's Pig Pen, situated on the upper part of town. The catch is, every gang in the city is after you. It's now up to you to defy the odds and save your brother. You begin the game with nothing but your bare hands, but as you progress, you can find weapons like baseball bats or even garbage cans. The game is a one-player arcade-style side-scrolling action adventure.