Asterix and the Great Rescue

Core Design

Industry	Video game development
Headquarters	United Kingdom
Products	Asterix and the Great Rescue

Asterix and the Great Rescue is a video game created by Core Design and released by Sega for the Genesis/Mega Drive in 1993, with subsequent versions launched for the Game Gear and Master System in 1994.

Plot

Drawing inspiration from the renowned French comic series Asterix the Gaul, the storyline centers on protagonists Asterix and Obelix as they embark on a mission to save Getafix (also known as Panoramix) and Dogmatix (Idéfix) from Roman troops intent on subjugating Gaul.

Gameplay

This title is a side-scrolling platform game where players have the option to adjust difficulty settings and enable or disable music and sound effects. On the Master System and Game Gear, players can switch between characters during levels, whereas the Genesis version limits character selection to the beginning of each stage.

Reception

Critical response varied depending on the platform. The Genesis edition was remarked upon by GamePro for its high difficulty and less-than-ideal control scheme, though it was recommended for those who appreciate challenging puzzles. The Game Gear release received a 5/10 score from Electronic Gaming Monthly, which lauded its visual presentation but criticized its audio and control mechanics for leading to player frustration. Similarly, GamePro praised the graphics but pointed out issues with controlling characters effectively.

Review ratings include:

• Computer and Video Games (Master System): 74%
• Consoles + (Game Gear): 85%
• Electronic Gaming Monthly: Genesis 26/50, Game Gear 20/40
• GamePro: Genesis and Game Gear both 14.5/20
• Sega Power: Genesis 78%, Master System 84%
• Sega Pro (Master System): 74%
• Hyper (Genesis): 91%
• Joypad (France): Master System 89%, Genesis 88%, Game Gear 89%
• Player One (France): Master System 83%, Game Gear 91%

In summary, while the game was commended for its graphics and faithful adaptation of the original material, criticisms frequently targeted its challenging gameplay and control responsiveness across different platforms.