Heavy Unit
🙂 6.8/10
(PC Engine - JP, Shoot'em Up)
.png)
Complete
$69.50
Loose $27.58
Developed by:
Inter State
Published by:
Taito
Released On:
22 Dec 1989
Also available on:
The human colony "Le Tau" is under attack by some strange aliens. It is the player's job to use a special starship and destroy everything which moves. Heavy Unit is a typical side-scrolling shooter with six levels filled with enemies, mid and end bosses.
Destroyed enemies may leave behind items which have beneficial effects when collected: increased speed, better weapon power, a shield, extra lives or transformation into a robot. The robot has a more powerful weapons system (laser beam and homing energy balls instead of a vulcan gun), but also a downside: its large size makes it easier to be hit by enemies or crash into the environment. If that happens, a life and all collected upgrades are lost and the ship is reset at the last checkpoint.
While the level layouts are identical in all versions, there are some minor differences in enemy placement, graphics (e.g. the PC Engine version has more colours and bigger enemies) and sound.
EAN-13:
4988611890073 (Japan)
Part #:
TP01004 (Japan)
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Prices as of 09 Oct 2026
Typical $69.41–$69.41 (last 90 days)
New
Complete
Loose
Box
Manual
Smoothed
Log · Auto
Medians
Market activity: active · about 16 sales a year
Activity is a 12-month sales count. Dashed segments rest on two sales a year or fewer.
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Manual
Game Guide
Extracted from the original game manual
This sci-fi action game casts players as a combatant exploring a vast underground ecosystem where biological warfare and abandoned mechs have merged into a chaotic, mutated hazard. Players must navigate through modified flora zones and isolated areas contaminated by runaway genetic experiments, facing off against assimilated creatures and heavily armed mobile units. The campaign culminates in a deep strike into the enemy's fortified core to dismantle their production plant and confront the commanding officer.
Story
Subterranean Native Flora Zone
A flora zone spreading across a vast underground cavity, populated by lurking manned humanoid heavy mobile units.
•
Deeper into the zone, biological populations show clear signs of artificial modification.
Old Underground Development Plant
This area served as a base for early planetary modification and was abandoned long ago.
•
Parts remain active because the enemy uses a portion as a production plant for their living mobile weapons.
Abnormal Creature Zone
An isolated area dominated by an extremely abnormal ecosystem.
•
An accident from a runaway genetic manipulation program during weapon development contaminated the area.
•
Abnormal creatures left behind are assimilating with abandoned mechs and evolving.
Enemy Base Core
The enemy's stronghold, which includes a production plant for large-scale living mobile weapons.
•
Numerous large-scale units are already deployed and operational.
•
The guard system is formidable.
•
The enemy commander is present at the deepest part of the area.
How to Play
Package Introduction
Thank you very much for purchasing Taito's HuCARD, 'HEAVY UNIT'.
Before use, please read this 'Owner's Manual' regarding handling, precautions for use, etc., carefully and use it in the correct manner. Please also keep this 'Owner's Manual' in a safe place.
Handling Precautions
•
As it is a precision device, avoid use or storage under extreme temperature/humidity conditions and strong shocks. Also, do not bend the card forcefully.
•
Do not touch the terminals or get it wet to avoid contamination. It may cause malfunction.
•
Do not wipe with volatile oils such as thinner or benzine.
Play Guidelines
•
Please play as far away from the TV screen as possible (about 2 meters).
•
When playing for a long time, for your health, please take a short break of 5-10 minutes every hour.
How to Reset
While pressing the RUN button during the game, press the SELECT button to restart the game from the beginning.
Compatibility
HuCARD is a game card exclusively for the SE [System-1].
Warranty and Rights
•
We aim for perfect quality, but in the unlikely event that a product has defects due to our responsibility, we will exchange it for a new product.
•
Unauthorized duplication of this software by our company and its use in the lending business are prohibited.
Character Profile: HEAVY UNIT
A pilot in a red space jacket. It is said that the words 'HEAVY UNIT' are written on the side of the cockpit.
Affiliation and performance are completely unknown; it was a mysterious mobile mecha whose stance, whether enemy or ally, was undetermined.
However, the settlers put their last hope into this mobile mecha. Carrying the hopes of the people of Ru-Tau, 'HEAVY UNIT' leaps forward!
Game Overview
•
It is a power-up type horizontal scrolling shooting game.
•
Controls are joystick + 2 buttons (FIRE/BOMB).
•
While picking up power-up items that appear when you defeat specific enemies, destroy the enemies that appear one after another, and battle through all 5 stages + alpha.
•
Defeating item carriers or certain specific enemies will cause power-up items to appear.
•
There are 5 types of items in total. Each time the player receives an item, they can power up or transform.
Major Characters and Strategy
MCR-X09 'HEAVY UNIT' (Player Machine)
A mysterious heavy mobile unit that stands against the hostile biologic mobile weapon army. Apart from it seeming to be a test unit, all data is unknown.
DEATH BLINGER (SCENE 1 BOSS)
Positioned in the outer perimeter of the enemy base, it is a so-called gatekeeper existence.
It attacks by spewing out a mael.
•
Dodge the fire bomb.
•
Pound it relentlessly with bullets in the mouth.
FLAP BONE (SCENE ? BOSS)
A mobile mech based on the skeleton of a large winged reptile.
In addition to attacks with spread bombs and egg-shaped mortar bombs, it approaches by jumping significantly forward and back.
•
Use the timing and aim for the face.
FLOAT FORTRESS (SCENE 3 BOSS)
A large mech composed of multiple modules, incorporating a floating system.
•
It is best to give the core block sufficient damage and then destroy the head block.
•
It is difficult if you cannot read multiple attack patterns.
Tips & Maps
Transformer Modes
The player's craft can switch between Combat Plane Mode for wide-area attacks against small enemies and Robot Mode for focused forward attacks against durable enemies using the Transformer.
Power Booster Mechanics
Attack power is determined by the number of power boosters possessed, regardless of transformation state, and reverts to normal when the craft is destroyed.
Unpowered Attacks
When not powered up, attacks are limited to forward shots, but both buttons can be used to achieve efficient rapid fire.
Items & Weapons
SPEED UP
Increases your speed with each pickup, with no upper limit.
POWER BOOSTER
Increases your attack power by one level, up to a maximum of three levels.
SHIELD UNIT
Unfolds an energy shield that provides protection against 3 enemy bullets, with durability increasing by the amount collected if picked up consecutively.
TRANSFORMER
A transformation item that switches between fighter and robot forms, changing the aircraft's attack pattern.
EXTEND PLAYER
Increases the stock of your aircraft by one unit, also known as a 1-up.
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