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Head Buster

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Head Buster (ヘッドバスター?, Headbuster) is a Game Gear video game that involves robots fighting in combat sequences. The object is to earn more gold by winning matches and spending that money on better weapons like rifles, missile launchers, and flamethrowers. Robots can be traded in for money (gol...

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Developer
NCS

Released on
1991

Size
1–2 Players

Version
Game Gear

Requirements
Sega Game Gear

Downloads
Strategy

Publisher
Masaya

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

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Description

Head Buster (ヘッドバスター?, Headbuster) is a Game Gear video game that involves robots fighting in combat sequences.

The object is to earn more gold by winning matches and spending that money on better weapons like rifles, missile launchers, and flamethrowers. Robots can be traded in for money (gold) if updating them is impossible. At the center of each starting point is a base (circle). Either the base must be destroyed or all the opponent’s robots must be destroyed in order to clear the battlefield. There is a certain range to each weapon; opponents cannot be attacked if they are too close or too far away from the weapon’s firing range.

There are ten different maps in the game. Each level has its own password. Players must deliver newspapers for a tiny stipend in order to resume competing after a loss.

Head Buster

Overview & History

Released by Sanritsu and published by Vic Tokai in 1991 exclusively for the Sega Game Gear, Head Buster is a bizarre and fascinating post-apocalyptic side-scrolling action title. Set in a desolate future where humanity fights for survival amidst mutated monstrosities and mechanical tyrants, the game casts the player as a fierce pilot navigating hostile wastelands and claustrophobic subterranean bunkers. Distinct from typical linear platformers, Head Buster blends vehicular combat with traditional mecha-brawler mechanics, offering a dark, industrial aesthetic rarely fully realized on Sega's handheld hardware of that era.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

The core gameplay loop alternates between piloting a heavily armed armored vehicle and engaging in face-to-face combat on foot. Players must manage a dual health and fuel system, ensuring their ride does not overheat or run dry while traversing treacherous terrain filled with spike pits, corrosive acid pools, and relentless enemy patrols. Action sequences require precise platforming and aggressive offense. Character moveset includes standard rapid-fire projectile blasts, devastating screen-clearing special bombs, and a signature melee dash that rams through reinforced enemy barricades. Boss encounters demand pattern memorization, forcing players to target specific structural weak points on giant rogue battle-rigs and mutant leviathans before their timer runs out.