Classic Game Room - GAIARES for Sega Genesis review

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Classic Game Room HD reviews GAIARES for Sega Genesis from 1990, a side scrolling SHMUP published by Renovation Products. This classic Sega Mega Drive shooter is one of the most challenging on the 16-bit console and packs some of the best gameplay, music and visuals ever seen on Sega Genesis. Gaiares is one of the hardest side scrolling shooters (aka SHMUPS) on the Sega Genesis and is a worth addition to the collection of SHMUP fans. Amazing visuals and awesome music make repeat gameplay a blast which is good because you'll need to memorize every inch of space in this game to clear even the first three levels (out of eight total). This CGR review of Gaiaires on Sega Genesis has gameplay from Gaiares showing video game play in HD action from a modified S-video Sega Genesis model 1.

[@MysteriousMrL]

I rented this game as a kid, and loved the music so much I put a tape recorder next to the TV while I played.

[@EXmugen]

LOVED this game growing up! It was hard as hell, but I did beat it. I was always great at dodging in side scroll shooters. A classic for sure! Great times...

[@GameSack]

What are you using to edit? There is no need for interlaced video to delete some of the information you see in your final edited product. You need to blend both fields together. That way you don't lose any temporal resolution. I do this all of the time in my videos.

[@MickeyD2012]

Fun fact: If you set the Genesis to Japan region, it changes the title screen and the cutscene text to Japanese. I used it for a region mod demonstration for public speaking, of all things, way back in high school.

[@esbroker]

Mark, you are the best review maker. I just love the way that you dont fall in silly questions like graphics and casual things. You are a really hardcore gamer.

[@1shoryuken]

WHOA!!! How the hell did l miss this game in my Sega childhood!! This looks awesome!!! it looks like a mix of Phantasy Star and R-TYPE!

[@boobio1]

Yamamoto-san, the programmer, was in charge of the game balance, but this game was originally intented for the overseas market, to begin with. But overseas, since their was a tendency for people to buy and play a game and then immediately sell it, as well as rental systems, the overseas publisher had asked us to make the game even more difficult so that it would not be rented and completed easily. So we went over to the overseas publisher to show the demo, and they said: "You should make it even more difficult!" We started getting concerned at this point, but we complied with the request. So ultimately the game became very difficult when it was released.

[@isaactakeuchimusic]

Great story thanks for sharing!

[@paxhumana2015]

Thank you for helping to make an awesome game, boobio1.

[@affansonicfan]

hands-down the BEST Genesis shmup game! EXCELLENT story, EXCELLENT gameplay, and EXCELLENT sound!

[@isaactakeuchimusic]

Awesome review dude. This is one of my favorite games ever. Thanks for taking me through memory lane and really honoring this masterpiece of gaming history.

[@hemidesign]

I finished this game without losing life.. but took me months to achieve that.. super hard shit!

[@hemidesign]

Hellfire is much harder than Gaiares.. believe me!

[@KronnangDunn]

You sir are awesome...

[@CrossoverGameReviews]

No mention of the badass soundtrack? The soundtrack that screams "keep going!" and gives you the will power to go on?

[@opa-age]

6:07 To this day I'm still blown away by that water effect

[@walkerctranger]

WOH!... That game has SICK cutscenes for the genesis... Actual mouth movement??? I thought you could only do this on the sega cd lol this is awesome, and that S-video makes it look so vibrant even the super nintendo would be jealous

[@chrishooper68]

This game was awesome back in the day. I remember when it first came out, I bought a copy. I've never been any good at videogames, so I would just purchase 'em & watch my brother John play, who was an avid game player. I remember him playing this game for hours nonstop. He finally beat it on the 2nd or 3rd day after I bought it. He said it was one of the hardest space shooters he'd ever played. He had to actually beat the game with one man without ever getting killed. He said that was the trick.

[@decapattack]

@gamesDAMNED There are 4 super-weapons: t-braster, f-formation,a-bullet and t-vulcan.

[@Eeeark]

21 years since I first played this game I finally completed it! I just gave the 'very hard' setting a shot last night.... Could be another 21 years.....

[@georgehatworth3263]

I played this game when I was younger. I never got all the way through! The last boss is very, very difficult to defeat. But, here's an important tip that you should know about: you can change the speed of your ship with the "A" button. It goes LOW, MID, and MAX. Toggling that lets you get through certain parts of the game more easily. Try different settings wherever you're getting stuck. Good luck!

[@paratus04]

Their were missile upgrades too. They would eventually turn into homing missiles which helped a bit. Even with the T braster I never made it past level six. I think I still have this at home with my OG Genesis.

[@HockeyFanatic154]

i finished the game. let me tell you. i felt like my heart was going to explode.

[@hypermecha223]

One of my favorite games! And one of the hardest shooters.

[@KenjiroHattori]

The Grim Reaper a really cool master in one of the lvls. i finished it on all difficulty lvls. man so cool have a friend and his wife who are just like the main characters. loved the cinematics grew up on those so long ago. that kind of thing can hopefully and maybe(?) be the blueprint in making today's games immerse the player into the game and you just want to play it and finish it

[@vaxick]

I really enjoyed this game back in the day.

[@HockeyFanatic154]

2:07 greatest video game music ever.

[@KronnangDunn]

I finished it back in 1991 when I was like 16 years old. It took me a lot of practice though...

[@Wuss2ns]

Graphics in the cutscenes are actually really nice.

[@neonana74]

Here another few hints for people that wanna try this game. I several stages there are alternate routes you can take, for example after the first mini-boss. Depending if you fly at the bottom or top of the screen with your spaceship, you can alternate which path you take. There are 2 kinds of missiles, the normal ones or homing ones. They can be grabbed off stationary cannons. Most cannons have the normal missiles, but some have the homing ones. I will stop now, but I love Gaiares...

[@Vintagecoats]

I'm loving the detailed art & gameplay style for this game, I can't believe I missed this back in the day! I will now need to correct this ASAP, with thanks to Mark :-p

[@neonana74]

@azmune - From a forum: 1) T-Braster 2) A-Bullet: At the beginning of the game, pause the game 8 times (press Start quickly). Next, deploy the TOZ to an item, not an enemy. 3)F-Formation: Score in multiples of 10,000 points. Deploy your TOZ onto an enemy when the last 4 digits on your scoreboard are all '0' (ie. 10,000, 20,000, 550,000 etc.).

[@franco7363]

Throw TOZ 6 times at an empty space then on any enemy and enjoy your super power up.

[@KronnangDunn]

The T-Braster.... I discovered it by accident. Is a must to finish the game.

[@youisiaint]

I've tried this so many times and it never worked. I remember reading it in a Genesis hints book and thought it was a mistake.

[@Meanpooh]

I ate this game for lunch back in the day. So much fun!

[@DrSopenkus]

This game changed the way I view video games back in the 90's. Gaiares and the Thunder Force series ... Awesome games. Graphics and Music! You didn''t see these type of games on the SNES. I still have the original with the box :) I finished this game with a trick.... a weapon called T-Braster... THANK YOU GOD FOR THAT WEAPON... This game was Freaking hard!

[@5k4k1dhtp]

Oh my god, it looks fantastic! I need to get this!

[@secutorclaudius]

oh, my. this was one of those games i never finished, and back then i used to finish almost any game, even 3 day rentals. i still have the cartridge and box, as well as the genesis (don't know if it still works). back then games were merciless, i guess i've gotten softer, with all the saves and unlimited lives. i can still hum every song from this game. i have it recorded on tape, as many others from that generation.

[@rootykazooty351]

Your Genesis will still work. They're bulletproof.

[@Virtuoso80]

Ahhh, nostalgia. One of my all-time favorite games. I don't think I ever got past level 5 without cheats, though.

[@elgoog-the-third]

@5:40 Wow, what enormous dimensions for a projectile!

[@ingeborgschmidt-huser9299]

love that audio

[@SJtheMFZB]

That orange beauty was yesterday's treasure! And, true to experiences, I recall nothing in this video because my copy never did function. 😭

[@somberokami]

VALIS III was also released by Telenet around the same time; although it's a different genre of game, VALIS III is a nice little treasure to have on the Sega Genesis. If you liked the music on this game, Mark, you'll love the soundtrack for VALIS III. ; )

[@rootykazooty351]

I love Valis and Valis III

[@Dre_aka_sleepysandman]

One of my favorite game on the genesis...wish I could find a copy.

[@76groundpounder7]

One of the BEST of the BEST shooters ever! I played the hell-outta this game back in the day. (47 now) and never got tired of it! Yes it is hard, but tolerable. To those who beat it, we are ACE Pilots…. All other shooters are child’s play. I remember getting frustrated and taking a break so I’d go and play Thunder Force III …. For target practice lol Thank you for shedding some light on an amazing shooter my friend.

[@TronPachioftheDynamo]

He NEVER gets this enthusiastic about a game's difficulty. I'm definitely picking this up. Shit, Genesis has absolutely no shortage of shooters, huh?

[@rootykazooty351]

Genesis is mighty for shooters.

[@Migdo14]

A good and hard game.I really like the Bosses in this game.I beat it and I still own it just in case I want to play t again

[@Skriak]

That box is downright dandy! I want one!

[@KronnangDunn]

@DrSopenkus LOL I remember I discovered that weapon by accident. AWESOME GAME!!!

[@tekkamanpr]

I still have this game in my collection, and i can say is hard to beat but not impossible, if you really want something a little bit harder try Sol Deace for the sega genesis. Great review btw.

[@jesperbech]

Damn this looks like a great game, big heads up to CGR for bringing the world up to speed on lost treasures, lying in wait, just to be re-discovered. CGR is my favorite game review site, though I think the quality sadly has suffered a bit as popularity has forced the good Mark to increase output.. He should afford himself a nice vacation and not give a .. fudge

[@mistresskixen6142]

I recently binged played this and recently beat it. This game is a great gem though I wish they didn't opt to switch box arts seeing as the original art before it was changed was so much better in my opinion.

[@Claidheambmor]

I love your adoration of the shmup genre! You need to play some modern shmups along with these retro classics. How about PS2 Psyvariar and STeel Dragon/Shienryu? They are VERY cheap as they were released as budget titles in the West. Castle of Shikigami 2/Mobile Light Force 2 is also very easy to find on eBay. For even more modern shmups how about Mushihimesama, DoDonPachi Dai Ou Jou, ESPGaluda and DeathSmiles? I appreciate these are expensive and the Xbox 360 is not region-free.

[@devilboynet]

wow it sounds amazing with the s-video cable!

[@DTM-Books]

There is one hidden "super weapon" in Gaiares, but I can't remember the pause code for it. There's also an invincibility pause code that you can switch on and off whenever you want. This is a fantastic shooter, right up there with Thunder Force 3 and Fire Shark as the Genesis' best. The great news is that Sunsoft has purchased the entire Telenet library, so it's hopeful that Victor Ireland (yep, THAT Vic Ireland!) will release Gaiares on the Virtual Console.

[@keinonahkatakki]

Damn that S-Video picture quality looks good!

[@KrypticGuy666]

Mark, you should make a review on the hardware you use. So that other people could start making their own reviews to share with others. Also, thanks for another great review.

[@neonana74]

Press A+B+C+Start at the title screen to get to a menu where you can set the game to easy. At least that works on the japanese version. I only found that out after finishing the game. I only finished it once, hard as hell... Another trick is to shoot your TOZ 6 times without hitting an enemy, then the 7th time hit an enemy to get one of the 4 (I think it's 4) secret weapons.

[@gc3k]

who remembers jamie bunker and his mean mullet

[@RetroGamerVX]

Aha, back on form with a real retro game review, what you do best :o) This looks like the avi out I have on my Genesis 1 :o) Wow, great graphics for the Mega Drive :o)

[@franco7363]

This is the BEST shooter on the Genesis period.

[@DanielAyy]

Even better than Thunder force IV?

[@DanielAyy]

@TROLL TIME yeah I thought so.

[@rootykazooty351]

Truly great games, but Trouble Shooter is my favourite Genesis shooter.

[@azmune]

@neonana74 thanks for the link. i stand corrected an just realised f-formation was actually the ultimate weapon! never got around to test the other two special weapons so i can't say how they compare.

[@Reguba24]

While I was watching this I was waiting for you to mention Einhander... God that game is hard.

[@CineSalvaje]

You have to use a video filter called "flyckr removal" to show both fields of the video source!!!! Love your chanel, image quality looks geat!

[@antoniopall5355]

Best, hands down best shooter ever. Very innovative. The graphics, the music... Also hard as hell. I sold my copy a couple of months ago for a good profit. I would never finish that I I lived 200 years.

[@mazonemayu]

best game on the system, I imported it when it came out, cost me an arm & a leg too as I was only 16 at the time. back then I could 1CC it...such fond memories of this gem

[@keyboardonly]

Looks fun... I like those thick lasers.

[@BRADLEYEUGENEORR10]

I saw this review and I played this game on an emulator and it is a fun game but a hard game, I thought I would try it again on a sega genesis love the review mark it made me wanna buy the game

[@LastSeraphim]

If I remember correctly, if you "miss" the TOZ system 5-6 times the connect on the next time, you get a super charged weapon. This was a great game.

[@volvo145]

and people say genesis has horrible music, this is great.

[@gc3k]

what makes gaiares harder than most shooters is the lack of invincibility even if you use your shield. if you run into a wall or enemy boss you could die instantly, even if your shield is full (5 stocks)

[@Globalmap1]

Awesome music

[@TheMathius78]

Great review! Thanks as always!

[@BlazingSoul333]

im starting to love the new era of crg :)

[@cyanidebreathmintz]

@misterintellivision it's a must have.

[@crispydude01]

@Kyoshiro1902 I have this game too! And I would never ever donate it! It's just too awesome. I remember when I used to play this game with my older brother years ago. I could never finish it and only got till level 5. But wow! Mark you're my hero! I can't believe you've actually reviewed this game. It's like a dream come true!

[@LittleBigKid707b]

i read about this game in the egm mag back in the day.finally some 20+ years i finally play it. this is 1 great shooter, but also 1 that will hand you your ass!! very hard.

[@schmoab]

Even though I would never play this game, I still love that it's called Garry's.

[@andersdenkend]

Gorgeous capture. God, how I love 2D graphics.

[@jakeryanadams007]

My very first Genesis game when I was 5

[@WeShallC]

Wow mark you where doing pretty good... When you crashed at the end I felt like skippy shouting out NNNOOOOOOOoooooo!!!!

[@raoatv]

Here not only at lvl 3 are we going to fling a crap load of stuff at you we are also going to make you go blind in the process. That background was brutal.

[@Shad4real]

One of my favourite genesis game!

[@neonana74]

@azmune 4) T-Vulcan: Deploy the TOZ into an enemy 128 times. I'm not sure if that means consecutively and without missing. TOZ shield item, then running your ship into it = 5 shieds instead of 3 (Can't seem to link the original forum post here)

[@segacd32xz]

7:26 AH GOD THE SIXTIES

[@robkearsy2995]

S Video is the best way to go if you you have an AV/Svideo switch box or 1 of those crt flatscreen TV's that has an s video output. There's also a company called Retrovision HD that made component cables that work for The Genesis & even The Saturn as well as The SNES.

[@AlthenasGuard]

thanks for reviewing this. It is a great game!

[@starsoldier1]

I remember how impressive this game looked back in the day thanks to the 8meg cart size. There are 7 stages in the game and sadly the later levels just get worst.

[@maz12004]

Terrific sound and video quality on this vid. ^_^

[@cptsonicbelmont]

Maaaaaaan, this game is hard! When I first got my Genesis from my mother about 2 years ago, this was one of the games that she got with it. It was only yesterday that I beat the first boss, I was so proud of myself! ...And quickly got my ass kicked on the next level.

[@szwa]

This is a pretty fun looken game.

[@christianpohl331]

OMG i remember that .... what a great game ...... do you know Hellfire?

[@Afterthought208]

the cut scenes remind me of the original mobile suit gundam anima lol

[@termion]

@5:43 Its the white Pong paddle of DOOM.

[@Petman1325]

S-video is beast, especially on consoles like the SNES and N64. I haven't tried it on GameCube (yet), but they look much nicer on the larger screened TVs.

[@SLRMC93]

I think Gaiares diffculty was transfered over to ikaruga for the gamecube.

[@JesseH76]

It's only hard because back then they didn't give you save states like they do today, no memory cards, unless it was built into the game. If this was made today each stage would give you a save.

[@KevPez-IS]

I can't help but laugh i saw an advertisement for the new Xbox 360 on the Classic Game Room lol

[@bleachno9]

To be totally exact this is from a Sega Genesis Model 1 with the Sony soundchip. Big difference from the yamaha one.

[@azmune]

@neonana74 haha, i remember that cheat/code. gave the ultimate weapon (T-Braster) which made completing the game a breeze.

[@doppleganger4827]

@KrypticGuy666 There are a few. Look up CGR behind the scenes and read the descriptions. There's a few on the equipment he uses.

[@TheBlondeDude1]

7th Stage = Boss Rush + Boss = PAIN!!!

[@01Zipang]

I just got a genesis so i might try to get this

[@LittleBigKid707b]

i with u man. i remember reading about this in egm way back when and it got real good scores.though i never tried it and it took me some 20 years later to finally play it.im getting my ass handed to me on the 2nd level.ive beat many a game in my 30 plus years of gaming, but im getting humbled on this 1 .lol.

[@MrDebauch]

@vincentizghra the tom rolls in the music remind me of gyruss on the NES (i believe it is made by taito)