![Targa (Unreleased) - Super Nintendo - Stages 1 - 4 Gameplay [UHD 4K]](/images/yt/ub/targa-unreleased-super-nintendo-stages-1-4-gameplay-uhd-udszq.jpg)
Targa (Unreleased) - Super Nintendo - Stages 1 - 4 Gameplay [UHD 4K]
19Targa is the unreleased prototype PAL version of Rendering Ranger: R2 from legendary coder Manfred Trenz. The game itself has a rather interesting history and that's even before you get to its limited Japanese print run size and current prices on the market. Trenz, didn't seem to be a fan of the Japanese name either in this short interview with him on SNES Central: http://snescentral.com/article.php?id=0156
Taking over 3 years to develop Targa was intended to be a space shooter originally, but the original publisher Softgold wanted a run and gun section similar to Turrican. Added to this after the game was finished using hand drawn graphics, the publisher then decided to change them all to pre-render graphics. No doubt delaying the game for some time, Trenz still has a copy with the original art style and we can only hope it appears one day on some system. With an estimated 10,000 copies produced in Japan it's surprising it commands the prices that it does with many PAL titles getting far smaller print runs. It one of those games that appears very common on ebay, amazon and Yahoo auctions just with a eye watering price tag to match.
While the game is a master piece of SNES coding and graphics with next to no slow down present and some true awe-inspiring visuals. It has more negatives than positive the music's not bad, but could be better it was done by Manfred Trenz himself, but he is no Christopher Hülsbeck. Where the game falls down, big time and we do mean big time, is the level design and balancing. It's all over the shop in places, the run and guns stages just don't mix that well with the space ones. The game is too hard and requires you memorise every enemy position. bombs are too strong against bosses, while the weapons are too weak and many enemies soke up damage like a bullet sponge. Dying resets the weapon you were using, but lose all your power ups and you won't be able to hurt anything.
Many level sections just go on for far too long and just need cutting down a little, hit boxes are also far to large for the space ship. Making some areas almost impossible to avoid taking damage. Thankfully there is a password system, to save your progress, so you don't have to restart from the beginning every time.
There's a good game here, just not a great one and with a few tweaks to the design it, really could have been a truly great title. Due to an easter egg seen on the second stage, where the ship from Super Turrican 2 can be seen crashing into the background, this can be considered part of the Turrican series.
While we would love to do a trueplay / longplay video, we will save that for the day we ever manage to get our hands on a copy of the over priced Japanese version.
Also known as: レンダリングレンジャー R2 (Japan) Rendering Ranger R2 / Rendering Ranger R² (Japan)
Release: 1995 (Japanese version)
Developer: Rainbow Arts
Publisher: Virgin Interactive
Format: Super Nintendo (SNES) / Super Famicom (SFC) / スーパーファミコン
Targa was never released, only the Japanese version Rendering Ranger: R2 was available to buy and it has never been re-released. Fingers crossed it gets reissued at some point.
Footage is captured from the SNES9X emulator. Re-uploaded to address a possible stutter in the original video.