The Death and Return of Superman

From Sega Retro

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TheDeathAndReturnOfSuperman MDTitleScreen.png

The Death and Return of Superman
System(s): Sega Mega Drive
Publisher: Sunsoft (US), Acclaim Entertainment (Europe, Australia)
Developer:
Supporting companies:
Distributor: Sega-Ozisoft (Australia)

Arcadia Software (Spain)

Licensor: DC Comics
Sound driver: GEMS
Genre: Action

















Number of players: 1
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Mega Drive
US 		$54.9954.99[2] T-15186
Videogame Rating Council: MA-13
Sega Mega Drive
EU 		T-81466-50
ELSPA: 3+ OK
Sega Mega Drive
UK 		T-81466-50
ELSPA: 3+ OK
Sega Mega Drive
AU 		FDEA06SMC
OFLC: G8
Non-Sega versions

The Death and Return of Superman is a 1995 beat-'em-up for the Sega Mega Drive and Super NES by Blizzard Entertainment and Sunsoft tying into the Death and Return of Superman comic book arc.

Story

Death and Return of Superman, Introduction.png

The death of Superman

After a titanic struggle against the supervillain Doomsday, an evil monster terrorizing Metropolis, Doomsday is destroyed, but Superman is fatally wounded as well. Months later, four Supermen emerge in an effort to replace the original Superman, each claiming to be the original Superman: Cyborg Superman, the Eradicator, Steel, and Superboy. An insidious force still threatens Metropolis, and it is up to the four characters to discover it and find the real Superman.

Gameplay

The game is a single-player, belt-scrolling beat-'em-up played as Superman and the four other Supermen. The currently played character is determined by the level rather than chosen by the player. While the characters differ in appearance, they have the same basic abilities.

Characters can move in any direction on the plane using the D-Pad. They attack by punching and kicking with B. They grab foes with B when in close range. While grabbing an opponent, they can pummel them with Down+B or throw them by holding any other direction with B. Sometimes hidden items can be uncovered by throwing enemies at breakable parts of the level. Some items, such as crates, can be picked up and thrown at opponents with B. Each character has a "Super Weapon," used with A, which is a projectile attack that does scant damage but momentarily stuns opponents. Characters can unleash a screen-clearing special attack with A+B. These attacks are limited but can be replenished by finding Superman shield icons.

Characters jump with C. They perform dive attack by pressing B while in midair. Each Superman has the ability to fly by pressing C again in midair and using the D-Pad to move. While flying, they can avoid some enemies and obstacles. Characters can punch and use their Super Weapons while flying. Some enemies have the ability to fly and are easier to defeat if confronted in the air. Some barriers can be passed only by flying.

Some levels are entirely played by flying. These levels scroll automatically, similar to a shoot-'em-up. In these levels, characters move in any direction using the D-Pad. They cannot punch but can fire their projectile attack with B (which can be held for rapid-fire). Steel has a unique flying level that does not scroll automatically, where he uses his melee attack rather than his projectile attack.

Characters have a health bar that depletes as they take damage from foes. They lose a life when they run out of health but revive after a moment as long as the player has extra lives remaining. The game ends if the player runs out of lives, but it can be continued from the start of the current level.

Characters

Death and Return of Superman, Characters, Superman.png

Superman, "The Man of Steel"
Super Weapon:
Heat Vision
Special Attack:
Earthquake Punch

Death and Return of Superman, Characters, Cyborg.png

Cyborg Superman, "The Man of Tomorrow"
Super Weapon:
Energy Blasts
Special Attack:
Hover Blast

Death and Return of Superman, Characters, Eradicator.png

The Eradicator, "The Last Son of Krypton"
Super Weapon:
Gun Arm
Special Attack:
Bomb

Death and Return of Superman, Characters, Steel.png

Steel
Super Weapon:
Rivet Bullets
Special Attack:
Sledgehammer Drive

Death and Return of Superman, Characters, Superboy.png

Superboy, "The Metropolis Kid"
Super Weapon:
Energy Blasts
Special Attack:
Telekinesis Blast

Items

Death and Return of Superman, Items.png
 Red Shield
Adds one use of the special attack.
Death and Return of Superman, Items.png
 Light Blue Shield
Restores a quarter of the character's health bar.
Death and Return of Superman, Items.png
 Dark Blue Shield
Restores half of the character's health bar.
Death and Return of Superman, Items.png
 1-Up
Gives the player an extra life.

Levels

Death and Return of Superman, Stage 1-1.png

Death and Return of Superman, Stage 1-2.png

Death and Return of Superman, Stage 1-3.png

Death and Return of Superman, Stage 1-3 Boss.png

  • Death and Return of Superman, Stage 1-1.png

  • Death and Return of Superman, Stage 1-2.png

  • Death and Return of Superman, Stage 1-3.png

  • Death and Return of Superman, Stage 1-3 Boss.png

Siege of the Underworlders
Played as:
Superman
Boss:
Clawster
Clawster and his army and Underworlders initiate a power failure in the city of Metropolis in an attempt to take over the city. Superman intervenes and defeats the horde of Underdwellers, including Clawster.

Death and Return of Superman, Stage 2-1.png

Death and Return of Superman, Stage 2-1 Boss.png

Death and Return of Superman, Stage 2-2.png

Death and Return of Superman, Stage 2-2 Boss.png

  • Death and Return of Superman, Stage 2-1.png

  • Death and Return of Superman, Stage 2-1 Boss.png

  • Death and Return of Superman, Stage 2-2.png

  • Death and Return of Superman, Stage 2-2 Boss.png

Doomsday in Metropolis
Played as:
Superman
Boss:
Doomsday
Not long after the power is restored, a news bulletin reports that monster of unknown origin (Doomsday) is leading a path of destruction towards Metropolis and that the Justice League were unable to stop the creature. Superman and Doomsday both deal killing blows to each other.

Death and Return of Superman, Stage 3-1.png

Death and Return of Superman, Stage 3-2.png

Death and Return of Superman, Stage 3-3.png

Death and Return of Superman, Stage 3-3 Boss.png

  • Death and Return of Superman, Stage 3-1.png

  • Death and Return of Superman, Stage 3-2.png

  • Death and Return of Superman, Stage 3-3.png

  • Death and Return of Superman, Stage 3-3 Boss.png

Assault on Cadmus
Played as:
Cyborg Superman
Boss:
Sentinel
Months after the death of Superman, four Supermen arise to replace the fallen hero. Cyborg Superman attacks a Project Cadmus base to locate a comatose Doomsday. Fearing he would be a threat once again if he wakes up, the Cyborg exiles Doomsday to deep space.

Death and Return of Superman, Stage 4-1.png

Death and Return of Superman, Stage 4-2.png

Death and Return of Superman, Stage 4-2 Boss.png

  • Death and Return of Superman, Stage 4-1.png

  • Death and Return of Superman, Stage 4-2.png

  • Death and Return of Superman, Stage 4-2 Boss.png

The Last Son of Krypton
Played as:
The Eradicator
Boss:
Steel
The Eradicator patrols the streets of Metropolis. He battles another Superman, Steel, as the armored hero fights to prevent the Last Son of Krypton from killing enemies. After the two Supermen fight to a standstill, the Eradicator reconsiders his brutal approach to fighting crime after Steel tells him it takes humanity and compassion to be considered a Superman.

Death and Return of Superman, Stage 5-1.png

Death and Return of Superman, Stage 5-2.png

Death and Return of Superman, Stage 5-2 Boss.png

  • Death and Return of Superman, Stage 5-1.png

  • Death and Return of Superman, Stage 5-2.png

  • Death and Return of Superman, Stage 5-2 Boss.png

Ambush at Coast City
Played as:
The Eradicator
Boss:
Cyborg Superman
A mysterious spacecraft arrives and obliterates Coast City. The Eradicator investigates the situation, only to run into the mastermind, the Cyborg. The Eradicator is critically injured at the Cyborg's hands, and rushes to the Fortress of Solitude.

Death and Return of Superman, Stage 6-1.png

Death and Return of Superman, Stage 6-2.png

Death and Return of Superman, Stage 6-2 Boss.png

Death and Return of Superman, Stage 6-3.png

  • Death and Return of Superman, Stage 6-1.png

  • Death and Return of Superman, Stage 6-2.png

  • Death and Return of Superman, Stage 6-2 Boss.png

  • Death and Return of Superman, Stage 6-3.png

The Metropolis Kid
Played as:
Superboy
Boss:
Cyborg Superman
Superboy handles the current situation in Metropolis and then flies off to Coast City, doing battle with the Cyborg. The Cyborg knocks out and imprisons Superboy in the spacecraft. There, the rogue Superman reveals his plan: to destroy the world and reconstruct it in his image, starting with Coast City and Metropolis.

Death and Return of Superman, Stage 7-1.png

Death and Return of Superman, Stage 7-2.png

  • Death and Return of Superman, Stage 7-1.png

  • Death and Return of Superman, Stage 7-2.png

Steel Reign
Played as:
Steel
Back in Coast City, Superboy escapes imprisonment to go back to Metropolis, where he and Steel encounter the real Superman. Not wanting to wait, Superboy convinces the two to go with him to Coast City to stop the Cyborg once and for all. Steel, Superman, and Superboy launch an assault on Engine City.

Death and Return of Superman, Stage 8.png

Metropolis: Ground Zero
Played as:
Superboy
The Cyborg launches a missile set to destroy Metropolis. Superboy flies out to stop the missile.

Death and Return of Superman, Stage 9.png

Death and Return of Superman, Stage 9 Boss.png

  • Death and Return of Superman, Stage 9.png

  • Death and Return of Superman, Stage 9 Boss.png

The Engine's Core
Played as:
Steel
Steel enters the Engine's core to shut it down.

Death and Return of Superman, Stage 10.png

Death and Return of Superman, Stage 10 Boss.png

  • Death and Return of Superman, Stage 10.png

  • Death and Return of Superman, Stage 10 Boss.png

The Return of Superman
Played as:
Superman
Boss:
Cyborg Superman
A regenerated Eradicator bursts out of the Fortress and arrives at Engine City to help a weakened Superman, who is at the mercy of the Cyborg. The Cyborg shoots Kryptonite fuel at Superman, but the Eradicator arrives and shields Superman from the blast, altering the deadly effects of the Kryptonite and restoring Superman to full strength as the Eradicator dies. Superman must now destroy the Cyborg Superman.

Versions

The Death and Return of Superman was released at roughly the same point on both the Mega Drive and Super NES, and both ports turn in a very similar game. While the Super NES port is able to tap into more colours than the Mega Drive, it is permanently restricted to a 256x224 resolution. In this case, the graphics appear to have been drawn with the Mega Drive's 320x224 resolution in mind, so on the Super NES, all in-game graphics are wider than they perhaps should be (something immediately apparent on the first stage, as the circular spinning fans in the background are stretched on Nintendo's console). Some layers of parallax scrolling are missing in the Mega Drive version of the game, such as the foreground layer in front of the player which is visible in certain areas. Also, the music score is completely different between both versions.

The PAL version of The Death and Return of Superman removed the region lock of the North American version but inadvertently added a glitch which appears randomly while playing through the first two Superman levels, locking up the game. If the player manages to get to the third level (the first Cyborg level) without triggering the glitch, it disappears for the rest of the game. It is very unlikely not to come across it, though. Acclaim never issued a bug-fixed version of the game for Europe and Australia; instead, it simply halted its production, making the PAL version a rare and sought-after game in the Mega Drive library.

Production credits

  • Game Design: Blizzard Entertainment, Dan MacArthur
  • Programming: Jesse McReynolds, James Anhalt III, Pat Wyatt, Allen Adham, Bob Fitch
  • Artwork: Joeyray Hall, Mickey Neilson, Samwise Didier, David Berggren, Roman Kenney, Stu Rose, Ron Millar
  • Sound and Music: Realtime Associates, Eric Swanson
  • Executive Producers: David Siller, Allen Adham
  • Producers: Samwise Didier, Dan MacArthur
  • Technical Manager: Al Artus
  • Manager Game Testing: Sam Patel
  • Play Test: Steve Rizor, Rene Boutin, Steve Gehrke, Justin Siller, Mario Zavala, Kelly Mc Carthy, Benjon Martinez, Pete Marquez, Euclid Woo
  • Chairman: Masami Maeda
  • Vice Chairman: Tad Shimamoto
  • Director, SunSoft of Japan: Kiharu Yoshida
  • General Manager: Kenji Yoshioka
  • Marketing Director: Karen Shadley
  • Game Play Manual: Alison Quirion
  • Executive Assistant: Nanette Hyssong
  • Customer Service: Kaz Harman, June Eckert, Connie Perez, Julie Williams, Jamie Jorgenson, Erin Berry, Jaupale Laster
  • Special Thanks to: Bruce Reilly, Cathy Juby, Mark Luszcz, Toko Okano, Kazuaki Goto, Masato Kawai, Akito Takeuchi, Karen Lillie, Darin Horgan, Michelle Carlton, Sherry Ross, Frank Pearce, Jr., Susan Brophy
  • Very Special Thanks to:
    • Marilyn Drucker, Barbara Farina, Cheryl Rubin at DC Comics
    • Luana Chambers, Holly Stein, Laetitia May at Warner Consumer Products
  • Superman Created by: Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster
Source:
In-game credits
Death and Return of Superman MD credits.pdf
[3]

Magazine articles

Main article: The Death and Return of Superman/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert in (US) #66: "July 1994" (1994-0x-xx)
also published in:
  • (US) #60: "July 1994" (1994-xx-xx)[4]
  • (US) #1: "July 1994" (1994-07-19)[5]
  • (US) #2: "August 1994" (1994-0x-xx)[6]
Logo-pdf.svg

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
{{{{{icon}}}|L}} Division by zero.
Based on
0 review
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
(RU)
60
[7]
(SA)
85
[8]
(US) NTSC-U
56
[9]
(RU)
60
[10]
(IL)
82
[11]
(US) NTSC-U
73
[2]
(US) NTSC-U
78
[12]
(ES)
64
[13]
(FR)
74
[14]
(FR)
62
[15]
(DE) PAL
49
[16]
(DE) PAL
72
[17]
(US) NTSC-U
61
[18]
(US) NTSC-U
25
[19]
(FR)
50
[20]
(DE)
57
[21]
(AU)
64
[22]
(ES)
64
[23]
(ES)
68
[24]
(RU)
67
[25]
(DE) PAL
61
[26]
(US) NTSC-U
80
[27]
Sega Mega Drive
 64
Based on
22 reviews

The Death and Return of Superman

Mega Drive, US
DaRoS MD US Box.jpg
Cover
TDaRoS MD US Cart.jpg
Cart
DaRoS MD US Manual.pdf
Manual
Mega Drive, EU
DaRoS MD EU Box.jpg
Cover
DaRoS MD EU Cart.jpg
Cart
Death&ReturnofSuperman MD EU Manual.jpg
Manual
Mega Drive, AU
DaRoS MD AU cover.jpg
Cover

Technical information

Main article: The Death and Return of Superman/Technical information.

References

  1. ↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly, "January 1995" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 224
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 GamePro, "March 1995" (US; 1995-xx-xx), page 50
  3. ↑ File:Death and Return of Superman MD credits.pdf
  4. ↑ GamePro, "July 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 73
  5. ↑ EGM², "July 1994" (US; 1994-07-19), page 179
  6. ↑ EGM², "August 1994" (US; 1994-0x-xx), page 163
  7. ↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 56
  8. ↑ Alaab Alcomputtar, "" (SA; 1995-06-xx), page 81
  9. ↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly, "February 1995" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 34
  10. ↑ Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 4, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 97
  11. ↑ Freak, "4/95" (IL; 1995-xx-xx), page 1
  12. ↑ Game Informer, "February 1995" (US; 1995-0x-xx), page 18
  13. ↑ Hobby Consolas, "Agosto 1995" (ES; 1995-xx-xx), page 88
  14. ↑ Joypad, "Novembre 1994" (FR; 1994-1x-xx), page 58
  15. ↑ Joypad, "Juillet/Août 1995" (FR; 1995-0x-xx), page 58
  16. ↑ MAN!AC, "08/95" (DE; 1995-07-12), page 55
  17. ↑ Mega Fun, "08/95" (DE; 1995-07-19), page 71
  18. ↑ Mega Play, "February/March 1995" (US; 1995-0x-xx), page 46
  19. ↑ Next Generation, "February 1995" (US; 1995-01-24), page 102
  20. ↑ Player One, "Juillet/Août 1995" (FR; 1995-0x-xx), page 116
  21. ↑ Sega Magazin, "August 1995" (DE; 1995-07-12), page 30
  22. ↑ Sega Megazone, "August 1995" (AU; 1995-0x-xx), page 28
  23. ↑ Super Juegos, "Agosto 1995" (ES; 1995-0x-xx), page 93
  24. ↑ Todo Sega, "Agosto 1995" (ES; 1995-0x-xx), page 58
  25. ↑ Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 49
  26. ↑ Video Games, "8/95" (DE; 1995-07-26), page 79
  27. ↑ VideoGames, "February 1995" (US; 1995-0x-xx), page 78


The Death and Return of Superman

TheDeathAndReturnOfSuperman MDTitleScreen.png

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Superman games for Sega systems
Superman: The Man of Steel (1992) | The Death and Return of Superman (1995) | Justice League Task Force (1995)
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