Grind Stormer
Grind Stormer — frequently asked questions
- What platforms is Grind Stormer on?
- Grind Stormer was released on Arcade, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis.
- When did Grind Stormer release?
- Grind Stormer was first released on December 1, 1992.
About Grind Stormer
"Grind Stormer" is a 1993 vertically scrolling shooter arcade video game originally developed and published by Toaplan in Japan and North America. It is considered to be the spiritual successor to Slap Fight. Based around a video game within a video game concept, players assume the role of a young secret agent assigned by the government taking control of the NA-00 space fighter craft in an attempt to defeat the titular virtual reality simulator, rescue the abducted players who lost against it and unveil its true purpose.
Summary via IGDB.
Game details
- Developer
- Toaplan
- Publisher
- Tengen
- Game modes
- Single player
- Themes
- Action, Science fiction
Details via IGDB.
Reception
Every version compared
Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release
| Platform | Year | Loose | Complete | Sealed | Fake risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sega Genesis | 1994 | $79 | $164 | — | Medium |
Also released on: Arcade · Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.
Collector value & authenticity
Sega Genesis · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-29
Other releases and variants
| Release | Loose | Complete | Sealed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese release (V V) | $52 | $220 | — |
How often it sells
- Loose: about 2 times a month
- Complete: about once a month
- Sealed: about once a year
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-29.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $4.00 in Oct 2007, $100 five years ago, and $79 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2008 | $23 | — |
| Jan 2009 | $9.99 | — |
| Jan 2010 | $12.74 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $19.95 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $30 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $125 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $40 | $90 |
| Jan 2015 | $90 | $170 |
| Jan 2016 | $41 | $110 |
| Jan 2017 | $54 | $136 |
| Jan 2018 | $51 | $140 |
| Jan 2019 | $50 | $145 |
| Jan 2020 | $73 | $157 |
| Jan 2021 | $78 | $169 |
| Jan 2022 | $137 | $262 |
| Jan 2023 | $115 | $280 |
| Jan 2024 | $125 | $280 |
| Jan 2025 | $122 | $240 |
| Jan 2026 | $88 | $209 |
| Oct 2026 | $79 | $164 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Product number | Barcode |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America | April 1994 | — | 031763056508 |
| Japan | 25 March 1994 | T-48173 | 4991425000194 |
- Region
- JP+NA
- Released
- 1994
- Authenticity
- Med
A bright Toaplan-style shooter with two games in one cartridge, and one of the priciest US carts.
Grind Stormer is the Genesis port of the Toaplan arcade shooter, done by Tengen. It reached Japan on 25 March 1994 as V-V and North America in April 1994, and the cartridge includes both the Japanese and the North American versions as selectable modes. They differ from the arcade game, with a smaller color palette and other presentation and gameplay changes.
Game Players found the large enemies and smooth-moving ship good but the colors drab and the enemy ships uncreative. GamePro called it a colorful and fun game, though not as technically innovative as Star Fox.
What the press said at the time
“To add to your misfortune in purchasing Grind Stormer, the gameplay isn’t up to much either.”
“To add to your misfortune in purchasing Grind Stormer, the gameplay isn’t up to much either. The screen seems constantly full of baddies and there are far too many shots on screen at a time to avoid.”
How the Sega Genesis version differs
Tengen ported it to the Genesis, with both the original Japanese and North American arcade versions available as selectable modes.
Game Players found the Genesis game had large enemies and a smooth ship, but called the overall impact dull because of drab colors and uncreative enemy ships.
Sega Pro scored the import 57%, calling it a blaster that was past its prime.
Also on other platforms
Arcade
- Arcade. The power-up and scoring systems differ between Grind Stormer and the Japanese V-V version, which uses gems and a power meter.
Before you buy
Among US carts this is one of the priciest, and the risk tier is medium, so ask for a photo of the board. A Western cart has no notch in its shell, so a flat shell with a notch is a repro sign. The Japanese cart (V-V) usually costs less loose and more complete, and has a different cartridge shape. A complete US copy means the case, cartridge and manual.
Grind Stormer screenshots
Watch on YouTube
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