Heavy Unit: Mega Drive Special
Heavy Unit: Mega Drive Special — frequently asked questions
- What platforms is Heavy Unit: Mega Drive Special on?
- Heavy Unit: Mega Drive Special was released on Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Arcade, PC Engine.
- When did Heavy Unit: Mega Drive Special release?
- Heavy Unit: Mega Drive Special was first released on December 31, 1990.
About Heavy Unit: Mega Drive Special
Heavy Unit: Mega Drive Special (ヘビーユニット メガドライブスペシャル) is a 1990 Sega Mega Drive shoot-'em-up developed by Kaneko and published by Toho exclusively in Japan. It is a port of Kaneko's 1988 arcade shoot-'em-up Heavy Unit. Humans have developed an artificial planet, "Le Tau," which is being attacked by aliens, and only the Heavy Unit transforming ship can stop them. A and C shoot; rapidfire is an option. B drops a bomb, which you have an unlimited supply of but must collect as a powerup. Among the various powerups is one, labeled T, that transforms your ship into a mecha and back, which plays identically, except its bombs will home in on enemies.
Summary via IGDB.
Game details
- Developer
- Kaneko
- Publisher
- Toho
- Themes
- Action
Details via IGDB.
Every version compared
Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release
| Platform | Year | Loose | Complete | Sealed | Period reviews | Fake risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sega Genesis | 1990 | $74 | $100 | — | 2 reviews | Medium |
Also released on: Sega Mega Drive/Genesis · Arcade · PC Engine. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.
Collector value & authenticity
Sega Genesis · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-29
How often it sells
- Loose: about 5 times a year
- Complete: about 5 times a year
- 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 $29 in Jan 2020, $42 five years ago, and $74 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2020 | $29 | $54 |
| Jan 2021 | $53 | $65 |
| Jan 2022 | $69 | $78 |
| Jan 2023 | $57 | $67 |
| Jan 2024 | $57 | $76 |
| Jan 2025 | $51 | $101 |
| Jan 2026 | $50 | $104 |
| Oct 2026 | $74 | $100 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Product number | Barcode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 26 December 1990 | T-27013 | 4988104004833 |
- Region
- JP
- Released
- 1990
- Authenticity
- Med
A transforming-ship shooter that Sega Pro called average, and a Japan-only cart priced above the middle.
Heavy Unit: Mega Drive Special is the Mega Drive conversion of Kaneko's 1988 arcade shooter, published by Toho and released in Japan on 26 December 1990. The player flies a star ship that can change its shape.
Sega Pro, reviewing it as an import, said the point of interest is that you can change the shape of your ship, which adds a tactical aspect to an average Japanese game.
What the press said at the time
| Computer + Video Games Issue 112 | March 1991 | 75% |
| Mean Machines Sega Issue 3 | December 1992 | 85% |
“Though it's not particularly pretty, Heavy Unit is quite a jolly game, but”
“Another horizontally scrolling blast, but this one is made more remarkable than most thanks to great graphics and tough, but addictive gameplay. If you're a blastaholic, check it out.”
“Kind of like Herzog Zwei but without the tactics. … Just another shoot-em-up”
How the Sega Genesis version differs
Toho made the Mega Drive conversion, released in Japan on December 26, 1990 as Heavy Unit: Mega Drive Special.
Sega Pro reviewed the import and scored it 68%, calling it an average Japanese game whose ship-shape changing added a tactical aspect.
Also on other platforms
Arcade · PC Engine
| Arcade | Kaneko |
- PC Engine. The PC Engine version came out on December 22, 1989, a year before the Mega Drive conversion.
Before you buy
Among Japan-only carts it sits well above the middle, so ask for a photo of the board and check it carefully before paying. Japanese cartridges have a different shape and do not fit a Western console without an adapter or removing two plastic tabs in its slot.
Watch on YouTube
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