T2: The Arcade Game
T2: The Arcade Game — frequently asked questions
- What platforms is T2: The Arcade Game on?
- T2: The Arcade Game was released on Arcade, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, DOS, Amiga, Super Famicom, Sega Master System/Mark III, Game Boy, Sega Game Gear.
- When did T2: The Arcade Game release?
- T2: The Arcade Game was first released on October 31, 1991.
About T2: The Arcade Game
As the title states, this is the home conversion of the arcade rail-shooter based on the film Terminator 2: Judgement Day. Up to two players shoot through future and present levels as robotic killers reprogrammed to serve the human resistance. Both players wield a machine gun with infinite ammo that lowers its firing rate (overheats) as it is continuously fired. A secondary weapon (missile launchers in the future, shotguns in the present) has limited ammo but deals heavy damage. Powerups inside the game world include secondary weapon ammo and coolant for the machine guns, and are shot to be collected. T2: The Arcade Game features seven levels based on specific scenes or general concepts in the film. The first four levels act as a prelude, as the player guns down waves of metal Terminators across a post-apocalyptic Battlefield, a besieged Human Hideout, and through the security checkpoints of the enemy supercomputer SkyNet. After destroying the computer, players travel back in time to protect John and Sarah Connor, while also destroying every scrap of SkyNet research at the headquarters of its manufacturer. From there, players must fend off the indestructible T-1000 until the final showdown in the Steel Mill. Assets from the movie are used when possible, such as voice clips from Arnold Schwarzenegger, and close-up digital stills of Robert Patrick for the final battle against the T-1000. The Genesis and SNES versions also support lightguns (the Menacer and Super Scope, respectively).
Summary via IGDB.
T2: The Arcade Game on Wikipedia
Terminator 2: Judgment Day or T2 is a 1991 light gun shooter video game based on the film of the same name, developed and published by Midway for arcades. Developed in tandem with the movie, several actors from the film reprise their roles for the game and are featured as part of the game's photorealistic digitized graphics. The game's plot largely follows that of the film, casting up to two players as the T-800 "terminator" cyborg, sent back in time to protect John Connor from assassination by the T-1000 terminator. A success in arcades, home conversions of the game were released by Acclaim Entertainment for various platforms under the title of T2: The Arcade Game to avoid confusion with the numerous tie-in games also based on the movie.
Source: Wikipedia (text under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Game details
- Platforms
- Arcade, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, DOS, Amiga, Super Famicom, Sega Master System/Mark III, Game Boy, Sega Game Gear
- Developer
- Midway
- Publisher
- Midway
- Game modes
- Single player, Multiplayer
- Themes
- Action, Science fiction
- Series
- Terminator
Details via IGDB.
Reception
Every version compared
Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release
| Platform | Year | Loose | Complete | Sealed | Period reviews | Fake risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sega Master SystemDetails ↓ | 1993 | $34 | $102 | — | — | Low (look-alike) |
| Sega GenesisDetails ↓ | 1992 | $12 | $20 | $247 | 2 reviews | Medium |
The cheapest way to own it loose is the Sega Genesis version ($12).
Also released on: Arcade · Super Nintendo Entertainment System · Sega Mega Drive/Genesis · DOS · Amiga · Super Famicom · Sega Master System/Mark III · Game Boy · Sega Game Gear. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.
Prices are per version and are not interchangeable, and neither are the reviews: conversions in this era were often built by a different studio than the original, so a score earned on one machine says nothing about how another plays.
Collector value & authenticity
Sega Master System · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-28
How often it sells
- Loose: about 2 times a year
- Complete: about 4 times a year
- Sealed: about once a year
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-28.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $1.24 in Jul 2009, $41 five years ago, and $34 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2010 | $1.00 | — |
| Jan 2011 | — | — |
| Jan 2012 | — | — |
| Jan 2013 | — | — |
| Jan 2014 | — | $8.99 |
| Jan 2015 | $3.00 | $12.50 |
| Jan 2016 | $14.99 | $12.50 |
| Jan 2017 | $14.99 | $12.50 |
| Jan 2018 | $12.50 | $12.50 |
| Jan 2019 | $26 | $70 |
| Jan 2020 | $26 | $36 |
| Jan 2021 | $33 | $59 |
| Jan 2022 | $41 | $70 |
| Jan 2023 | $35 | $91 |
| Jan 2024 | $35 | $101 |
| Jan 2025 | $35 | $106 |
| Jan 2026 | $34 | $99 |
| Oct 2026 | $34 | $102 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Product number | Known board |
|---|---|---|---|
| Europe / PAL | 1993 | MK-27061-50 | ?? · MPR-16073 |
- Region
- EU
- Released
- 1993
- Authenticity
- Low
The Sega Master System version
A scaled-down port of the Terminator 2 arcade shooter that gives up the arcade game's graphics.
T2: The Arcade Game is the home version of the 1991 Terminator 2: Judgment Day arcade shooter. The Master System version was developed by Probe Software and published by Arena Entertainment in Europe in 1993. It has downgraded graphics, and it could not do the arcade game's scaling, so many images were redrawn at different sizes.
How the Sega Master System version differs
The Master System version does not support the Light Phaser, only a joypad.
Also on other platforms
Arcade · Game Boy · Genesis · MS-DOS · Game Gear · Amiga · Super NES
- Game Boy. The Game Boy version avoids the scaling problem by having enemies move in from the side or top of the screen.
- Super NES. The Super NES version supports the Super Scope and the Super NES Mouse as well as the standard control pad.
Before you buy
This is a European-only cart, and it is priced above the middle of that group. Check that the manual is there if you want a complete copy.
Collector value & authenticity
Sega Genesis · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-29
Other releases and variants
| Release | Loose | Complete | Sealed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cardboard box release | $17 | $20 | — |
| European (PAL) release | $14 | $23 | — |
| Japanese release (T2: The Arcade Game) | $103 | $200 | — |
How often it sells
- Loose: about once a week
- Complete: about 2 times a week
- Sealed: about 2 times 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 $0.99 in Jul 2008, $9.52 five years ago, and $11.57 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2009 | $0.99 | — |
| Jan 2010 | $0.87 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $0.75 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $1.40 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $1.44 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $4.65 | $8.77 |
| Jan 2015 | $4.75 | $7.95 |
| Jan 2016 | $5.97 | $8.95 |
| Jan 2017 | $5.00 | $9.00 |
| Jan 2018 | $7.87 | $10.98 |
| Jan 2019 | $6.87 | $10.50 |
| Jan 2020 | $6.26 | $12.14 |
| Jan 2021 | $8.12 | $16.07 |
| Jan 2022 | $7.96 | $19.99 |
| Jan 2023 | $9.13 | $19.95 |
| Jan 2024 | $8.12 | $16.23 |
| Jan 2025 | $7.21 | $19.20 |
| Jan 2026 | $7.17 | $22 |
| Oct 2026 | $11.57 | $20 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Product number | Barcode |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America | November 1992 | — | 734549001074 |
| Europe / PAL | 17 December 1992 | — | 5023843013810 |
| Japan | 25 February 1994 | T-81023 | — |
- Region
- NA+EU+JP
- Released
- 1992
- Authenticity
- Med
The Sega Genesis version
A reasonable Genesis light-gun conversion that is best with a Menacer, and cheap in North America and Europe.
This is the Genesis version of the T2 arcade shooter, made by Probe Software and published by Arena Entertainment; Acclaim handled Japan. It reached North America in November 1992, Europe in December 1992 and Japan in February 1994. Genesis hardware limits meant it lacks the arcade game's scaling, and many images were redrawn at different sizes.
In North America it was one of the few games to support the Menacer light gun, and Sega Retro's list marks the Menacer as required. Electronic Games, reviewing it in 1993, said it plays better with the Menacer than with a joypad, and called it a non-stop action thriller.
What the press said at the time
| MegaTech Issue 19 | July 1993 | 86% |
| Mean Machines Sega Issue 11 | September 1993 | OVERALL 72% |
“T2 for the Genesis looks good and sounds good, too. Although the limited color palette makes things look just a tad T2-dimensional, the movement of all of the characters is fast and smooth with no slowdown.”
“Good graphics and good fun too, with one or two players. With the Menacer it's excellent.”
“Decent Operation Wolf-style first person perspective gameplay with compatibility with the Menacer light gun.”
In the sales charts
In 2 sales charts, April 1993 to May 1993; highest position #10.
Show all 2 placings
- #10 in the Virgin Mega Drive chart — Sega Pro, Issue 18, April 1993
- #10 in the Our Price Mega Drive chart — Sega Pro, Issue 19, May 1993
Sales charts as printed in the magazines of the time.
How the Sega Genesis version differs
Electronic Games said T2 plays better with a Menacer than a joypad, calling it the strongest target shooting game ever released for home play.
Also on other platforms
Master System · Arcade · Game Boy · MS-DOS · Game Gear · Amiga · Super NES
| Arcade | Midway |
- Game Boy. The Game Boy version avoided the scaling problem by having enemies move in from the side or top of the screen, and used some music from the arcade game Narc.
- Super NES. The Super NES version supports the Super Scope and the Super NES Mouse as well as the standard control pad.
- MS-DOS. The MS-DOS port was very loyal to the arcade game in graphics and speed but notoriously hard to run, needing 580K of 640K conventional memory.
Before you buy
Among US carts it sits about at the median. The European cart usually costs a little more than the US one, while the Japanese cart usually costs far more and has a different cartridge shape. The cardboard-box edition is priced separately from the plastic-case copy. You will want a Menacer to get the best out of it. It is a Med risk cart, so ask for a photo of the board on a pricier listing.
T2: The Arcade Game screenshots
Watch on YouTube
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