An excellent Zyrinx Sub-Terrania horizontal shooter with original gravity mechanics. Gorgeous, demanding, one of the most unique shmups on the console.
Your verdict
Category
Shooter1 player12+
Description
An underground ship pilot battles enemy formations in this Sega SF shoot'em up for Mega Drive. Published by Sega, released in Asia in 1994. Shoot'em up with an underground maneuvering ship, variable gravity and mechanical bosses in an SF universe.
Sub-Terrania review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
3/5
Music
★★★★★
"Memorable"
2/5
Story
★★★★★
"Classic"
Zyrinx digs underground cavities lit only by the sources present on screen: reactors, gunfire, explosions, the ship's headlights. The rock walls show fine gradients and the liquids ripple in real time, giving these galleries a substance and depth unusual for the machine.
Sub-Terrania PAL is the European edition of the Zyrinx/Sega game, a gravity-action title from the cult Danish demoscene studio (the future IO Interactive). Its collector value comes from this rare Zyrinx lineage and from the fact that the cartridge remains one of the hardest Zyrinx productions to track down complete in box.
An underrated gem
Piloting this craft, subject to inertia and gravity, through cramped caverns demands real mastery, sitting at the crossroads of shooter and skill game. Its stiff difficulty and demanding handling cooled more than one player at launch. But its exhilarating physics and varied missions reward those who persevere and enjoy taming an unruly machine.
Is Sub-Terrania still worth playing in 2026?
A gravity shoot by Zyrinx, Sub-Terrania offers a shoot with inertia and fuel management in tortuous underground caves, where you must save endangered miners. The polished dark art direction, simulated mode 7 effects and demanding handling make it a remarkable technical showcase of the Mega Drive catalogue. For anyone fond of gravity shoots or seeking an impressive technical showcase of the Sega machine, a warm recommendation still valid today without hesitation truly here indeed for any fan now.
