If you own a Master System, you would do little harm playing Rambo.
Rambo is actually the same game called Secret Command that was released in Europe. The only differences between the two are the title screen the screens between levels. I guess they had to change it for Europe since they probably aren’t big Rambo fans over there.
Rambo is a top down shooter much like Ikari Warriors and Guerrilla War. The graphics are on par with those games that appeared on the NES. They aren’t terrible, but average, with no glaring strengths or weaknesses. There is some variety to the levels, so you don’t feel like you are playing the same level over and over again. The enemies are a decent size and even with plenty of them on the screen, the images don’t break up that much. The music is average as well. There isn’t much variety to it, mostly just the same couple of tunes that alternate between levels. The music isn’t irritating and you might find yourself humming some of it after you play. It isn’t like Mega Man or Castlevania, but it still can get into your head. The music style seems to borrow from the film a little, so you do get some Rambo atmosphere while playing. The sound effects do there job representing gunfire and explosions.
Rambo plays somewhat stiff. Your character moves a bit slowly and it can be hard to hit enemies with your gun since it has a short range. There are power ups that extend the range, but until you get it, you will struggle. This does make the game challenging along with you don’t get any continues and you will die often. I managed to get through the game, but it took me a solid week of playing it to complete it.
Rambo is an average Master System game. It took me awhile to warm up to it, but it is far from the worse game I have ever played. It was released in 1986, so it is at the same standards as other games released around the same time. I wouldn’t expect someone who isn’t a classic console gamer to find much in this game, but gamers who appreciate games for what they are might find value in Rambo.