Out Zone is a classic arcade-style run-and-run game developed by Toaplan and published by Tecmo and Romstar in 1990. The game is set in a future where humanity is under threat by an alien race, and players are tasked with a desperate last-ditch attempt to save Earth. Players assume the role of advanced, cyborg mercenaries, who navigate through intense levels with the aim to defeat the alien invaders. Let’s take a closer look at what Out Zone is all about and what kind of potential cheats it might offer.
Out Zone Premise
Out Zone is a science fiction-themed, vertically scrolling run-and-gun game. As an arcade shoot ’em up, it draws inspiration from ’80s classics like Commando and Ikari Warriors. Players step into the shoes of two cyborg mercenaries hired by the United Nations to take on a critical mission. The objective is to combat an alien race from the planet Owagira that’s threatening Earth with advanced weaponry.
In the game, players navigate through seven increasingly challenging levels, each ending in a boss battle. The game is all about intense action, strategic gameplay, and the fast pace of a race against time. If players do not succeed, the entire humanity is at stake. Since its original 1990 release, developers have also re-released the game for modern platforms, like Steam.
In Out Zone, the gameplay revolves around on ground combat. The players move upward through levels, similar to the aforementioned Commando and its clones, and unlike many more modern run-and-gun games. Both feature bombs and two main weapons that players can upgrade for increased firepower. The game also has a unique energy bar, which constantly depletes and requires players to replenish it by picking up powerups marked with an E. This feature requires players of some strategy, as players have to balance aggression while topping their energy.
Out Zone Characters
While the game does have a narrative and a journey the players embark upon, Out Zone is more about action than story. The game features two playable main characters, both unnamed and known only as cyborg mercenaries. These player-controlled soldiers shoot their way through hordes of aliens in the hopes of saving humanity from certain destruction. The game’s two characters represent the two-player gameplay that is available in Out Zone. Each stage ends in a boss battle, but the game doesn’t name the alien bosses and they don’t play a major role in the story.
Games in the Series
Toaplan, the studio behind Out Zone, not only created this standalone title but also drew inspiration from it to develop its spiritual successor, FixEight. They released FixEight a couple of years later, in 1992. Both games are known for their fast-paced action, challenging players with intense run-and-gun gameplay.
- Out Zone (1990)
- FixEight (1992)
Out Zone Cheats
Unfortunately, Out Zone doesn’t feature cheats that players can use to either improve the experience or skip segments. While there are no cheats, the Steam version has Achievements, which we’ve listed for those who want to collect them.
Steam Achievements
| Achievement | Description |
| A Hundred Games Played | Play a hundred games |
| Arcade Style Co-Op Completion | Complete the game in co-op without assistance |
| Arcade Style Common Version Fifth Boss | Eliminate the fifth boss in the common version without assistance |
| Arcade Style Common Version First Boss | Eliminate the first boss in the common version without assistance |
| Arcade Style Common Version Fourth Boss | Eliminate the fourth boss in the common version without assistance |
| Arcade Style Common Version Game Completion | Complete the game without assistance |
| Arcade Style Common Version Second Boss | Eliminate the second boss in the common version without assistance |
| Arcade Style Common Version Sixth Boss | Eliminate the sixth boss in the common version without assistance |
| Arcade Style Common Version Third Boss | Eliminate the third boss in the common version without assistance |
| Arcade Style Completion | Complete the game without assistance |
| Arcade Style Double Credit Playthrough | Complete the game in co-op hard using only one credit each without assistance |
| Arcade Style Double Credit Playthrough | Complete the game in co-op using only one credit each without assistance |
| Arcade Style Fifth Boss | Eliminate the fifth boss without assistance |
| Arcade Style Fifth Boss Co-Op | Bring death upon the fifth boss in co-op without assistance |
| Arcade Style First Boss | Eliminate the first boss without assistance |
| Arcade Style First Boss Co-Op | Turn the first boss into dust in co-op without assistance |
| Arcade Style Fourth Boss | Eliminate the fourth boss without assistance |
| Arcade Style Fourth Boss Co-Op | Unleash fatal fury onto the fourth boss in co-op without assistance |
| Arcade Style Hard Co-Op Fifth Boss | Eliminate the fifth boss in the hard co-op version without assistance |
| Arcade Style Hard Co-Op First Boss | Eliminate the first boss in the hard co-op version without assistance |
| Arcade Style Hard Co-Op Fourth Boss | Eliminate the fourth boss in the hard co-op version without assistance |
| Arcade Style Hard Co-Op Game Completion | Complete the hard co-op version of the game without assistance |
| Arcade Style Hard Co-Op Second Boss | Eliminate the second boss in the hard co-op version without assistance |
| Arcade Style Hard Co-Op Sixth Boss | Eliminate the sixth boss in the hard co-op version without assistance |
| Arcade Style Hard Co-Op Third Boss | Eliminate the third boss in the hard co-op version without assistance |
| Arcade Style Hard Version Fifth Boss | Eliminate the fifth boss in the hard version without assistance |
| Arcade Style Hard Version First Boss | Eliminate the first boss in the hard version without assistance |
| Arcade Style Hard Version Fourth Boss | Eliminate the fourth boss in the hard version without assistance |
| Arcade Style Hard Version Game Completion | Complete the game without assistance |
| Arcade Style Hard Version Second Boss | Eliminate the second boss in the hard version without assistance |
| Arcade Style Hard Version Sixth Boss | Eliminate the sixth boss in the hard version without assistance |
| Arcade Style Hard Version Third Boss | Eliminate the third boss in the hard version without assistance |
| Arcade Style Second Boss | Eliminate the second boss without assistance |
| Arcade Style Second Boss Co-Op | Blow the second boss to smithereens in co-op without assistance |
| Arcade Style Single Credit Playthrough | Complete the game using only one credit without assistance |
| Arcade Style Single Credit Playthrough Common | Complete the game using only one credit in the common version without assistance |
| Arcade Style Single Credit Playthrough Hard | Complete the game using only one credit in the hard version without assistance |
| Arcade Style Sixth Boss | Eliminate the sixth boss without assistance |
| Arcade Style Sixth Boss Co-Op | Emerge victorious from the sixth boss battle in co-op without assistance |
| Arcade Style Third Boss | Eliminate the third boss without assistance |
| Arcade Style Third Boss Co-Op | Blast the third boss to kingdom come in co-op without assistance |
| Complete Co-Op Version | Complete the game in co-op |
| Complete Common Version | Complete the common version of the game |
| Complete Hard Co-Op Version | Complete the hard version of the game in co-op |
| Complete Hard Version | Complete the hard version of the game |
| Cut by a Thousand Deaths | Get terminated a thousand times |
| Defeat End Boss | Complete a cycle |
| Defeat Fifth Boss | Turn the fifth boss into shards |
| Defeat Fifth Boss in Co-Op | Bring death upon the fifth boss in co-op |
| Defeat Fifth Boss in Common Version | Turn the fifth boss into shards in the common version |
| Defeat Fifth Boss in Hard Co-Op Version | Turn the fifth boss into shards in the hard version in co-op |
| Defeat Fifth Boss in Hard Version | Turn the fifth boss into shards in the hard version |
| Defeat First Boss | Turn the first boss in the game into dust |
| Defeat First Boss in Co-Op | Turn the first boss into dust in co-op |
| Defeat First Boss in Common Version | Turn the first boss in the common version into dust |
| Defeat First Boss in Hard Co-Op Version | Turn the first boss in the hard version into dust in co-op |
| Defeat First Boss in Hard Version | Turn the first boss in the hard version into dust |
| Defeat Fourth Boss | Put the fourth boss six feet under |
| Defeat Fourth Boss in Co-Op | Unleash fatal fury onto the fourth boss in co-op |
| Defeat Fourth Boss in Common Version | Put the fourth boss six feet under in the common version |
| Defeat Fourth Boss in Hard Co-Op Version | Put the fourth boss six feet under in the hard version in co-op |
| Defeat Fourth Boss in Hard Version | Put the fourth boss six feet under in the hard version |
| Defeat Second Boss | Crush the spirit of life out of the second boss |
| Defeat Second Boss in Co-Op | Blow the second boss to smithereens in co-op |
| Defeat Second Boss in Common Version | Crush the spirit of life out of the second boss in the common version |
| Defeat Second Boss in Hard Co-Op Version | Crush the spirit of life out of the second boss in the hard version in co-op |
| Defeat Second Boss in Hard Version | Crush the spirit of life out of the second boss in the hard version |
| Defeat Sixth Boss | Deal with the sixth boss |
| Defeat Sixth Boss in Co-Op | Emerge victorious from the sixth boss battle in co-op |
| Defeat Sixth Boss in Common Version | Deal with the sixth boss in the common version |
| Defeat Sixth Boss in Hard Co-Op Version | Deal with the sixth boss in the hard version in co-op |
| Defeat Sixth Boss in Hard Version | Deal with the sixth boss in the hard version |
| Defeat Ten Thousand Enemies | Defeat ten thousand enemies |
| Defeat Third Boss | Return the third boss to its maker |
| Defeat Third Boss in Co-Op | Blast the third boss to kingdom come in co-op |
| Defeat Third Boss in Common Version | Return the third boss in the common version to its maker |
| Defeat Third Boss in Hard Co-Op Version | Return the third boss in the hard version to its maker in co-op |
| Defeat Third Boss in Hard Version | Return the third boss in the hard version to its maker |
| Double Credit Playthrough | Complete the game in co-op using only one credit each |
| Double Credit Playthrough Hard | Complete the game in co-op hard using only one credit each |
| First Death | You have achieved your first of many losses to come |
| Maximum Power | Upgrade any weapon to the max |
| Million Bullet March | Fire one million bullets of any kind |
| Nice Guns | Upgrade your weapons one time |
| Single Credit Playthrough | Complete the game using only one credit |
| Single Credit Playthrough Common | Complete the game using only one credit in the common version |
| Single Credit Playthrough Hard | Complete the game using only one credit in the hard version |
| Upgrade Master | Upgrade your weapons a thousand times |
Out Zone Cheats FAQ
What type of game is Out Zone?
Out Zone is a vertically scrolling run-and-gun shooter game with a science fiction theme, where players fight against an alien invasion. The game style was popularized by the legendary Commando in 1985.
What is the main goal in Out Zone?
The goal is to save Earth from an alien race by navigating through levels and defeating bosses as cyborg mercenaries.
Can I play Out Zone on a modern computer?
Absolutely, Out Zone is currently available on modern PCs via Steam, which also features Achievements for gamers to collect.