Steel Empire

The last free nation, the Republic of Silverhead, tries to bring the Motorhead Empire down using its newly developed weapon, the lightning bomb.

Apart from its unusual Steampunk setting, Steel Empire is a fairly traditional side-scrolling shooter.

At the beginning of every level, the player gets to choose between a striker plane and a zeppelin.

While the plane is faster, the zeppelin has a longer life bar and can therefore sustain more damage.

Both ships use the same standard weapon, which can be fired forwards or backwards, as well as bombs that are released automatically while firing.

Also available is a limited number of lightning bombs that damage or destroy all enemies on screen.

Defeated enemies often drop power-ups, including hearts that replenish health, lightning bombs, bonus points, 1-UPs, options and experience points.

Options are small "drones" that fly alongside the player's ship and mimic its behaviour.

Experience points can be collected to level up the ships' weapons (up to level 20) and thereby increase their fire power.

Steel Empire for Sega Genesis is currently worth €59.54 loose, €58.36 complete in box, and €146.11 factory sealed. Prices are based on real sales and update regularly on Gamevaro.

Steel Empire has a steady sales history on the tracked marketplaces, meaning it trades hands regularly and isn't considered particularly rare.

Loose means cartridge or disc only, CIB (complete in box) includes the original box and manual, and sealed means factory-sealed and never opened. For Steel Empire, loose is €59.54 and CIB is €58.36 — CIB commands a premium because original boxes and manuals are fragile and often don't survive.

The PAL version of Steel Empire is currently worth €59.54 loose, versus €49.44 for NTSC-U. Regional price differences usually come down to print run size and regional collector demand.