Known in the West as Target Earth, Assault Suits Leynos was one of the Mega Drive's finest mecha action games, and this 2007 soundtrack release finally gave its Yamaha YM2612-driven score the standalone treatment it deserved.
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The main theme, shared across Stages 1, 3, 5, and 7, is an absolute banger of a FM synth march that perfectly captures the desperate, militaristic tone of piloting a mech suit through alien warfare. "RUN CASTER," which threads through several of the even-numbered stages, shifts into a faster, more urgent pulse that keeps the adrenaline pumping through the game's tougher encounters.
The tracklist is compact but deliberate, reflecting the game's tight, no-nonsense design philosophy. Stage 8's two-part structure is a highlight, with the second half track "SURPRISE" delivering exactly what its name promises as the final battle ramps up into something genuinely intense.
The ENDING theme provides a surprisingly emotional payoff after all that mechanical carnage, a quality that NCS/Masaya titles were quietly excellent at delivering. This release also includes an SE Collection rounding up the game's sound effects, which is a nice bonus for completionists and chiptune enthusiasts who appreciate the crunchy, metallic audio design of early 90s Genesis hardware.
It's a lean soundtrack that punches well above its weight, and a must-listen for anyone who appreciates what composers could squeeze out of Sega's 16-bit sound chip.