Generations Lost

Generations Lost is a platform game released in 1993 for the Sega Genesis. It was developed by Pacific Softscape and published by Time Warner Interactive. The game was designed by a team at Pacific Softscape, not by Bruce Straley, who is not associated with this title.

The player controls a young man named Monobe, who seeks the origins and destiny of his people. After a tribal elder tells him ancient stories, Monobe receives technologically advanced armor and an arm-mounted gauntlet that projects a strange energy. He leaves his community and travels through jungles and temple areas, using his devices to overcome hazards and enemies. The gauntlet also opens doors and grants access to new areas, which grow increasingly futuristic and industrial.

Monobe eventually learns that his world is not a planet but a generation ship called *Heritage*, launched from Earth’s Luna Colony in May 2037. Its mission was to colonize a world named Hope, with an arrival orbit scheduled for 2385. The ship was designed to sustain twenty generations of colonists. Monobe makes this discovery in August 2671; the ship was built to support life for at least 700 years. Over many generations, protocol broke down, key systems went unmaintained, and the automatic descent systems meant to bring *Heritage* safely to Hope were never activated. As a result, the ship remained in orbit for over two hundred years after reaching its destination, with its inhabitants unaware they needed to take shuttles down to the planet.

Monobe’s equipment includes an arm-mounted device called an e-rad and what appears to be magic armor. These allow him to fire energy bolts, create energy ropes for swinging, and perform basic actions such as running, jumping, rolling, and fighting.

*GamePro* noted that fans of *Flashback* or *Blackthorne* would quickly recognize and breeze through the game, adding that it should have been called *Imagination Lost*. The review cited issues like stiff character movement, generic music, and a lack of boss fights. *Electronic Gaming Monthly* gave the game a 6.4 out of 10, criticizing imprecise controls and choppy scrolling, but concluded that players who enjoyed *Out of This World* and *Blackthorne* would find it appealing.