| Borderline | |
| Developer: | Sega Compile (SG-1000) |
| Publisher: | Arcade Home |
| Platform: | Arcade, SG-1000, Atari 2600 |
| Released: | Arcade SG-1000 Atari 2600 |
| Genre: | Scrolling shooter, maze |
| Modes: | Single-player |
| Arcade System: | Dual |
is a vertically scrolling shooter maze game released by Sega as an arcade video game in April 1981. The player controls a jeep and has to destroy enemy refineries. There are four stages with different gameplay. The first stage plays like a vertically scrolling shooter. In the second stage, the player maneuvers his Jeep through underbrush, and enemies can only follow on its path, a concept later found in Namco's Dig Dug (1982).
Borderline was reissued later in the year with slightly altered graphics as Star Raker. Borderline was a game for the SG-1000 in 1984.[1] It was converted for the Atari 2600 under the name Thunderground, released by Sega's home division;[2] it was one of the last games Sega released as a third-party developer for Atari. The SG-1000 and Atari 2600 ports received positive reviews from critics.
E.C. Meade and Jim Clark of Videogaming Illustrated magazine reviewed the Atari 2600 version Thunderground in 1983.[3] Despite the original Borderline predating Dig Dug and Mr. Do! (1982), the reviewers were under the impression that Thunderground was a "semi-clone" of Dig Dug and Mr. Do! Despite this, they gave it positive reviews. Meade gave it an A rating; she said "there are superficial similarities to Dig Dug and Mr. Do" but Thunderground "is a semi-clone with muscle!" She called it "a real challenge" to play, stating "What a game!" Clark gave it a B rating, calling it "a thrilling game" and very "good stuff" but said "the sense of deja-vu detracted from its appeal" while also commenting on its "violence" though he didn't "think anyone will be too bothered."[3]
French magazine Tilt reviewed the SG-1000 version of Borderline in 1984. They gave the game an overall rating of 5 out of 6 stars, while giving 5 stars for the graphics and 4 stars for the sound.[4]
In a retrospective review of the SG-1000 version in 2014, Sega Does gave it a generally favorable review with a B− rating.[5]