Mercs was published by Capcom, released in 1990.

What kind of game is Mercs?

Mercs is a action, shooter game for the Sega Genesis / Mega Drive.

Can two people play Mercs?

No. Mercs is a single-player game, so it has no two-player mode.

How much data does Mercs load?

The Mercs ROM is 637 kB. It is fetched once when you press play and then cached by your browser, so returning to the game does not download it again.

Which emulators can run Mercs?

Mercs runs on Sega Genesis / Mega Drive and PicoDrive. You can switch between them from the emulator list further down this page if one performs better on your device.

Mercs Game (1990) - Sega Genesis

Name: Mercs
Availability: InStock
Author: Capcom

Action / Button	Keyboard Key
D-Pad (Up / Down / Left / Right)	`Arrow Keys`
Button A	`Z` or `J`
Button B	`X` or `K`
Button X / Turbo A	`A` or `U`
Button Y / Turbo B	`S` or `I`
Select	`Shift`
Start	`Enter`

Gamepad Input	Retro Function	Keyboard Key
D-Pad / Analog	Character Movement / Steering	`▲` `▼` `◄` `►`
Button A (East)	Primary Action / Attack / Fire	`Z` / `K`
Button B (South)	Secondary / Jump / Cancel	`X` / `J`
Button X / Y	Special / Turbo / Extra Fire	`A` / `S`
Select	Insert Coin / Select Option	`Right Shift`
Start	Game Start / Pause Game	`Enter`

Gamepad Input

Retro Function

Keyboard Key

D-Pad / Analog

Character Movement / Steering

▲ ▼ ◄ ►

Button A (East)

Primary Action / Attack / Fire

Z / K

Button B (South)

Secondary / Jump / Cancel

X / J

Button X / Y

Special / Turbo / Extra Fire

A / S

Select

Insert Coin / Select Option

Right Shift

Start

Game Start / Pause Game

Enter

Emulator Core Engine	Technology	Multiplayer	Gamepad	Touch	Ads	Action / Switch
EmulatorJS (Default WebAssembly)	`WebAssembly / JS`	YES	YES	YES	NO	PLAY ⚡
Sega Genesis / Mega Drive (Recommended)	`WebAssembly / Libretro`	YES	YES	YES	NO	PLAY ⚡
PicoDrive	`WebAssembly / Libretro`	YES	YES	YES	NO	▶ ACTIVE

Emulator Core Engine

Technology

Multiplayer

Gamepad

Touch

Ads

Action / Switch

EmulatorJS (Default WebAssembly)

WebAssembly / JS

YES

PLAY ⚡

Sega Genesis / Mega Drive (Recommended)

WebAssembly / Libretro

YES

PLAY ⚡

PicoDrive

WebAssembly / Libretro

YES

▶ ACTIVE

Mercs is a top-down run-and-gun shooter released by Capcom for the Sega Genesis in 1990. Originally an arcade title, this port includes both the classic arcade campaign and an exclusive Original Mode that adds weapon upgrades, shops, and the ability to swap between multiple mercenary characters on the fly. You deploy into enemy territory, fighting through jungles, fortified bases, and airfields to rescue a kidnapped former president.

How to play

Your mercenary can move and fire in eight directions. You can also deploy screen-clearing Megacrash bombs when overwhelmed.

Control:
GP:	KB:
▲	↑
▼	↓
◄	←
►	→
A	S
B	X
C	Z
Start	Enter
Mode	Shift
Menu	mouse

Tips

Use the Megacrash carefully: Detonating a Megacrash bomb consumes a portion of your maximum health. Save them for bosses or unavoidable damage.
Original Mode swapping: In the Genesis-exclusive Original Mode, switch between your recruited mercenaries to access different weapons (like the flamethrower or homing missiles) and to cycle their separate health pools.
Commandeering vehicles: You can hijack enemy jeeps and tanks. Do this whenever possible, as the vehicle will absorb enemy fire until it is destroyed, protecting your mercenary’s health.