Run Saber

File:Run Sabre boss7.png was changed in the final game due to content guideline violations.{{sfnp|Kulata|Plasket|2015|p=107}}]]

After choosing either the male character, Allen, or the female character, Sheena, the player is sent to five different levels around a fantastical Earth. Sheena has an ice affinity, while Allen has a lightning one. A third Saber, Kurtz, is aligned with fire, and is an enemy the player must fight several times.

The players can use a slash attack (the standard attack) which Allen does forward and Sheena upward, use a mid-air kick, or use the Hyper Bomb (special pick up item). The players can also climb up and down walls and hang onto the ceiling. There is a power jump similar to the Screw Attack of Super Metroid.

In each of the five levels (Taj Base, Tong City, Jodvalley, Grey Fac, and Bruford), there are multiple minor bosses and one final boss at the end of each level. These battles are noted when an alert message appears on the screen. In between each boss, the player must fight hordes of enemies and collect health pickups and weapon enhancers.

Years into the future after Earth has been overly polluted and resources are running low, a scientist quickly comes up with a solution: a new chemical that will reverse the effects of pollution. As colonists settle in space to avoid the pollution, the newfound chemical is quickly launched in a missile into the atmosphere where it explodes and releases the chemical, which begins to horribly mutate any and all humans infected with it. The scientist knew the effects of his chemical and uses the mutated people as his soldiers to rule the Earth.

Humanity's only hope is a new weapon known as Project Saber, three cyborgs that are genetically enhanced to supernatural levels. Kurtz, the first Saber, malfunctions and escapes to Earth before the project is complete. The remaining Sabers, Allen and Sheena, are dispatched to eliminate the scientist and his militant mutant threat, and to neutralize Kurtz if possible.

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Originally, the boss at the end of the Tong City level was supposed to be a woman lying on her side, but Nintendo felt that this violated their content guidelines as they did not want to depict or reference violence against women on their hardware, so the woman was changed into a dead woman and was approved.{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/video-games-computer-entertainment-august-1993/page/n12/mode/1up|title=Yea & Nay: Could It Be...?|magazine=VideoGames & Computer Entertainment|issue=55|publisher=Larry Flynt Publications|date=August 1993|page=13}}

{{Video game reviews

| EGM = 8/10{{cite magazine|last=Weigand|first=Mike|url=https://archive.org/details/Electronic_Gaming_Monthly_51/page/n37/mode/1up|title=Review Crew - Major Mike's Game Roundup: Run Saber|magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly|issue=51|publisher=Sendai Publishing|date=October 1993|page=36}}

| GMaster = 59%{{cite magazine|last=Ellis|first=Les|title=Review Shorts|magazine=GamesMaster|issue=14|publisher=Future Publishing|date=February 1994|page=87}}

| ONM = 82/100{{cite magazine|title=Review: Run Saber|magazine=Nintendo Magazine System|issue=16|publisher=EMAP|date=January 1994|pages=72–73}}

| SP = 59%{{cite magazine|last=Davies|first=Jonathan|title=Import Review: Run Saber|magazine=Super Play|issue=10|publisher=Future Publishing|date=August 1993|page=56}}

| TOT = (UK) 60%{{cite magazine|last=Buxton|first=Chris|url=https://archive.org/details/total-issue-21/page/n40/mode/1up|title=SNES Round-Up: Run Saber|magazine=Total!|issue=21|location=United Kingdom|publisher=Future Publishing|date=September 1993|page=41}}
(DE) 3+{{cite magazine|last=Klugkist|first=Martin|title=SNES Test: Run Saber|magazine=Total!|issue=9|location=Germany|publisher=MVL-Verlag|date=February 1994|page=62|language=de}}

| VGCE = 8/10{{cite magazine|last=Meston|first=Zach|url=https://archive.org/details/video-games-computer-entertainment-august-1993/page/n61/mode/1up|title=Video-Game Reviews: Run Saber|magazine=VideoGames & Computer Entertainment|issue=55|publisher=Larry Flynt Publications|date=August 1993|page=62}}

| rev1 = Nintendo Game Zone

| rev1Score = 52/100{{cite magazine|last=Webb|first=Trenton|url=https://archive.org/details/nintendo-game-zone-17/page/n41/mode/2up|title=Review: Run Sabre|magazine=Nintendo Game Zone|issue=17|publisher=Dennis Publishing|date=March 1994|pages=42–43}}

| rev2 = Super Action

| rev2Score = 82%{{cite magazine|last=Jones|first=Neil|url=https://archive.org/details/super-action-17-january-1994/page/34/mode/1up|title=Official Review: Run Saber|magazine=Super Action|issue=17|publisher=Europress|date=January 1994|page=34}}

| rev3 = Super Gamer

| rev3Score = 50%{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/super-gamer-01/page/n122/mode/1up|title=A-Z of Games - Nintendo Games Index: Super NES|magazine=Super Gamer|issue=1|publisher=Paragon Publishing|date=April 1994|pages=122–124}}

| rev4 = Super Pro

| rev4Score = 60/100{{cite magazine|last=Westley|first=Dave|url=https://archive.org/details/super-pro-12/page/n61/mode/1up|title=Review (Official): Run Saber|magazine=Super Pro|issue=12|publisher=Paragon Publishing|date=November 1993|page=62}}

}}

{{Expand section|date=June 2025}}

Run Saber received average reviews.{{cite magazine|last=Neves|first=Lawrence|url=https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_047_June_1993/page/n95/mode/1up|title=Super NES ProReview: Run Saber|magazine=GamePro|issue=47|publisher=IDG|date=June 1993|page=96}}{{cite magazine|title=Now Playing: Run Saber|magazine=Nintendo Power|volume=50|publisher=Nintendo of America|date=July 1993|pages=103, 107}}

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{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book |last1=Kulata |first1=Kurt |last2=Plasket |first2=Michael |title=Hardcore Gaming 101 Digest Vol. 1: Strider and Bionic Commando |date=2015 |publisher=Pen & Sword |isbn=978-1508894803}}

{{Portal|1990s|Japan|Video games}}

• {{MobyGames|id=/25723/run-saber/|name=Run Saber}}

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Category:1993 video games

Category:Action games

Category:Atlus games

Category:Censored video games

Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games

Category:Science fiction video games

Category:Side-scrolling video games

Category:Super Nintendo Entertainment System games

Category:Super Nintendo Entertainment System-only games

Category:Video games developed in Japan

Category:Video games featuring female protagonists