Three years into a project — and the only company left willing to publish it was on the other side of the world.
Manfred Trenz started development in 1992 on a game originally called Targa, blending run-and-gun and shoot 'em up mechanics. Midway through, Donkey Kong Country arrived and changed the market overnight — suddenly everyone wanted pre-rendered 3D graphics. Trenz redesigned his hand-drawn sprites to match. By 1995, when Rendering Ranger: R2 was finally finished, the Super Famicom was already old hardware. Every Western publisher passed. The Japanese branch of Virgin Interactive took it, printed ten thousand copies, and never released it anywhere else. It became one of the rarest games on the system. Three years of work disappeared into a print run you could count. When you build something through that many changes — through that much indifference — and still finish it, the stubbornness is the point. The game survived because someone refused to let it vanish.
— inspired by Manfred Trenz
About this game
Rendering Ranger: R2 is a 1995 action game for the super famicom, developed by Rainbow Arts.
Gallery
The Story Behind
Development began in 1992 under the title Targa, originally featuring hand-drawn graphics and a bearded warrior protagonist. After the success of Donkey Kong Country in 1994, Trenz redesigned the game with pre-rendered 3D graphics to match market trends. By the time Rendering Ranger: R2 was completed in 1995, the Super Famicom was nearing the end of its lifecycle. Western publishers passed on the project; only Virgin Interactive's Japanese branch agreed to publish it. Released exclusively in Japan on November 17, 1995, with a print run of approximately 10,000 copies, it never saw a Western release during the SNES era.
Tricks & Tales
Manfred Trenz, director of the Turrican series, spent three years developing the game. The original protagonist was a bearded, long-haired warrior in spandex — resembling a 1980s heavy metal bassist more than a futuristic soldier. After Donkey Kong Country's success, the entire visual style was redesigned from hand-drawn to pre-rendered 3D graphics. The game alternates between on-foot run-and-gun stages (similar to Contra) and horizontal space shooter segments (similar to R-Type). Despite being Japan-exclusive, the game is entirely in English. Original loose cartridges now sell for $1,000+ USD, with complete-in-box copies reaching $3,000-$5,000 USD. Limited Run Games re-released the game in 2022.
Collector's Guide
Region & Compatibility
Super Famicom and SNES region differences operate on two separate levels. First, there is a physical incompatibility: a Japanese Super Famicom cartridge and a North American SNES cartridge have different shell shapes. NTSC-J (Super Famicom) carts are narrower and will not seat in a North American SNES slot without the slot's internal tabs removed or bypassed; conversely, the wider NTSC-U carts cannot even be inserted into a Super Famicom. Second, even where cartridges physically fit — PAL carts share a shell shape closer to Super Famicom and will insert — a lockout chip on the motherboard (F411 for NTSC, F413 for PAL) will prevent the game from booting on a mismatched console. Running a Super Famicom cartridge on a Super Famicom purchased in Japan is of course straightforward; playing it on a foreign console requires either a mod or an adapter that addresses both the physical and the chip-level lock.
Maintenance Tips
The 72-pin cartridge connector is the most common maintenance point. Clean the gold-plated pins on cartridges with a cotton swab and 90%+ isopropyl alcohol; never use abrasive erasers on cartridge contacts. The connector slot on the console itself can be cleaned by inserting and removing a cartridge several times, or with a dedicated pin cleaner. For video output, S-Video provides significantly cleaner image quality than composite and uses the same multi-out port -- a passive adapter cable is all that is required. On early SHVC board revisions, a capacitor near the power LED can leak; inspect the board if the console shows instability. Use the original AC adapter or a verified equivalent: the SFC runs on 10V DC and is not compatible with Famicom or NES power supplies.
Going deeper
Explore the machine this game ran on, and what to check before you buy or care for one:
What to Watch Out For
Before buying, these are the points worth knowing — from someone who handles original Japanese Rendering Ranger: R2 copies regularly.
Why is Rendering Ranger: R2 so expensive?
Only 10,000 copies were made when it was released exclusively in Japan on November 17, 1995. By the time Manfred Trenz finished the game after three years of development, Western publishers had lost interest — Virgin Interactive's Japanese branch was the only company willing to publish it. That tiny print run, combined with the game's technical quality, made it one of the rarest Super Famicom titles in existence. Original loose cartridges now sell for over $1,000 USD, with complete-in-box copies reaching $3,000-$5,000. Limited Run Games re-released the game in 2022, offering a more affordable way to play it.
Does this game save progress, or does it use passwords?
Rendering Ranger: R2 uses neither save data nor password systems — it is a single-session arcade-style game. There is no save battery in the cartridge. You play through the stages in one sitting, as was common for action games of this type in the mid-1990s.
Before You Buy
Things worth knowing before you buy Rendering Ranger: R2
A short checklist for buying a used Super Famicom cartridge wisely — useful with any seller, anywhere.
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Choose a seller who tests it before shipping
A copy that has actually been powered on and checked is a known quantity. An untested one is a gamble you only settle after it arrives.
Look for a seller who states it was function-tested and says what they confirmed. A serious seller can tell you exactly what was checked.
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Make sure it fits your console
This is a Japanese Super Famicom cartridge; its shell is shaped differently from the North American SNES and will not fit without modification.
Play it on a matching Japanese console or a region-free system, and confirm the listing states the region.
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If this title saves your progress, check the battery
Cartridges that save use a small coin-cell battery that fades over decades — a dead one wipes your save without warning.
Ask the seller whether the save function was tested. Replacing the battery is possible, but doing so erases any existing save.
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Check that the contacts are clean
Dirty edge contacts are the most common cause of startup and sound trouble in cartridges of this age.
Choose a seller who cleans the contacts before shipping. A note that it was tested and cleaned means the basics were handled.
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Confirm it is genuine, not a reproduction
Sought-after titles are targets for reproduction boards with replacement labels.
Ask for a photo of the circuit board and look for factory markings. Favour a shop with a licensed second-hand dealer permit (古物商) — by law its stock has a traceable origin, your simplest guard against fakes.
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Read the seller's reviews and return policy
A 100% positive record across thousands of sales is close to a guarantee — packing, communication and problem-solving all work for everyone. A return policy protects you if something is off.
Read the feedback and confirm a clear return window before you buy.
The last step before buying anywhere is knowing what it's worth.
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