Steel Empire

Steel Empire is a side-scrolling shooting game for the Mega Drive/Genesis video game system. The player can choose to fly the Striker Plane or the Z-01 Zeppelin to combat enemy fighters through seven progressively harder levels, each containing a boss character at the end, which must be defeated in order to advance to the next level. Many of the levels also feature less powerful mini-bosses, which appear about halfway through a level.

Synopsis
The year is A.D. 18XX. The MotorHead Empire, a militaristic nation led by a Dictator named General Styron (later changed to "General Sauron" in the GBA Version) has invaded its neighboring countries. This time, however, they made the mistake of attacking the Republic of Silverhead, their equal rival in military strength.

Story
(Copied from back of Sega Genesis game box)

It is the age of steel, Mammoth battleships cruise the skies. Armored locomotives carry cannons the size of railway cars. Invincible fortresses float on air...and military might rules the day. The Motorhead Empire has conquered and enslaved most of the world.

Only one hope remains... The Republic of Silverhead. Their Z-01 Zeppelin flying ship launches lethal aerial-mines. Their Striker airplane fires armor piercing missiles. Their Lightning Bomb will reduce Motorhead's flame-shooting juggernauts to crumbling hunks of burning metal.

Enter a future that might have been. It's time to wage the war of the Steel Empire!

Game history
Steel Empire was released in 1992 by Flying Edge Software for the Sega Genesis and Sega Mega Drive video game systems. It was rereleased in 2004 for Game Boy Advance under the same name in the USA (Koutetsu Teikoku in Japan).