Often shortened to just “Galivan“, this arcade platform game from Nichibutsu first came out in arcades in 1985. Outside of Japan, the game was little-known, but it did get ported to the C64, Spectrum, and Amstrad CPC in the West, and to the Famicom in Japan, to little or no success.

The player starts as an unarmed human who can only punch and kick, but if you collect a “POW Item” then it will encase you in a robotic suit and give you a laser pistol to shoot with. If the player’s health/energy bar falls below half way, then the suit will disappear, and you become an unarmed human again. If you collect a second “POW Item” while already wearing the robotic suit, your weapon will then get an upgrade.

Springboards are placed around the levels and must be used to bounce up to higher places (usually where “POW Items” are found).

Galivan only has two levels – each with a boss fight at the end – and if you manage to beat those, then you can keep playing endlessly, if you’re good enough.

Playing Galivan now is like trying to tickle a fish out of a river… It’s like trying to build a brick wall without putting Fairy Liquid in your gobbo. It’s… just… archaic and frustrating. That’s what it is.

My outstanding memory of Galivan is the late Bob Wakelin‘s excellent artwork that he did for Ocean Software‘s release of the game. I’ve posted that image below the screenshots here, if anyone needs reminding of how memorable it was.

More: Cosmo Police Galivan on Wikipedia