Out Zone is a somewhat obscure, but rather excellent, two-player vertically-scrolling shooter, in the style of Ikari Warriors, released into arcades in 1990 by Toaplan. It’s not a game many will have heard of, but it certainly manages to provide some entertainment, when played today.

The setting is not “jungle“, but “futuristic“. You’re part of a team of Earth-defenders, fighting invading aliens. The gameplay involves shooting enemies and supply crates, and surviving through to a boss battle at the end of each stage. Your weapons can be changed, or powered-up, by collecting various letters on the ground.

The graphics in Out Zone are superb. Yet more great examples of beautiful 2D pixel art coming out of Japan in the 80s and 90s.

The gameplay – while nothing original – is solid enough to give a good time for a few hours. The game has seven levels in total to blast through.

One thing I will say about Out Zone is that it is hectic! The cuts scenes are super quick, the music is high tempo, and the action is relentless. So be prepared for that. If you’re having a chill evening playing some old arcade games, you may want to turn the game audio down. 🙂

Later levels also become ridiculously difficult and progress can only be made by putting money into the machine constantly.

More: Out Zone on Wikipedia