Scramble was the first ever side-scrolling shoot ’em up, coming out in arcades in 1981.
It was certainly one of the earliest colour video games, and was a big hit for developer Konami and distributor Stern Electronics.
Tag Archives: Cult Game
Mad Planets, Arcade
Developer Gottlieb released Mad Planets into video game arcades in 1982.
Midnight Resistance, Arcade
Data East‘s Midnight Resistance (1989) is a side-scrolling run-and-gun shooter with a difference – you can rotate the hips of the soldier you’re controlling and shoot in eight different directions, which makes for interesting and unique gameplay.
ESP Ra.De., Arcade
Japanese developer Cave made a name for itself in the mid 1990s with a series of manic vertically scrolling shooters, including ESP Ra.De. from 1998.
Monty On The Run, Commodore 64
Created by Pete Harrap and published by Gremlin Graphics in 1985, Monty On The Run is the sequel to Wanted: Monty Mole, and a real step up in quality from the first game, in terms of satisfying platform action.
Kung-Fu Master, Arcade
Irem‘s Kung-Fu Master is a brilliant side-scrolling beat ’em up from the video game arcades of 1984. And it has lost little of its appeal over the years, because Kung-Fu Master is precise, violent and fun. Not to mention a huge challenge.
Resident Evil 2, PlayStation
Capcom‘s Resident Evil 2 really elevated the survival horror genre to great heights, way back in 1998 when it was first released.
Mostly because it was more gritty and serious than the first game, but also because it was a much more complex storyline in this one: with two different characters playing the same scenario, but from different perspectives (and provided on two different CD-ROMs). Effectively giving you two games in one. So you play one character on a ‘A’ game, and the other on a ‘B’ game, by loading your save in from having completed one half of the game.
And the actions of one character in the game have an effect on what the second character experiences in their game later.
This – in itself – is a dazzling feature, but there is so much more to Resident Evil 2 than that.
Super Tennis, Super Nintendo
Still my favourite tennis game of all time. On any system.
Super Tennis on the SNES is so good; so much fun to bend shots around the net; such a good balance between cartoony-ness and realism, that it is always a joy to revisit.
The Sacred Armour of Antiriad, Commodore 64
Released by Palace Software in 1986, The Sacred Armour of Antiriad (known as “Rad Warrior” in North America), is an action platform game featuring a half naked hero, called Tal, who must find a set of armour (called “Antiriad”), wear it, and go off on an adventure looking for trouble.
Continue reading The Sacred Armour of Antiriad, Commodore 64
Tranz Am, ZX Spectrum
Set in a post-apocalypse USA (in the year 3472, no less), Tranz Am is an overhead racing game where the aim is to collect eight cups (The Great Cups of Ultimate), which have been randomly dispersed around the continent.
The King of Grabs 