Arcade Games That Were Innovative and/or Ahead of Their Time (1980s)
1980:
Pac-Man (ARC, 1980/ ) - Top down view Collectathon/Maze hybrid, Avoid the enemies/chase gameplay, Single Screen
-Cutscenes
-Enemy AI (different behaviors for the ghosts)
-Temporary weapon/invincibility power up
-Named player avatar
-Features two early examples of risk/reward. One in trying to get as many points as possible while invincible by eating the now vulnerable ghosts, which nets extra lives through points. You risk becoming vulnerable at a bad time and trapped by ghosts but are incentivized by a higher point reward for each ghost eaten, possibly also being the first example of a chain bonus mechanic in video games. The other risk/reward mechanic is going for the temporarily spawning fruit for extra points.
Battlezone (ARC, 1980) - FP Shooter/Tank combat simulation, Free-roaming
-Good draw distance and frame rate
-3D-like wireframe visuals
-Radar
-Crosshair
-Sci-fi elements (UFO)
-Decent feedback when bumping into obstacles
-Animated background elements (volcano)
-Flying debris when destroying enemies
Warlords (ARC, 1980) - Vs. battle with Arkanoid-like elements, top down view
-4-player vs.
Crazy Climber (ARC, 1980) - Vertically scrolling side view Action
-Avoid hazards-style gameplay
-Voice samples
-One of the first games with detailed, non-black backgrounds
Berzerk (ARC, 1980) - Multi-Screen Maze Shooter
-Robot voice samples
-Humanoid avatar
-Invincible enemy (evil otto) appears if you spend too much time in one room (later used in Bubble Bobble)
Red Baron (ARC, 1980) - FP Shooter/Flight Sim, Free-roaming
-Gun can overheat
Space Panic/Apple Panic (ARC, 1980/Apple II, 1981/Multi, 1982) - Second Trapping Sim/Trap 'em up, Platformer without jumping, Single Screen
-Ladders and platforms
Heiankyo Alien (PC-8001, 1979/ARC, 1980/GB, 1990) - Trapping/Trap 'em up/Single Screen Maze, Top Down View
-Chasing/avoid the enemies gameplay
Rally-X (ARC, 1980) - Maze/Driving (Free-roaming), Collectathon (the flags), Top down view
-Non-black backgrounds
-Multi-directional scrolling (Interceptor, Super Bug, Auto Racing)
-Radar and auto-map (proto-course map)
-Bonus round
Missile Command (ARC, 1980/ ) - Arena/Turret Shooter, Base Defense, Side view, Single Screen
-Controlled with a trackball
-Chain reactions (explosions from destroyed missiles also destroy nearby missiles)
-Enemies (missiles) that split into two or more
Spectar (ARC, 1980) - ? Maze/Arena Shooter, Top down view
Centipede (ARC, 1980) - Space Invaders-like
King & Balloon (ARC, 1980) - Space Invaders-like
The End (ARC, 1980) - Space Invaders variation
Moon Cresta (ARC, 1980) - Space Invaders/Galaga-like
Star Castle (ARC, 1980) - Asteroids variation
Phoenix (ARC, 1980) - Vertical Scrolling Shoot 'em up/V-Shooter (TD View)
-Boss fights with several destructible parts (a shield of sorts similar to the walls in Space Invaders)
-Fixed movement (left-right)
Carnival (ARC, 1980) - Shoot 'em up/Fixed shooter, Single Screen
-Probably the first chip generated soundtrack which is polyphonic (more than one harmony), plays during gameplay and is more than 30 seconds long
-One of the first games with a bonus round?
Samurai (ARC, 1980) - Action/Hack 'n Slash, Arena Combat, TD View, Single Screen
-First martial arts themed game?
-Destructible elements (ropes on the hookshots shot by some one of the enemies)
-Can block shuriken with your sword
-First real-time game with boss fights (one on one samurai duels)?
-Players can lock blades with the boss, mash the button to try and knock him back and stun him (probably the first game with all three of these features), leaving him open for attack. Or they can try to strafe and hit the guy's body
Sasuke vs Commander (ARC, 1980) - Space Invaders variation, Bird's Eye view
-Multiple bosses (four different ones) - A ninja shooting firebeams, a komuso (?) throwing shuriken and tricking the player with holograms of itself, a second ninja that throws swords which become obstacles for the player as they hit the ground, and a second komuso which transforms into a giant frog thing that teleports around and shoots firebeams. Later on these also have variants on previous versions, such as a ninja with more HP or a komuso that spawns multiple shuriken throwing frogs
Wizard of Wor (ARC, 1980/C64, 1983) - 2-player vs. Arena Shooter, Maze-like level layout, Top down view
-Mini-map
Space Tactics (ARC, 1980) - Space Invaders variation/Turret Shooter, Base defense, FP view
-Sprite scaling
-Multi-directional scrolling
Stratovox/Speak & Rescue (ARC, 1980) - Space Invaders-like Shooter (Fixed Shooter)
-Voice samples (possibly the first game ever to feature them since it's a May release)
Destroyer (ARC, 1980) - Fixed Shooter/Space Invaders variation, TD view
-Features a boss with a weak spot (large green head which tries to crush the player ship, dies in one hit to the forehead)
Tank Battalion (ARC/MSX, 1980) - Single Screen Arena Shooter (prequel to Battle City), Tank-based, TD view, 1-player (or 2-player alternating)
-Brick walls are destructible at the tile level and both the player and the enemies can do it
-Speed+rate of fire power up (destroy the flashing tank)
Pac-Man (ARC, 1980/ ) - Top down view Collectathon/Maze hybrid, Avoid the enemies/chase gameplay, Single Screen
-Cutscenes
-Enemy AI (different behaviors for the ghosts)
-Temporary weapon/invincibility power up
-Named player avatar
-Features two early examples of risk/reward. One in trying to get as many points as possible while invincible by eating the now vulnerable ghosts, which nets extra lives through points. You risk becoming vulnerable at a bad time and trapped by ghosts but are incentivized by a higher point reward for each ghost eaten, possibly also being the first example of a chain bonus mechanic in video games. The other risk/reward mechanic is going for the temporarily spawning fruit for extra points.
Battlezone (ARC, 1980) - FP Shooter/Tank combat simulation, Free-roaming
-Good draw distance and frame rate
-3D-like wireframe visuals
-Radar
-Crosshair
-Sci-fi elements (UFO)
-Decent feedback when bumping into obstacles
-Animated background elements (volcano)
-Flying debris when destroying enemies
Warlords (ARC, 1980) - Vs. battle with Arkanoid-like elements, top down view
-4-player vs.
Crazy Climber (ARC, 1980) - Vertically scrolling side view Action
-Avoid hazards-style gameplay
-Voice samples
-One of the first games with detailed, non-black backgrounds
Berzerk (ARC, 1980) - Multi-Screen Maze Shooter
-Robot voice samples
-Humanoid avatar
-Invincible enemy (evil otto) appears if you spend too much time in one room (later used in Bubble Bobble)
Red Baron (ARC, 1980) - FP Shooter/Flight Sim, Free-roaming
-Gun can overheat
Space Panic/Apple Panic (ARC, 1980/Apple II, 1981/Multi, 1982) - Second Trapping Sim/Trap 'em up, Platformer without jumping, Single Screen
-Ladders and platforms
Heiankyo Alien (PC-8001, 1979/ARC, 1980/GB, 1990) - Trapping/Trap 'em up/Single Screen Maze, Top Down View
-Chasing/avoid the enemies gameplay
Rally-X (ARC, 1980) - Maze/Driving (Free-roaming), Collectathon (the flags), Top down view
-Non-black backgrounds
-Multi-directional scrolling (Interceptor, Super Bug, Auto Racing)
-Radar and auto-map (proto-course map)
-Bonus round
Missile Command (ARC, 1980/ ) - Arena/Turret Shooter, Base Defense, Side view, Single Screen
-Controlled with a trackball
-Chain reactions (explosions from destroyed missiles also destroy nearby missiles)
-Enemies (missiles) that split into two or more
Spectar (ARC, 1980) - ? Maze/Arena Shooter, Top down view
Centipede (ARC, 1980) - Space Invaders-like
King & Balloon (ARC, 1980) - Space Invaders-like
The End (ARC, 1980) - Space Invaders variation
Moon Cresta (ARC, 1980) - Space Invaders/Galaga-like
Star Castle (ARC, 1980) - Asteroids variation
Phoenix (ARC, 1980) - Vertical Scrolling Shoot 'em up/V-Shooter (TD View)
-Boss fights with several destructible parts (a shield of sorts similar to the walls in Space Invaders)
-Fixed movement (left-right)
Carnival (ARC, 1980) - Shoot 'em up/Fixed shooter, Single Screen
-Probably the first chip generated soundtrack which is polyphonic (more than one harmony), plays during gameplay and is more than 30 seconds long
-One of the first games with a bonus round?
Samurai (ARC, 1980) - Action/Hack 'n Slash, Arena Combat, TD View, Single Screen
-First martial arts themed game?
-Destructible elements (ropes on the hookshots shot by some one of the enemies)
-Can block shuriken with your sword
-First real-time game with boss fights (one on one samurai duels)?
-Players can lock blades with the boss, mash the button to try and knock him back and stun him (probably the first game with all three of these features), leaving him open for attack. Or they can try to strafe and hit the guy's body
Sasuke vs Commander (ARC, 1980) - Space Invaders variation, Bird's Eye view
-Multiple bosses (four different ones) - A ninja shooting firebeams, a komuso (?) throwing shuriken and tricking the player with holograms of itself, a second ninja that throws swords which become obstacles for the player as they hit the ground, and a second komuso which transforms into a giant frog thing that teleports around and shoots firebeams. Later on these also have variants on previous versions, such as a ninja with more HP or a komuso that spawns multiple shuriken throwing frogs
Wizard of Wor (ARC, 1980/C64, 1983) - 2-player vs. Arena Shooter, Maze-like level layout, Top down view
-Mini-map
Space Tactics (ARC, 1980) - Space Invaders variation/Turret Shooter, Base defense, FP view
-Sprite scaling
-Multi-directional scrolling
Stratovox/Speak & Rescue (ARC, 1980) - Space Invaders-like Shooter (Fixed Shooter)
-Voice samples (possibly the first game ever to feature them since it's a May release)
Destroyer (ARC, 1980) - Fixed Shooter/Space Invaders variation, TD view
-Features a boss with a weak spot (large green head which tries to crush the player ship, dies in one hit to the forehead)
Tank Battalion (ARC/MSX, 1980) - Single Screen Arena Shooter (prequel to Battle City), Tank-based, TD view, 1-player (or 2-player alternating)
-Brick walls are destructible at the tile level and both the player and the enemies can do it
-Speed+rate of fire power up (destroy the flashing tank)
1981:
Donkey Kong (ARC, 1981) - Single-Screen Vertical Platformer, Side View
-Temporary weapon power up (with a tradeoff in that you can't jump while using it)
-New level design elements: slopes, ladders and moving platforms/elevators, conveyor belts
-Fairly expressive sprites
-Boss fights (minor puzzle - pull out the bolts to make donkey kong fall)
-Fall damage (when falling longer than Mario's height)
-Wall jump/bounce (off of the edge of the screen - can't be used to gain more height though)
-Hidden point locations (points add 1-ups at certain intervals - pac-man or space invaders?)
005 (ARC, 1981) - Multi-Screen Stealth/Action, Defender-like segments (helicopter), Mixed perspective (mainly top down)
-Shows enemy FoV inside buildings
-Can walk and run
Jump Bug (ARC, 1981) - Auto-Scrolling/Scrolling Hybrid Platformer, Car-based
-Controllable fall and elevation speed plus jump height
-Bounce on clouds for extra points
-Move in both directions in the "dungeon" area at the end of a level
-Shortcuts (fountain)
-Constant automatic bouncing
-Underwater segments
Tempest (ARC, 1981) - Tube Shooter, Fixed movement, Third person view
-Enemies that split in two once they reach your side of the tube
Defender (ARC, 1981/ ) - Search & Destroy/Shoot 'em up
-Looping levels that scroll both ways
-Map feature
-Smart bombs
-Free/non-fixed (left-right only) player ship movement
-Homing swarmer enemies spawned from the purple stars (pods)
-The "hyperspace" button works as in Asteroids - random teleport (player's ship reappears in a possibly unsafe location)
Venture (ARC, 1981) - Multi-Screen Maze Shooter/Collectathon
-8-way aiming - Western Gun/Gun Fight (1975)
-Overworld and underworld (building interiors)
-Dodging enemies
-Invincible ghost/demon enemy that appears after spending too long in any room (see Bubble Bobble)
-Pretty good variation
Qix (ARC, 1981) - Puzzle/Trapping?, Top down view
-Fence off enough of the level to win
-Fence in enemies to kill them
Space Dungeon (ARC, 1981) - Maze Shooter (Berzerk variation), Arena Shooter
-Twin stick controls
-Auto-map showing which rooms have been explored and where the treasure (bonus points+ends the level) is located
Frogger (ARC, 1981) - Action (Avoid the hazards gameplay; kind of similar to Space Race (1973))/Platformer, Top down view
-Moving platforms
-Many sprites on screen
Turbo (ARC, 1981) - Racing, TP View (Behind the avatar); Sprite scaling
Flash Boy (ARC, 1981) - Vertical scrolling Shoot 'em up, Levels scroll both ways (Defender)
-First game with a health meter/life bar
-First game with score combos?
-Melee combat in a shoot 'em up (later used in Lords of Thunder and other games)
-Moving environmental hazards (walls closing in)
New Rally-X (ARC, 1981) - Maze/Driving, Top down view
-Fairly impressive music for the time (Namco 3-channel WSG)
Borderline (ARC, 1981) - Vertical Shoot 'em up/Dig Dug precursor Hybrid, Jeep avatar
-Digging/plowing through walls mechanic
-Can shoot upwards and sideways in the shooter segments
Amidar (ARC, 1981) - Pac-Man/Zoom!-like,
Crush Roller (ARC, 1981) - Pac-Man-like/Fill in the paths
Ms. Pac-Man (ARC, 1981/SMS/MD, 1991/NES?/GG? 1993) - Collectathon/Maze hybrid, female protagonist
Lady Bug ARC (1981) - Pac-Man-like with revolving doors/walls
Galaga (ARC, 1981) - Single Screen Shooter, Space Invaders variation
-Risk/reward mechanic - You can sacrifice one life for the opportunity to attach one more ship on the side of your ship, adding to your firepower
Vanguard (ARC, 1981) - ? H-Shooter
Scramble (ARC, 1981) - ? Horizontal Scrolling Shoot 'em up
-Fuel mechanic
-Checkpoints
-Free/non-fixed (left-right only) player ship movement - Defender
Bosconian ARC (1981) - Free-Roaming Shooter, TD View
-Basic mini-map (shows enemy bases)
Sky Skipper (ARC, 1981) - Free-Roaming Shooter, Side View
-One of the first cutesy/cartoony shoot 'em ups
-Some large sprites
-Multi-directional scrolling - Interceptor
Streaking (ARC, 1981) - Pac-Man clone, TD view
-Female protagonist
-Teleporters (the large pellets)
-New gear shows on your avatar
-Stamina/fatigue meter
-Mildly erotic
Warp Warp/Warp & Warp (ARC, 1981) - TD Maze Action/Arena Shooter, Proto Bomberman-like
-Bombs which explode just like in Bomberman (no breakable walls though)
-Monsters become tougher when they change color (from yellow to red to purple)
Astro Fantasia (ARC, 1981) - Shoot 'em up/Proto-Rail Shooter (TP view without scaling on the background)
-Features bosses with multiple destructible parts
Donkey Kong (ARC, 1981) - Single-Screen Vertical Platformer, Side View
-Temporary weapon power up (with a tradeoff in that you can't jump while using it)
-New level design elements: slopes, ladders and moving platforms/elevators, conveyor belts
-Fairly expressive sprites
-Boss fights (minor puzzle - pull out the bolts to make donkey kong fall)
-Fall damage (when falling longer than Mario's height)
-Wall jump/bounce (off of the edge of the screen - can't be used to gain more height though)
-Hidden point locations (points add 1-ups at certain intervals - pac-man or space invaders?)
005 (ARC, 1981) - Multi-Screen Stealth/Action, Defender-like segments (helicopter), Mixed perspective (mainly top down)
-Shows enemy FoV inside buildings
-Can walk and run
Jump Bug (ARC, 1981) - Auto-Scrolling/Scrolling Hybrid Platformer, Car-based
-Controllable fall and elevation speed plus jump height
-Bounce on clouds for extra points
-Move in both directions in the "dungeon" area at the end of a level
-Shortcuts (fountain)
-Constant automatic bouncing
-Underwater segments
Tempest (ARC, 1981) - Tube Shooter, Fixed movement, Third person view
-Enemies that split in two once they reach your side of the tube
Defender (ARC, 1981/ ) - Search & Destroy/Shoot 'em up
-Looping levels that scroll both ways
-Map feature
-Smart bombs
-Free/non-fixed (left-right only) player ship movement
-Homing swarmer enemies spawned from the purple stars (pods)
-The "hyperspace" button works as in Asteroids - random teleport (player's ship reappears in a possibly unsafe location)
Venture (ARC, 1981) - Multi-Screen Maze Shooter/Collectathon
-8-way aiming - Western Gun/Gun Fight (1975)
-Overworld and underworld (building interiors)
-Dodging enemies
-Invincible ghost/demon enemy that appears after spending too long in any room (see Bubble Bobble)
-Pretty good variation
Qix (ARC, 1981) - Puzzle/Trapping?, Top down view
-Fence off enough of the level to win
-Fence in enemies to kill them
Space Dungeon (ARC, 1981) - Maze Shooter (Berzerk variation), Arena Shooter
-Twin stick controls
-Auto-map showing which rooms have been explored and where the treasure (bonus points+ends the level) is located
Frogger (ARC, 1981) - Action (Avoid the hazards gameplay; kind of similar to Space Race (1973))/Platformer, Top down view
-Moving platforms
-Many sprites on screen
Turbo (ARC, 1981) - Racing, TP View (Behind the avatar); Sprite scaling
Flash Boy (ARC, 1981) - Vertical scrolling Shoot 'em up, Levels scroll both ways (Defender)
-First game with a health meter/life bar
-First game with score combos?
-Melee combat in a shoot 'em up (later used in Lords of Thunder and other games)
-Moving environmental hazards (walls closing in)
New Rally-X (ARC, 1981) - Maze/Driving, Top down view
-Fairly impressive music for the time (Namco 3-channel WSG)
Borderline (ARC, 1981) - Vertical Shoot 'em up/Dig Dug precursor Hybrid, Jeep avatar
-Digging/plowing through walls mechanic
-Can shoot upwards and sideways in the shooter segments
Amidar (ARC, 1981) - Pac-Man/Zoom!-like,
Crush Roller (ARC, 1981) - Pac-Man-like/Fill in the paths
Ms. Pac-Man (ARC, 1981/SMS/MD, 1991/NES?/GG? 1993) - Collectathon/Maze hybrid, female protagonist
Lady Bug ARC (1981) - Pac-Man-like with revolving doors/walls
Galaga (ARC, 1981) - Single Screen Shooter, Space Invaders variation
-Risk/reward mechanic - You can sacrifice one life for the opportunity to attach one more ship on the side of your ship, adding to your firepower
Vanguard (ARC, 1981) - ? H-Shooter
Scramble (ARC, 1981) - ? Horizontal Scrolling Shoot 'em up
-Fuel mechanic
-Checkpoints
-Free/non-fixed (left-right only) player ship movement - Defender
Bosconian ARC (1981) - Free-Roaming Shooter, TD View
-Basic mini-map (shows enemy bases)
Sky Skipper (ARC, 1981) - Free-Roaming Shooter, Side View
-One of the first cutesy/cartoony shoot 'em ups
-Some large sprites
-Multi-directional scrolling - Interceptor
Streaking (ARC, 1981) - Pac-Man clone, TD view
-Female protagonist
-Teleporters (the large pellets)
-New gear shows on your avatar
-Stamina/fatigue meter
-Mildly erotic
Warp Warp/Warp & Warp (ARC, 1981) - TD Maze Action/Arena Shooter, Proto Bomberman-like
-Bombs which explode just like in Bomberman (no breakable walls though)
-Monsters become tougher when they change color (from yellow to red to purple)
Astro Fantasia (ARC, 1981) - Shoot 'em up/Proto-Rail Shooter (TP view without scaling on the background)
-Features bosses with multiple destructible parts
1982:
Dig Dug (ARC, 1982) - Maze Action/Trapping
-Digging mechanics
-Top down/side view hybrid (rocks are side view and fall down while the player avatar can move freely in four directions)
Joust (ARC, 1982) - Side view 2-player Action
-Mash the button-style flight
-Kill enemies by hitting them from above
-Change direction in mid-air
-Acceleration and deceleration
Pengo (ARC, 1982) - Maze/Puzzle (aligning three white blocks in a row gives a bonus)
-Block pushing (slides until it hits a wall or block)
-Destructible blocks
-Hitting a wall while an enemy is next to hit stuns the enemy
-Risk/reward - speedrunning and lining up star blocks for extra points (more if they're not against a wall)
Zaxxon (ARC, 1982) - Isometric view Shooter with vertical movement
-Boss fights (each one seems to be a slight variation on the previous one)
-Shadows
Q*bert (ARC, 1982) - Isometric Platformer, fill in the tiles gameplay (Amidar, Crush Roller)
Moon Patrol (ARC, 1982) - Auto-scrolling Action Platformer, vehicle-based
-Parallax scrolling
-First endless runner-style game?
Star Trek: SOS (ARC, 1982)(Sega) - FP Shooter/Space flight sim (no y- or z-axis movement), free-roaming;
-Map feature
-Voice samples
Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom (ARC, 1982) - Rail Shooter/Plane Flight
-Nice graphics
Gravitar (ARC, 1982) - Killathon/Inertia-based Shooter (SpaceWar, Lunar Lander), Free-roaming Shooter, Defender-like w/ fuel management, Scrolling and SS levels, Time limited core levels (tight)
-Most levels scroll both ways
-Choose your own path (hub area with avoidable enemy encounters (if you move into an enemy ship there's a separate zoomed in encounter arena which can't be escaped from) and a hazardous star which pulls you towards it). After beating all levels except for the enemy base (core level) the hub area changes and new planets are introduced - can also go for the core instead if you want
-Vector graphics
-Tractor beam for picking up fuel items
-Temporary bullet shield (activated with same button as pick up item, drains fuel)
-Planets with gravity as well as one without
-Can exit a planet/level at any point
-Timed reactor core levels (get to the middle, destroy it, get out)
-Two levels of zoom when in a horizontally scrolling level (automatic)
-Multi-directional scrolling
The Pit (ARC, 1982) - Dig Dug-like Maze Action/Puzzle/Trapping (released the same month as Dig Dug so might've not been inspired by it)
-Digging and falling block mechanics
-Room where you can fall down into acid
-Graphical timer (a tank shoots through a mountain until it hits your ship)
Front Line (ARC, 1982) - Top Down View Run 'n Gun (can move backwards in levels)
-First in the genre?
-Tank vehicle (8-way aiming - Western Gun/Gun Fight (1975))
-Strafing while in the tank
-Volley attacks (grenades) and walls/bushes to throw them over
-Military theme
-Boss fights (base bosses)
Pole Position (ARC, 1982) - Racing (against the clock)
-F1 cars
-Smooth sprite scaling for the time
-Voice samples
Tron (ARC, 1982) - 2-player vs. Snake-like, Top down view
Zoo Keeper (ARC, 1982) - ? Donkey Kong-like/Trapping/Construction hybrid
-Change direction in mid-air
-Low gravity jumps
-Temporary invincibility (Pac-Man)
-Bonus level
Bump 'n Jump (ARC, 1982/NES, 1988) - Driving, 1-player?; jumping without ramps
Monster Bash (ARC, 1982) - Single Screen Action, Side view and top down view levels
-Horror theme (blood, undead enemies, aesthetics)
-Need to light the candles to power up the weapon in the middle which then lets
you kill the boss (basic switch puzzle)
-Teleporters
Xevious (ARC, 1982 or 1983) - Vertical Shoot 'em up
-Can bomb ground targets
-Dynamic difficulty balancing: Features a rank system where the enemy AI adjusts based on the player's performance: If the player performs well, enemies will become faster and more aggressive, with certain enemy types being phased out as they destroy more of them. By destroying the "Zolback" radar towers (the ones with flashing red stripes in the cardinal directions) on the ground, the rank can be reset by the player
Burger Time/BurgerTime (ARC, 1982) - Puzzle/Collectathon/Action Platformer, single screen;
-Risk/reward - dropping buns while enemies are on them nets more points and makes them drop further
Burnin' Rubber (ARC, 1982) - Racing, Vertical scrolling top down view; jumps,
Springer (ARC, 1982) - Single Screen Platformer
-Can jump down through platforms (jump too far and you fall down and die though)
-Moving and disappearing platforms
-Evolving enemies (eggs to lizards to winged lizards/dragons)
-Basic inertia physics (upwards moving platforms add a bit of length to your upward jump)
Tutankham (ARC, 1982) - Sideways Scrolling Maze Shooter/Proto-Action Adventure
-Locked doors and keys
-Level maps in the GUI (mini-map; shows the basic layout, enemies and the exit)
-Enemy spawning "machines"
-Teleporters
-Timed levels
-Smart bomb/screen-clearing bomb (one per level or life)
Time Pilot (ARC, 1982) - Free-Roaming Shooter (plane-based), Rescue Mission
-Near 360 degree rotation for the plane avatar
-Time travel theme (automatic between levels)
Popeye (ARC, 1982) - Single Screen Action/Collectathon Platformer, Side view
-Looping levels (see SMB2 beginning part, Ice Climber or Superman A2600)
-Block projectiles by punching them
-Falling leaf (the hearts/notes/letters) physics - later used in CV1
-Music changes to ominous when the main bad guy is on the same platform as you and to hectic when a collectable is about to fall off scren
-Ladders (space panic) and moving platforms (donkey kong), stairs, springboard platform (second level)
-Main bad guy can attack downwards through platforms as well as jump down through them
-Good animation
Tac-Scan (ARC, 1982) - Vertical/Rail Shooter hybrid
-Nice graphical effects (perspective shift and wormhole warp)
Robotron 2084 (ARC, 1982) - Arena Shooter, Berzerk variation;
Nibbler (ARC, 1982) - Pac-man-like/Snake hybrid
Donkey Kong Jr. (ARC, 1982) - Climbing,
Dragonfire (ARC, 1982) - Platformer/top down view collectathon hybrid,
Miner 2049er (ARC, 1982) - Fill in the floors
Sinistar (ARC, 1982) - Asteroids-like, map feature, voice samples
Pooyan (ARC, 1982) - Space Invaders variation
Millipede (ARC, 1982) - Space Invaders-like
Reactor (ARC, 1982) - Misc. Action, Top Down view
-Impressive music for the time (plays during the intro/tutorial, custom sound chip)
-Speech synthesis or robot voice samples (Berzerk/Crazy Climber)
-Bumper physics
-Decoy mechanic (lure enemies into walls)
-Shrinking playfield mechanic (need to kill all enemies before the core swells and fills up the entire room, can hit a limited number of switches to shrink it during a level)
SubRoc-3D (ARC, 1982) - Gallery Shooter
-Multi-directional scrolling in a gallery shooter, sprite scaling
Jungle King (ARC, 1982) - Platformer; Swinging (lianas)
Anteater (ARC, 1982) - Single-Screen Puzzle/Collectathon, Variation on Pac-Man mixed with Snake
-Growing and shrinking tongue mechanic
Super Pac-Man (ARC, 1982) - Maze Action, Collectathon, Single Screen
-Temporarily grow big from the green pills (similar to SMB on the NES, in big form you can destroy doors and move faster by holding down a button)
-Locked doors and keys (keys automatically open up 1 or more doors which can be located anywhere in the level)
-Timed collectathon bonus levels
Lost Tomb (ARC, 1982) - Free-Roaming Shooter (similar to Berzerk or Robotron), Single Screen, Twin stick controls?
-Choose your path (two doors at a time on the outside of the pyramid)
-Destructible wall tiles (you use a lethal shield as a sub weapon)
-Locked exit door and hidden key
Murder, Anyone (Laserdisc Player, 1982) - FMV Adventure (Murder Mystery)
"It's an early laserdisc game released in Fall 1982! This is months before even Astron Belt released in March 1983. However, Astron Belt did have a playable prototype dating back to September 1982, so it still gets priority in that sense. I'm also not sure if MysteryDisc technically qualifies as a video game, as it only runs from an analog laserdisc player rather than a digital console/computer/arcade system. So it falls somewhere between a video game and electro-mechanical game, similar to '70s film reel arcade games like Wild Gunman (Nintendo) and The Driver (Kasco). That might be why I don't see it listed on any video game database. Either way, it appears to be the first interactive movie game with a proper story, and apparently multiple endings too.
There was a version later released for the MSX computer in 1984, only in Japan. This version definitely qualifies as a video game."
- Jag85
Explorer (ARC, 1982) - Early Rail Shooter, Galaga-like hybrid
Nato Defense (ARC, 1982) - Arena Shooter/Maze Action, Single Screen, Top Down view
-Various comedic voice samples reacting to your actions
-Huge death explosions/particle effects
-Destructible walls - Space Invaders, Tank Battallion
Dig Dug (ARC, 1982) - Maze Action/Trapping
-Digging mechanics
-Top down/side view hybrid (rocks are side view and fall down while the player avatar can move freely in four directions)
Joust (ARC, 1982) - Side view 2-player Action
-Mash the button-style flight
-Kill enemies by hitting them from above
-Change direction in mid-air
-Acceleration and deceleration
Pengo (ARC, 1982) - Maze/Puzzle (aligning three white blocks in a row gives a bonus)
-Block pushing (slides until it hits a wall or block)
-Destructible blocks
-Hitting a wall while an enemy is next to hit stuns the enemy
-Risk/reward - speedrunning and lining up star blocks for extra points (more if they're not against a wall)
Zaxxon (ARC, 1982) - Isometric view Shooter with vertical movement
-Boss fights (each one seems to be a slight variation on the previous one)
-Shadows
Q*bert (ARC, 1982) - Isometric Platformer, fill in the tiles gameplay (Amidar, Crush Roller)
Moon Patrol (ARC, 1982) - Auto-scrolling Action Platformer, vehicle-based
-Parallax scrolling
-First endless runner-style game?
Star Trek: SOS (ARC, 1982)(Sega) - FP Shooter/Space flight sim (no y- or z-axis movement), free-roaming;
-Map feature
-Voice samples
Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom (ARC, 1982) - Rail Shooter/Plane Flight
-Nice graphics
Gravitar (ARC, 1982) - Killathon/Inertia-based Shooter (SpaceWar, Lunar Lander), Free-roaming Shooter, Defender-like w/ fuel management, Scrolling and SS levels, Time limited core levels (tight)
-Most levels scroll both ways
-Choose your own path (hub area with avoidable enemy encounters (if you move into an enemy ship there's a separate zoomed in encounter arena which can't be escaped from) and a hazardous star which pulls you towards it). After beating all levels except for the enemy base (core level) the hub area changes and new planets are introduced - can also go for the core instead if you want
-Vector graphics
-Tractor beam for picking up fuel items
-Temporary bullet shield (activated with same button as pick up item, drains fuel)
-Planets with gravity as well as one without
-Can exit a planet/level at any point
-Timed reactor core levels (get to the middle, destroy it, get out)
-Two levels of zoom when in a horizontally scrolling level (automatic)
-Multi-directional scrolling
The Pit (ARC, 1982) - Dig Dug-like Maze Action/Puzzle/Trapping (released the same month as Dig Dug so might've not been inspired by it)
-Digging and falling block mechanics
-Room where you can fall down into acid
-Graphical timer (a tank shoots through a mountain until it hits your ship)
Front Line (ARC, 1982) - Top Down View Run 'n Gun (can move backwards in levels)
-First in the genre?
-Tank vehicle (8-way aiming - Western Gun/Gun Fight (1975))
-Strafing while in the tank
-Volley attacks (grenades) and walls/bushes to throw them over
-Military theme
-Boss fights (base bosses)
Pole Position (ARC, 1982) - Racing (against the clock)
-F1 cars
-Smooth sprite scaling for the time
-Voice samples
Tron (ARC, 1982) - 2-player vs. Snake-like, Top down view
Zoo Keeper (ARC, 1982) - ? Donkey Kong-like/Trapping/Construction hybrid
-Change direction in mid-air
-Low gravity jumps
-Temporary invincibility (Pac-Man)
-Bonus level
Bump 'n Jump (ARC, 1982/NES, 1988) - Driving, 1-player?; jumping without ramps
Monster Bash (ARC, 1982) - Single Screen Action, Side view and top down view levels
-Horror theme (blood, undead enemies, aesthetics)
-Need to light the candles to power up the weapon in the middle which then lets
you kill the boss (basic switch puzzle)
-Teleporters
Xevious (ARC, 1982 or 1983) - Vertical Shoot 'em up
-Can bomb ground targets
-Dynamic difficulty balancing: Features a rank system where the enemy AI adjusts based on the player's performance: If the player performs well, enemies will become faster and more aggressive, with certain enemy types being phased out as they destroy more of them. By destroying the "Zolback" radar towers (the ones with flashing red stripes in the cardinal directions) on the ground, the rank can be reset by the player
Burger Time/BurgerTime (ARC, 1982) - Puzzle/Collectathon/Action Platformer, single screen;
-Risk/reward - dropping buns while enemies are on them nets more points and makes them drop further
Burnin' Rubber (ARC, 1982) - Racing, Vertical scrolling top down view; jumps,
Springer (ARC, 1982) - Single Screen Platformer
-Can jump down through platforms (jump too far and you fall down and die though)
-Moving and disappearing platforms
-Evolving enemies (eggs to lizards to winged lizards/dragons)
-Basic inertia physics (upwards moving platforms add a bit of length to your upward jump)
Tutankham (ARC, 1982) - Sideways Scrolling Maze Shooter/Proto-Action Adventure
-Locked doors and keys
-Level maps in the GUI (mini-map; shows the basic layout, enemies and the exit)
-Enemy spawning "machines"
-Teleporters
-Timed levels
-Smart bomb/screen-clearing bomb (one per level or life)
Time Pilot (ARC, 1982) - Free-Roaming Shooter (plane-based), Rescue Mission
-Near 360 degree rotation for the plane avatar
-Time travel theme (automatic between levels)
Popeye (ARC, 1982) - Single Screen Action/Collectathon Platformer, Side view
-Looping levels (see SMB2 beginning part, Ice Climber or Superman A2600)
-Block projectiles by punching them
-Falling leaf (the hearts/notes/letters) physics - later used in CV1
-Music changes to ominous when the main bad guy is on the same platform as you and to hectic when a collectable is about to fall off scren
-Ladders (space panic) and moving platforms (donkey kong), stairs, springboard platform (second level)
-Main bad guy can attack downwards through platforms as well as jump down through them
-Good animation
Tac-Scan (ARC, 1982) - Vertical/Rail Shooter hybrid
-Nice graphical effects (perspective shift and wormhole warp)
Robotron 2084 (ARC, 1982) - Arena Shooter, Berzerk variation;
Nibbler (ARC, 1982) - Pac-man-like/Snake hybrid
Donkey Kong Jr. (ARC, 1982) - Climbing,
Dragonfire (ARC, 1982) - Platformer/top down view collectathon hybrid,
Miner 2049er (ARC, 1982) - Fill in the floors
Sinistar (ARC, 1982) - Asteroids-like, map feature, voice samples
Pooyan (ARC, 1982) - Space Invaders variation
Millipede (ARC, 1982) - Space Invaders-like
Reactor (ARC, 1982) - Misc. Action, Top Down view
-Impressive music for the time (plays during the intro/tutorial, custom sound chip)
-Speech synthesis or robot voice samples (Berzerk/Crazy Climber)
-Bumper physics
-Decoy mechanic (lure enemies into walls)
-Shrinking playfield mechanic (need to kill all enemies before the core swells and fills up the entire room, can hit a limited number of switches to shrink it during a level)
SubRoc-3D (ARC, 1982) - Gallery Shooter
-Multi-directional scrolling in a gallery shooter, sprite scaling
Jungle King (ARC, 1982) - Platformer; Swinging (lianas)
Anteater (ARC, 1982) - Single-Screen Puzzle/Collectathon, Variation on Pac-Man mixed with Snake
-Growing and shrinking tongue mechanic
Super Pac-Man (ARC, 1982) - Maze Action, Collectathon, Single Screen
-Temporarily grow big from the green pills (similar to SMB on the NES, in big form you can destroy doors and move faster by holding down a button)
-Locked doors and keys (keys automatically open up 1 or more doors which can be located anywhere in the level)
-Timed collectathon bonus levels
Lost Tomb (ARC, 1982) - Free-Roaming Shooter (similar to Berzerk or Robotron), Single Screen, Twin stick controls?
-Choose your path (two doors at a time on the outside of the pyramid)
-Destructible wall tiles (you use a lethal shield as a sub weapon)
-Locked exit door and hidden key
Murder, Anyone (Laserdisc Player, 1982) - FMV Adventure (Murder Mystery)
"It's an early laserdisc game released in Fall 1982! This is months before even Astron Belt released in March 1983. However, Astron Belt did have a playable prototype dating back to September 1982, so it still gets priority in that sense. I'm also not sure if MysteryDisc technically qualifies as a video game, as it only runs from an analog laserdisc player rather than a digital console/computer/arcade system. So it falls somewhere between a video game and electro-mechanical game, similar to '70s film reel arcade games like Wild Gunman (Nintendo) and The Driver (Kasco). That might be why I don't see it listed on any video game database. Either way, it appears to be the first interactive movie game with a proper story, and apparently multiple endings too.
There was a version later released for the MSX computer in 1984, only in Japan. This version definitely qualifies as a video game."
- Jag85
Explorer (ARC, 1982) - Early Rail Shooter, Galaga-like hybrid
Nato Defense (ARC, 1982) - Arena Shooter/Maze Action, Single Screen, Top Down view
-Various comedic voice samples reacting to your actions
-Huge death explosions/particle effects
-Destructible walls - Space Invaders, Tank Battallion
1983:
Major Havoc (ARC, 1983) - Rail Shooter/Maze Platformer hybrid, Collectathon
-Low gravity (platforming segments)
-Map feature
-Fuel mechanic (need to collect oxygen to survive in platform levels)
-Escape sequences
-3D-like vector graphics
-Scaling effect
-Warp feature
-Platformer levels scroll in 4 directions (also one of the first manually scrolling platformers)
-Avoid hazards (Pac-Man, Crazy Climber)
-Locked doors
Dragon's Lair (ARC, 1983) - FMV Action/QTE, Multiple perspectives
-Impressive graphics and sound
-Voiced narration and characters
-Many death scenes
Space Ace (ARC, 1983) - FMV Action/QTE
Mappy (ARC, 1983/NES) - Scrolling Platformer
-Springs/trampolines
-Scrolls both ways (Defender)
-Fling open doors (can hit enemies) - trapping mechanic of sorts as you lure enemies towards them
Gyruss (ARC, 1983/FDS, 1988) - Tube Shooter, Fixed movement, Third person
-Pretty impressive music (probably the first chiptune soundtrack with sampled percussion and stereo mixing, (5x AY-8910 w/ DAC & 6x RC)(Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor)
-Double shot power up (the NES ver. adds a consumable power shot which goes through enemies and pauses their movement while it's on screen)
Mario Bros. (ARC, 1983/NES, ) - Single Screen Platformer, 2-player vs. (or semi co-op - introduced Luigi?), Timed collectathon bonus levels
-Momentum-based controls
-Hit enemies through the floor from below (variation on what an enemy in Popeye could do)
-POW block (knocks over every enemy on screen) power up
-Looping levels (Popeye level 1, SMB2 beginning part, Ice Climber or Superman A2600)
-Basic friction/momentum physics
-Enemy/item spawning objects (the pipes)
-Ice physics (an enemy makes platforms slippery as an attack)
-Knock over enemies with melee attacks (albeit indirectly through the floor)
Star Wars (ARC, 1983) - Rail Shooter/First Person Space Flight
Star Rider (ARC, 1983) - FMV-based Racing, FP view
-Polygonal FMV backgrounds (rival bikes, explosions and GUI are sprite-based)
Spy Hunter (ARC, 1983) - Driving/Vertical Shooter (can also switch to a boat at some points)
-Spy theme & modern day setting
-Can tackle enemy cars off the road (going off road generally destroys a car)
-Alternate paths - later used in Outrun
-Turbo/boost feature (later used in Super Hang-On) - explode from boosting into enemy vehicles
-Pick up alternate weapons by boosting into a van (smoke and oil trails, homing ground to air missiles)
-Manual gearbox (high/low)
-Impressive music
-Neutral/NPC vehicles (avoid shooting these)
-Enemy bombs also hit other cars
-Can make the weapons van bump into a car with side spikes to make it lose the spikes on that side
Blaster (ARC, 1983) - Rail Shooter/First Person; sprite scaling
Ambush (ARC, 1983) - Rail Shooter/Spaceship Flight; sprite scaling
Journey (ARC, 1983) - Single Screen Platformer/Action
-Level select screen
-Digitized sprites (Journey the band's heads are put on each avatar, perhaps also the first "big head" avatars?)
-Unique level themes (five different ones)
Juno First (ARC, 1983) - Rail Shooter
-Acceleration/Deceleration mechanic
Interstellar Laser Fantasy (ARC, 1983) - FMV/Rail Shooter
-Impressive graphics and sound (long, varied and creative ambient-style OST (Laserdisc))
Up'n Down (ARC, 1983) - Racing/Platformer with slopes
Congo Bongo (ARC, 1983/PS2 Remake, 2005) - Isometric Donkey Kong/Frogger-like Platformer
-Enemy AI that locks onto and chases you (rhinos) - similar to Pac-Man
-Hide in holes
-Sliding
Elevator Action (ARC, 1983) - Action Platformer, Vertical scrolling; Elevator mechanic
Motorace USA (ARC, 1983) - Racing, Vertical scrolling top down view
Crystal Castles (ARC, 1983) - Isometric Collectathon/Maze Action (Pac-Man variation, avoid the enemies unless you have a temporary invincibility power up), Trackball controls
-Hidden warp zones
-Features a basic ending - High Noon (1970)
-Elevators (Donkey Kong)
Mr. Do's Castle (ARC etc., 1983) - Single Screen Puzzle Platformer/Action Platformer
-Destructible floor tiles (lets you trap enemies like in Lode Runner)
-Opening the locked doors and picking up the cross within lets you kill enemies by touching them (similar to pac-man)
-Can flip stairs horizontally
-Manually controllable melee attack (the hammer) - Raiders of the Lost Ark, Gateway to Apshai
Chack'n Pop (ARC, 1983/Multi, 1984) - SS Platformer, Side View
-Reverse gravity mechanic
-Cutesy style (some enemies were reused for Bubble Bobble)
TX-1 (ARC, 1983) - F1 Racing (against the clock), Into the screen/behind the avatar view
-Smooth scaling
-Branching paths
-Three screens wide panoramic view
Cube Quest (ARC, 1983) - Rail Shooter, FMV (backgrounds)/3D hybrid
-Flatshaded 3D models and wireframe 3D intermission/hub map screen objects and end of level objects
Discs of Tron (ARC, 1983) - Proto-TPS/Cabal-like Gallery Shooter w/ basic platforming (multiple platforms in later levels), Air Hockey/Pong variation
-A rotary dial is used to move a targeting reticle/crosshair horizontally along the arena walls (precise 180 degree aiming), and in later levels the player can also pull up and push down on the knob to aim up and down
Donkey Kong 3 (ARC, 1983/NES, ) - Single Screen, Space Invaders variation/Platformer
Vastar (ARC, 1983) - Hori-Shooter
-First mecha game?
Astron Belt (ARC, 1983) - Rail Shooter w/ FMV Backgrounds (2D Sprites), TP View
Bega's Battle (ARC, 1983) - Space Invaders-like Shoot 'em up/Rail Shooter
-Anime/Cartoon FMV cutscenes between levels (LaserDisc)
Regulus (ARC, 1983) - Vertical scrolling Shoot 'em up w/ on foot (tank) avatar
-Can move and shoot in 8 directions/8-way aiming - Western Gun/Gun Fight (1975)
Boomer Rang'r (ARC, 1983) - Maze Shooter, TD view
-Dinosaur mounts (knock enemies off them to be able to mount them, these can shoot fireballs) - later used in Golden Axe, Super Mario World and Adventure Island 2
-Collect letters spelling a name to beat a level - Something similar was used in Bubble Bobble and DKC
-8-way movement and attacks - Western Gun/Gun Fight, Venture, Front Line
-Boomerang weapon (comes back)
Minefield (ARC, 1983) - Tilted View Horizontal Shooter, Tank-based
-Impressive parallax scrolling
-Color gradient backgrounds and animated background elements
Wacko (ARC, 1984) - Arena Shooter/Matching Puzzle (shoot enemies of the same type in pairs to take them out), Single Screen
-Alien player avatar
-If you shoot a different enemy after the first then they swap heads later on
Major Havoc (ARC, 1983) - Rail Shooter/Maze Platformer hybrid, Collectathon
-Low gravity (platforming segments)
-Map feature
-Fuel mechanic (need to collect oxygen to survive in platform levels)
-Escape sequences
-3D-like vector graphics
-Scaling effect
-Warp feature
-Platformer levels scroll in 4 directions (also one of the first manually scrolling platformers)
-Avoid hazards (Pac-Man, Crazy Climber)
-Locked doors
Dragon's Lair (ARC, 1983) - FMV Action/QTE, Multiple perspectives
-Impressive graphics and sound
-Voiced narration and characters
-Many death scenes
Space Ace (ARC, 1983) - FMV Action/QTE
Mappy (ARC, 1983/NES) - Scrolling Platformer
-Springs/trampolines
-Scrolls both ways (Defender)
-Fling open doors (can hit enemies) - trapping mechanic of sorts as you lure enemies towards them
Gyruss (ARC, 1983/FDS, 1988) - Tube Shooter, Fixed movement, Third person
-Pretty impressive music (probably the first chiptune soundtrack with sampled percussion and stereo mixing, (5x AY-8910 w/ DAC & 6x RC)(Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor)
-Double shot power up (the NES ver. adds a consumable power shot which goes through enemies and pauses their movement while it's on screen)
Mario Bros. (ARC, 1983/NES, ) - Single Screen Platformer, 2-player vs. (or semi co-op - introduced Luigi?), Timed collectathon bonus levels
-Momentum-based controls
-Hit enemies through the floor from below (variation on what an enemy in Popeye could do)
-POW block (knocks over every enemy on screen) power up
-Looping levels (Popeye level 1, SMB2 beginning part, Ice Climber or Superman A2600)
-Basic friction/momentum physics
-Enemy/item spawning objects (the pipes)
-Ice physics (an enemy makes platforms slippery as an attack)
-Knock over enemies with melee attacks (albeit indirectly through the floor)
Star Wars (ARC, 1983) - Rail Shooter/First Person Space Flight
Star Rider (ARC, 1983) - FMV-based Racing, FP view
-Polygonal FMV backgrounds (rival bikes, explosions and GUI are sprite-based)
Spy Hunter (ARC, 1983) - Driving/Vertical Shooter (can also switch to a boat at some points)
-Spy theme & modern day setting
-Can tackle enemy cars off the road (going off road generally destroys a car)
-Alternate paths - later used in Outrun
-Turbo/boost feature (later used in Super Hang-On) - explode from boosting into enemy vehicles
-Pick up alternate weapons by boosting into a van (smoke and oil trails, homing ground to air missiles)
-Manual gearbox (high/low)
-Impressive music
-Neutral/NPC vehicles (avoid shooting these)
-Enemy bombs also hit other cars
-Can make the weapons van bump into a car with side spikes to make it lose the spikes on that side
Blaster (ARC, 1983) - Rail Shooter/First Person; sprite scaling
Ambush (ARC, 1983) - Rail Shooter/Spaceship Flight; sprite scaling
Journey (ARC, 1983) - Single Screen Platformer/Action
-Level select screen
-Digitized sprites (Journey the band's heads are put on each avatar, perhaps also the first "big head" avatars?)
-Unique level themes (five different ones)
Juno First (ARC, 1983) - Rail Shooter
-Acceleration/Deceleration mechanic
Interstellar Laser Fantasy (ARC, 1983) - FMV/Rail Shooter
-Impressive graphics and sound (long, varied and creative ambient-style OST (Laserdisc))
Up'n Down (ARC, 1983) - Racing/Platformer with slopes
Congo Bongo (ARC, 1983/PS2 Remake, 2005) - Isometric Donkey Kong/Frogger-like Platformer
-Enemy AI that locks onto and chases you (rhinos) - similar to Pac-Man
-Hide in holes
-Sliding
Elevator Action (ARC, 1983) - Action Platformer, Vertical scrolling; Elevator mechanic
Motorace USA (ARC, 1983) - Racing, Vertical scrolling top down view
Crystal Castles (ARC, 1983) - Isometric Collectathon/Maze Action (Pac-Man variation, avoid the enemies unless you have a temporary invincibility power up), Trackball controls
-Hidden warp zones
-Features a basic ending - High Noon (1970)
-Elevators (Donkey Kong)
Mr. Do's Castle (ARC etc., 1983) - Single Screen Puzzle Platformer/Action Platformer
-Destructible floor tiles (lets you trap enemies like in Lode Runner)
-Opening the locked doors and picking up the cross within lets you kill enemies by touching them (similar to pac-man)
-Can flip stairs horizontally
-Manually controllable melee attack (the hammer) - Raiders of the Lost Ark, Gateway to Apshai
Chack'n Pop (ARC, 1983/Multi, 1984) - SS Platformer, Side View
-Reverse gravity mechanic
-Cutesy style (some enemies were reused for Bubble Bobble)
TX-1 (ARC, 1983) - F1 Racing (against the clock), Into the screen/behind the avatar view
-Smooth scaling
-Branching paths
-Three screens wide panoramic view
Cube Quest (ARC, 1983) - Rail Shooter, FMV (backgrounds)/3D hybrid
-Flatshaded 3D models and wireframe 3D intermission/hub map screen objects and end of level objects
Discs of Tron (ARC, 1983) - Proto-TPS/Cabal-like Gallery Shooter w/ basic platforming (multiple platforms in later levels), Air Hockey/Pong variation
-A rotary dial is used to move a targeting reticle/crosshair horizontally along the arena walls (precise 180 degree aiming), and in later levels the player can also pull up and push down on the knob to aim up and down
Donkey Kong 3 (ARC, 1983/NES, ) - Single Screen, Space Invaders variation/Platformer
Vastar (ARC, 1983) - Hori-Shooter
-First mecha game?
Astron Belt (ARC, 1983) - Rail Shooter w/ FMV Backgrounds (2D Sprites), TP View
Bega's Battle (ARC, 1983) - Space Invaders-like Shoot 'em up/Rail Shooter
-Anime/Cartoon FMV cutscenes between levels (LaserDisc)
Regulus (ARC, 1983) - Vertical scrolling Shoot 'em up w/ on foot (tank) avatar
-Can move and shoot in 8 directions/8-way aiming - Western Gun/Gun Fight (1975)
Boomer Rang'r (ARC, 1983) - Maze Shooter, TD view
-Dinosaur mounts (knock enemies off them to be able to mount them, these can shoot fireballs) - later used in Golden Axe, Super Mario World and Adventure Island 2
-Collect letters spelling a name to beat a level - Something similar was used in Bubble Bobble and DKC
-8-way movement and attacks - Western Gun/Gun Fight, Venture, Front Line
-Boomerang weapon (comes back)
Minefield (ARC, 1983) - Tilted View Horizontal Shooter, Tank-based
-Impressive parallax scrolling
-Color gradient backgrounds and animated background elements
Wacko (ARC, 1984) - Arena Shooter/Matching Puzzle (shoot enemies of the same type in pairs to take them out), Single Screen
-Alien player avatar
-If you shoot a different enemy after the first then they swap heads later on
1984:
I, Robot (ARC, 1984) - Third Person Shooter (Semi-fixed camera and movement (can't turn and have the camera follow from behind, grid-based movement), Semi-automated jumping (game jumps for you and you're stuck to the grid))/Cover Shooter/Rail Shooter Hybrid w/ a minor Stealth element - can't be in line of sight of the hovering eye while jumping)
-Polygonal 3D graphics w/ pretty smooth gameplay (real-time rendered, flat shaded)
-Hybrid gameplay (see above, first TPS?)
-Multiple camera angles (press start to switch)
-Warps (sometimes a bit hidden, they let you warp up to the level you managed to get to on your previous attempt as well as backwards if you want to)
-Drawing/doodling mode
-Auto-fire
-Some gameplay tips during gameplay that don't pause gameplay. Other gameplay tips in-between deaths and prior to playing - can't skip the ones after dying however
-Good variety for the time
-Some nice visual effects (death effects with their trails of cloned models)
-Gain more points from shooting enemies while close to them (risk/reward mechanic)
-Some interesting enemies (the razorblade, tankers - avoid shooting them or they home in on you quickly, homing balls, the sharks)
-Some breakable walls - Castle Wolfenstein, Aztec
-Good variety until level 10 or so
-Sometimes trippy visual effects
-Decent flying head bosses
-Letter collectibles (for points only)
Pac-Land (ARC, 1984)/PCE (1989) - Scrolling Platformer w/ some Maze/Exploration-based levels;
-Momentum-based physics (Mario Bros.) - double-tap to run here
-Moving platforms and springs/trampolines
-Hover jumps (mash both the jump and movement buttons after bouncing off of a spring to go further) - Bomb Jack?, Later seen in Wonder Boy in Monster Land
-Flight boots (mash to fly) power up
-Can walk backwards (unlike in SMB1)
-Re-uses the mechanic where you can eat ghosts after powering up in a platformer context
-Makes you go through levels both ways (after getting to the end of a level you are supposed to backtrack to the beginning with the flight boots)
-Minor switch puzzles
-Can push some objects to find hidden items
-Can use some enemies as platforms (hop 'n bop gameplay)
-Parallax scrolling and foreground trees (in one of the Maze segments there's a foreground wall and limited field of view as you walk behind it)
-Flashlight/lantern view in some parts (limited vision inside the castles and some dark areas)
-Armor (helmet - protects against baby ghosts) and invincibility power ups
-Some locked doors and keys - Pharaoh's Curse, Spelunker (1983)
-Temporary invincibility (power pellets; Pac-Man) - can also find invisibility if you push the right log which works the same except you won't kill the ghosts you run into
-Level select screen
Marble Madness (ARC, 1984/MD etc., ) - Isometric 2-player vs. Racing/Ball Labyrinth
-Pretty impressive ball physics for the time
-Jumping via slopes
-First FM synth-based chiptune soundtrack in a game, the first chiptune-based game soundtrack in stereo and, arguably, the first ambient track in a chiptune-based game soundtrack (Level 1))
Punch-Out!! (ARC, 1984) - Third Person/Behind the Avatar View Boxing;
-Stamina/life meter (AD&D: Cloudy Mountain, Flash Boy)
-Regenerating health/stamina
-Unique bosses/opponents for every match (six in total)
-Large and detailed sprites
-Knockback/stun when hitting enemies and when the player avatar gets hit
-KO potential meter - need to avoid hooks and uppercuts, avoid enemy hits, and try to land several hits in a row for this meter to fill up. When it's full a knockout will be possible
Lode Runner (C64/AII, 1983/ARC, 1984) - Action Platformer/Trapping, Single Screen (some ports had scrolling due to the systems not being able to show the whole levels)
-Destructible floor tiles (trap enemies to kill them)
-Pretty impressive enemy AI for the time
Pitfall II: Lost Caverns (PCs/ARC, 1984) - Maze Platformer/Platform Adventure?
-Swimming
-Balloon flight segments
-Checkpoints
-Vertical scrolling (Elevator Action)
ARC ver. (by Sega):
-Cutesy look
-More linear levels?
-Plays a bit faster
-Mixes Pitfall 1 & 2 elements
-New hazards
-Fewer levels
The Tower of Druaga (ARC, 1984/NES, 1985/MSX, 1986/GB, 1990) - Maze Action w/ some AA/ARPG elements (level-based, no exp point leveling), TD View, Time limits
-Block magic attacks with the shield and put out fire magic (sorcerer enemies) with the sword
-Random starting locations
-Hidden treasure
-Some tool/ability gating (pickaxes to break some blocks - these deteriorate quickly until you get the golden one, jet boots for faster movement - required, green ring and red ring each let you pass through a certain enemy, pearl stops dragons from moving, ), Chime/bell, candles and books are detection/visibility items
-Need to find a magic rod during the game to make the final boss appear (if you don't you are teleported to a previous floor/level)
-Druid/druid ghosts/blue slime enemies can break walls
-Can choose to sheathe or draw your sword and one enemy type can't kill you if it's not drawn (ropers)
-Bump into enemies-style combat (a similar system was used later in the Ys games)
-Temporary life bar increasing items, some permanent AP increasing and protection gear
Karate Champ (ARC, 1984) - Fighting (Kung Fu-based?), 2-player vs in the updated ver. from the same year
-Double joystick controls
-Three bonus levels (one is similar to IK)
-Blocking - Black Belt (1984)
-Proto-canceling (doesn't let you perform another move quickly afterwards)
-Points system (depending on the attack and how clean it hits the player receives a full or half point)
-Pretty fast gameplay
Kung-Fu Master/Kung Fu/Spartan X (ARC, 1984/NES, 1985) - Beat 'em up, Side View (gameplay, tilted view backgrounds)
-High/mid/low attacks
-Features a unique boss in each level (five levels) and some can block your attacks. They also have health bars
-Jump kicks
-Can decapitate one boss
-Some child enemies
Great Swordsman (ARC, 1984) - Sports Fighting (Fencing, Kendo, Gladiator-style);
Tube Panic (ARC, 1984) - Rail Shooter; Pretty smooth scaling and rotation (background and some sprites)
Hat Trick (ARC, 1984) - Hockey; 2-player vs., 1 on 1, mechanical goalies
Bank Panic (ARC, 1984) - Light Gun Shooter; scrolls left and right, civilians
Roc 'n Rope (ARC, 1983) - Hookshot mechanic,
Bomb Jack (ARC, 1984) - Single Screen Platformer, Collectathon/Avoid The Enemies
-Glide jumps (mash the button)
Flicky (ARC, 1984/MD, ) - Platformer, Collectathon/Rescue Mission, Side view, Bird avatar
-Scrolls left and right and the levels loop (Defender)
-Object interaction (push and throw items)
-Collected birds follow your avatar in a line (similar to JRPGs later on)
-Pushed items cause knockback to enemies
SonSon (ARC, 1984) - Run 'n Gun/Auto-Scrolling Platformer
1942 (ARC, 1984) - Vertical Shoot 'em up
-Dodge roll/loop move
-Military theme (SOS, 1979)
-Two different kinds of bosses (not very interesting fights though)
Ice Climber/Vs Ice Climber (ARC, 1984/NES, 1985) - Vertically scrolling Action Platformer, Side View, 2-player co-op
-Level select screen
-Destructible blocks
-Moving platforms
Star Force (ARC, 1984) - ? V-Shooter
Return of the Jedi (ARC, 1984) - Zaxxon-like, Isometric
Spatter (ARC, 1984) - Maze/Racing Hybrid, TD view
-Dodge move
-Push blocks into enemies
-Cutesy visual style
Bullfight (ARC, 1984) - TD View Action/Bullfighting Sim, Single Screen; Luring mechanic, strafing
Gaplus/Galaga 3 (ARC, 1984) - Single Screen Shoot 'em up
-Take over enemies with a special beam and make them fight for you (they attach to the sides of your ship)
Speed Coin (ARC, 1984) - Rolling Platformer, Side view, Coin/ball avatar
-Basic physics (seesaw platforms)
Time Pilot '84 (ARC, 1984) - Free-Roaming Shooter, TD view
-Homing missiles (lock-on feature) - Spy Hunter (Defender as an enemy)
Ben Bero Beh (ARC, 1984) - Platformer/Firefighting Sim
Kamikaze Cabbie (ARC, 1984) - Maze Action/Taxi Driver Sim, TD view
-Crashing into other vehicles is encouraged
-Fuel mechanic - Scramble, Gravitar, Major Havoc
I, Robot (ARC, 1984) - Third Person Shooter (Semi-fixed camera and movement (can't turn and have the camera follow from behind, grid-based movement), Semi-automated jumping (game jumps for you and you're stuck to the grid))/Cover Shooter/Rail Shooter Hybrid w/ a minor Stealth element - can't be in line of sight of the hovering eye while jumping)
-Polygonal 3D graphics w/ pretty smooth gameplay (real-time rendered, flat shaded)
-Hybrid gameplay (see above, first TPS?)
-Multiple camera angles (press start to switch)
-Warps (sometimes a bit hidden, they let you warp up to the level you managed to get to on your previous attempt as well as backwards if you want to)
-Drawing/doodling mode
-Auto-fire
-Some gameplay tips during gameplay that don't pause gameplay. Other gameplay tips in-between deaths and prior to playing - can't skip the ones after dying however
-Good variety for the time
-Some nice visual effects (death effects with their trails of cloned models)
-Gain more points from shooting enemies while close to them (risk/reward mechanic)
-Some interesting enemies (the razorblade, tankers - avoid shooting them or they home in on you quickly, homing balls, the sharks)
-Some breakable walls - Castle Wolfenstein, Aztec
-Good variety until level 10 or so
-Sometimes trippy visual effects
-Decent flying head bosses
-Letter collectibles (for points only)
Pac-Land (ARC, 1984)/PCE (1989) - Scrolling Platformer w/ some Maze/Exploration-based levels;
-Momentum-based physics (Mario Bros.) - double-tap to run here
-Moving platforms and springs/trampolines
-Hover jumps (mash both the jump and movement buttons after bouncing off of a spring to go further) - Bomb Jack?, Later seen in Wonder Boy in Monster Land
-Flight boots (mash to fly) power up
-Can walk backwards (unlike in SMB1)
-Re-uses the mechanic where you can eat ghosts after powering up in a platformer context
-Makes you go through levels both ways (after getting to the end of a level you are supposed to backtrack to the beginning with the flight boots)
-Minor switch puzzles
-Can push some objects to find hidden items
-Can use some enemies as platforms (hop 'n bop gameplay)
-Parallax scrolling and foreground trees (in one of the Maze segments there's a foreground wall and limited field of view as you walk behind it)
-Flashlight/lantern view in some parts (limited vision inside the castles and some dark areas)
-Armor (helmet - protects against baby ghosts) and invincibility power ups
-Some locked doors and keys - Pharaoh's Curse, Spelunker (1983)
-Temporary invincibility (power pellets; Pac-Man) - can also find invisibility if you push the right log which works the same except you won't kill the ghosts you run into
-Level select screen
Marble Madness (ARC, 1984/MD etc., ) - Isometric 2-player vs. Racing/Ball Labyrinth
-Pretty impressive ball physics for the time
-Jumping via slopes
-First FM synth-based chiptune soundtrack in a game, the first chiptune-based game soundtrack in stereo and, arguably, the first ambient track in a chiptune-based game soundtrack (Level 1))
Punch-Out!! (ARC, 1984) - Third Person/Behind the Avatar View Boxing;
-Stamina/life meter (AD&D: Cloudy Mountain, Flash Boy)
-Regenerating health/stamina
-Unique bosses/opponents for every match (six in total)
-Large and detailed sprites
-Knockback/stun when hitting enemies and when the player avatar gets hit
-KO potential meter - need to avoid hooks and uppercuts, avoid enemy hits, and try to land several hits in a row for this meter to fill up. When it's full a knockout will be possible
Lode Runner (C64/AII, 1983/ARC, 1984) - Action Platformer/Trapping, Single Screen (some ports had scrolling due to the systems not being able to show the whole levels)
-Destructible floor tiles (trap enemies to kill them)
-Pretty impressive enemy AI for the time
Pitfall II: Lost Caverns (PCs/ARC, 1984) - Maze Platformer/Platform Adventure?
-Swimming
-Balloon flight segments
-Checkpoints
-Vertical scrolling (Elevator Action)
ARC ver. (by Sega):
-Cutesy look
-More linear levels?
-Plays a bit faster
-Mixes Pitfall 1 & 2 elements
-New hazards
-Fewer levels
The Tower of Druaga (ARC, 1984/NES, 1985/MSX, 1986/GB, 1990) - Maze Action w/ some AA/ARPG elements (level-based, no exp point leveling), TD View, Time limits
-Block magic attacks with the shield and put out fire magic (sorcerer enemies) with the sword
-Random starting locations
-Hidden treasure
-Some tool/ability gating (pickaxes to break some blocks - these deteriorate quickly until you get the golden one, jet boots for faster movement - required, green ring and red ring each let you pass through a certain enemy, pearl stops dragons from moving, ), Chime/bell, candles and books are detection/visibility items
-Need to find a magic rod during the game to make the final boss appear (if you don't you are teleported to a previous floor/level)
-Druid/druid ghosts/blue slime enemies can break walls
-Can choose to sheathe or draw your sword and one enemy type can't kill you if it's not drawn (ropers)
-Bump into enemies-style combat (a similar system was used later in the Ys games)
-Temporary life bar increasing items, some permanent AP increasing and protection gear
Karate Champ (ARC, 1984) - Fighting (Kung Fu-based?), 2-player vs in the updated ver. from the same year
-Double joystick controls
-Three bonus levels (one is similar to IK)
-Blocking - Black Belt (1984)
-Proto-canceling (doesn't let you perform another move quickly afterwards)
-Points system (depending on the attack and how clean it hits the player receives a full or half point)
-Pretty fast gameplay
Kung-Fu Master/Kung Fu/Spartan X (ARC, 1984/NES, 1985) - Beat 'em up, Side View (gameplay, tilted view backgrounds)
-High/mid/low attacks
-Features a unique boss in each level (five levels) and some can block your attacks. They also have health bars
-Jump kicks
-Can decapitate one boss
-Some child enemies
Great Swordsman (ARC, 1984) - Sports Fighting (Fencing, Kendo, Gladiator-style);
Tube Panic (ARC, 1984) - Rail Shooter; Pretty smooth scaling and rotation (background and some sprites)
Hat Trick (ARC, 1984) - Hockey; 2-player vs., 1 on 1, mechanical goalies
Bank Panic (ARC, 1984) - Light Gun Shooter; scrolls left and right, civilians
Roc 'n Rope (ARC, 1983) - Hookshot mechanic,
Bomb Jack (ARC, 1984) - Single Screen Platformer, Collectathon/Avoid The Enemies
-Glide jumps (mash the button)
Flicky (ARC, 1984/MD, ) - Platformer, Collectathon/Rescue Mission, Side view, Bird avatar
-Scrolls left and right and the levels loop (Defender)
-Object interaction (push and throw items)
-Collected birds follow your avatar in a line (similar to JRPGs later on)
-Pushed items cause knockback to enemies
SonSon (ARC, 1984) - Run 'n Gun/Auto-Scrolling Platformer
1942 (ARC, 1984) - Vertical Shoot 'em up
-Dodge roll/loop move
-Military theme (SOS, 1979)
-Two different kinds of bosses (not very interesting fights though)
Ice Climber/Vs Ice Climber (ARC, 1984/NES, 1985) - Vertically scrolling Action Platformer, Side View, 2-player co-op
-Level select screen
-Destructible blocks
-Moving platforms
Star Force (ARC, 1984) - ? V-Shooter
Return of the Jedi (ARC, 1984) - Zaxxon-like, Isometric
Spatter (ARC, 1984) - Maze/Racing Hybrid, TD view
-Dodge move
-Push blocks into enemies
-Cutesy visual style
Bullfight (ARC, 1984) - TD View Action/Bullfighting Sim, Single Screen; Luring mechanic, strafing
Gaplus/Galaga 3 (ARC, 1984) - Single Screen Shoot 'em up
-Take over enemies with a special beam and make them fight for you (they attach to the sides of your ship)
Speed Coin (ARC, 1984) - Rolling Platformer, Side view, Coin/ball avatar
-Basic physics (seesaw platforms)
Time Pilot '84 (ARC, 1984) - Free-Roaming Shooter, TD view
-Homing missiles (lock-on feature) - Spy Hunter (Defender as an enemy)
Ben Bero Beh (ARC, 1984) - Platformer/Firefighting Sim
Kamikaze Cabbie (ARC, 1984) - Maze Action/Taxi Driver Sim, TD view
-Crashing into other vehicles is encouraged
-Fuel mechanic - Scramble, Gravitar, Major Havoc
1985:
Dragon Buster (ARC, 1985/NES, 1987) - Proto-Platform Adventure/Maze Platformer;
-New moves (double jump, downstab, run move)
-Hub map/level select feature
-Lifebar/Health bar (AD&D: Cloudy Mountain, Punch-Out!, Flash Boy)
-Alternate paths
-Mini-bosses
-Alternate attacks (spells)
-Life bar, Sword and shield upgrades
-Alternate endings (minor changes)
-Spell inventory
Spelunker (ARC/Multi, 1985) - Maze Platformer/Action Platformer;
-Climbing (ropes), can also cling to platform edges and climb up
-Hidden paths
-Oxygen management (Major Havoc)
-Moving and disappearing platforms
-Bomb walls (only a few (easily spotted) walls/boulders are bombable though)
-No fall damage in this version (instead you just get stunned for half a sec)
-Locked doors and keys
-Elevators
-Can destroy some enemy projectiles
-Depth display (meters, no gameplay effect?)
Space Harrier (ARC, 1985) - Rail Shooter w/ Flying Human Avatar;
-Pretty smooth scaling
-Ride a dragon in bonus levels
-Large bosses
-Pretty impressive FM (YM2203 FM+PSG & SegaPCM samples) music
-15 unique bosses (two of which are variations on a previous boss) in 18 levels
-(Partial) boss rush - 7 bosses after the last one
Hang-On (ARC, 1985/SMS, ) - Motorbike Racing against the clock
-Gear shifting (no auto option though)
-Passed bikes don't despawn immediately
-Basic day/night cycle
Gauntlet (Multi, 1985) - 4-player Co-Op Maze Action w/ ARPG elements (2-player on most consoles, 4 different chars w/ different starting stats - each player is assigned a specific character according to which controls they use on the cabinet), Top Down View, Non-linear?
-Diagonal attacks (can move and attack in 8 directions)
-Fantasy theme
-Voiced hints
-Basic hunger mechanic (draining HP) - Survival Island
-100 levels (then they start rotating, no ending)
-Stat upgrade potions (6 stats - HP, long range AP and speed, short range AP, armor, speed, magic attack/smart bomb power; found in treasure rooms) - these last until you use a credit or they're stolen by thief enemies (you are warned by a sound queue when a thief enters a level)
-Need keys to open doors (open on their own after some time has passed)
-Enemy spawners/generators (later used in Soul Blazer and Diablo, Mario Bros.?)
-Smart bombs (magic potions; Defender)
-Limited item inventory (smart bombs and keys share space)
-Walls become exits after spending 180 seconds in a level
-A ranking system is in place (in later versions) which diminishes the amount of food that appears as you score more and more points
-Gold is for points only
-Various differences on NES
-Rate of fire is faster the closer you are to your target
Gradius (ARC, 1985/NES, 1986) - Horizontal Shoot 'em up
-Upgrade system (pick from a table, each power up moves the selection to the right eventually looping to the first slot)
-Each level has a unique boss but one (most include a variation of a previous one though, 7 levels)
-Gun drones/multiples
-Rate of fire is faster the closer you are to your target
Paperboy (ARC, 1985/NES, 1988/SMS, 1990/MD, 1992) - Isometric Biking/Delivery Sim
-Obstacle course segments with jumps after each level
-Modern day setting
Choplifter (PCs, 1982/ARC, 1985/SMS, 1986) - Defender variation w/ Rescue missions, 2.5D elements
Metro Cross/Metro-Cross (ARC, 1985) - Auto-scrolling Platformer, Tilted View
-Avoid hazards
-Skateboard power up
-Spring platforms which also boost your speed
-Tiles that slow you down
-Basic map/progress bar in the HUD (similar to the mini-map in Defender)
Ghosts 'n Goblins (ARC, 1985/NES, 1986) - Action Platformer
-Fairly early horror themed game (Monster Bash)
-Unlimited continues
-Semi-random enemy spawning points
-7 unique boss fights (one for each level) although three of them are variations on a previous one
-(Minor) hit stun on enemies
Boulder Dash (PCs, 1984/ARC, 1985/NES, 1990) - Puzzle/Maze/Trapping
-Block pushing with gravity (similar to Dig Dug which had blocks with gravity but you couldn't push them)
-Side view but the player char doesn't fall down pits (Dig Dug)
-Duplicating enemy which needs to be trapped to be defeated
Buggy Boy/Speed Buggy (ARC, 1985/C64, 1987/AMI, 1988) - Platforming/Driving
-Can drive on two wheels
-Jumps via logs
-Bridges (Spy Hunter)
-Three screens wide panoramic view ver. (TX-1 1983)
Galivan: Cosmo Police (ARC, 1985) - Maze Platformer
-Open-ended levels
-Robot suit upgrade
-Diagonal fire
-Slopes
-Fairly impressive FM music for the time (OPL/YM3526)
Ninja Princess/Sega Ninja (ARC, 1985) - TD Run 'n Gun/Collectathon w/ some Auto-Scrolling/Shoot 'em up levels
-Medieval Japan theme
-Female protagonist - one of the first in a shooter and shoot 'em up along with Cauldron (C64)
-Dodge move (disappear temporarily)
-Can destroy some enemy projectiles
-Basic ranking system - measures your hit ratio and gives bonus point fro 100%+ (can hit more than one enemy with one shot with the shuriken)
-8-way aiming - Western Gun/Gun Fight (1975), Venture, Regulus
Typhoon Gal (ARC, 1985) - Fighting/Beat 'em up Hybrid, Tilted view
-Oddly the levels play like a side view beat 'em up (can't move sideways) while the boss fights are 1 on 1 and do let you move sideways
-Female protagonist
-Throws
Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom (ARC, 1985) - Maze Action w/ Minecart segments, Tilted top down view/isometric, Rescue mission (imprisoned children)
-Can destroy some enemy projectiles with your whip
-Smart bomb power up (triggers when touched)
-Some creative level gimmicks (conveyor belts, slides, )
-Hit stun on enemies when hitting them with the whip
Road Avenger (ARC, 1985/MCD/ ) - FMV Action/QTE
Time Gal (ARC, 1985/MCD, ) - FMV Action/QTE
Commando (NES/ARC/C64, 1985) - TD View Run 'n Gun, 2-Player co-op
-Throw grenades over some obstacles (Front Line)
-Military theme - SOS (ARC, 1979)
Teddy Boy (ARC, 1985/SMS, ) - Maze/Action
-Vertical and horizontal looping levels (similar to Defender)
Gun.Smoke (ARC, 1985) - Humanoid-based V-Shooter
-Horse riding
-Strafing (no turning)
3-way aiming
-Bosses are assisted by minions
-10 different bosses
I'm Sorry (ARC, 1985) - Maze Action/Beat 'em up/Collectathon
-Parody theme (JP politics)
-Features S&M as a loss animation
Rush'n Attack (ARC, 1985/NES, ) - Side View Beat 'em up/Action Platformer/Run 'n Gun, 2-player co-op
-Sub weapon
-In-game cutscenes
-Military theme - SOS (ARC, 1979)
TwinBee (ARC, 1985/NES, 1986) - V-Shooter, 2-player co-op
-Bell mechanic (shoot to change its power up, cycles?)
-Cutesy
-Each level has a unique boss (5 in total, after that the game loops)
The Legend of Kage (ARC, 1985) - Action Platformer
Each level features a unique boss (3 in total)
-Mini-bosses
-Moon jumps/super jumps/high jumps
-Right to left scrolling
-FM music (Marble Madness)
Shoot Out/Shootout (ARC, 1985) - Gallery Shooter/TPS (fixed movement, single screen)
First gallery shooter with an on-screen player avatar?
-Dodge/roll move
-Civilian targets/innocent bystanders (penalty for shooting them?)
-Objects to shoot for hidden point bonuses (the game tells you about some of them)
-Partially destructible environment (Samurai, Pengo, Mr. Do's Castle, Lode Runner)
-Five-way aiming but no crosshair (see Cabal)
Baraduke (ARC, 1985) - ? Flight Action, Side view
-Female protagonist
-Beat the final boss by going into its mouth and killing it from the inside (later used in Metroid 2)
Star Luster (ARC/NES, 1985/X68K, 1994) - ? Space Combat Sim, FP View
-Regenerating health
Shanghai Kid (ARC, 1985) - Fighting
-Early game in the genre
-High, mid and low attacks
-One of the first games with combo attacks
Heavy Metal (ARC, 1985) - Regulus-like shoot 'em up/run 'n gun, Tank avatar, Top down view
-Can move and shoot in 8 directions
-Enemy radar and long distance attacks (lob missiles across the level, the radar detects missile bases which can fire the same kind of missiles towards the player)
Yie Ar Kung-Fu (ARC, 1985) - Vs. Fighting, Side View, 1-player only
-Hits stun the opponent - Punch-Out, Karate Champ although opponents are taken out when you achieve it here
-Directional (high, mid, low) attacks
-Armed opponents using a variety of weapons
-One opponent can block your attacks with a shield - Punch-Out
Shao-lin's Road/Kicker (ARC, 1985) - Beat 'em up, Side view
-The player avatar gets knocked back with some invincibility time when hit - Punch-Out has the former
-Fireball power up
-Limited invincibility power up
Metal Clash (ARC, 1985) - Flight-based Beat 'em up/Arena Fighting
-Weapons
-Early mech game
Dragon Buster (ARC, 1985/NES, 1987) - Proto-Platform Adventure/Maze Platformer;
-New moves (double jump, downstab, run move)
-Hub map/level select feature
-Lifebar/Health bar (AD&D: Cloudy Mountain, Punch-Out!, Flash Boy)
-Alternate paths
-Mini-bosses
-Alternate attacks (spells)
-Life bar, Sword and shield upgrades
-Alternate endings (minor changes)
-Spell inventory
Spelunker (ARC/Multi, 1985) - Maze Platformer/Action Platformer;
-Climbing (ropes), can also cling to platform edges and climb up
-Hidden paths
-Oxygen management (Major Havoc)
-Moving and disappearing platforms
-Bomb walls (only a few (easily spotted) walls/boulders are bombable though)
-No fall damage in this version (instead you just get stunned for half a sec)
-Locked doors and keys
-Elevators
-Can destroy some enemy projectiles
-Depth display (meters, no gameplay effect?)
Space Harrier (ARC, 1985) - Rail Shooter w/ Flying Human Avatar;
-Pretty smooth scaling
-Ride a dragon in bonus levels
-Large bosses
-Pretty impressive FM (YM2203 FM+PSG & SegaPCM samples) music
-15 unique bosses (two of which are variations on a previous boss) in 18 levels
-(Partial) boss rush - 7 bosses after the last one
Hang-On (ARC, 1985/SMS, ) - Motorbike Racing against the clock
-Gear shifting (no auto option though)
-Passed bikes don't despawn immediately
-Basic day/night cycle
Gauntlet (Multi, 1985) - 4-player Co-Op Maze Action w/ ARPG elements (2-player on most consoles, 4 different chars w/ different starting stats - each player is assigned a specific character according to which controls they use on the cabinet), Top Down View, Non-linear?
-Diagonal attacks (can move and attack in 8 directions)
-Fantasy theme
-Voiced hints
-Basic hunger mechanic (draining HP) - Survival Island
-100 levels (then they start rotating, no ending)
-Stat upgrade potions (6 stats - HP, long range AP and speed, short range AP, armor, speed, magic attack/smart bomb power; found in treasure rooms) - these last until you use a credit or they're stolen by thief enemies (you are warned by a sound queue when a thief enters a level)
-Need keys to open doors (open on their own after some time has passed)
-Enemy spawners/generators (later used in Soul Blazer and Diablo, Mario Bros.?)
-Smart bombs (magic potions; Defender)
-Limited item inventory (smart bombs and keys share space)
-Walls become exits after spending 180 seconds in a level
-A ranking system is in place (in later versions) which diminishes the amount of food that appears as you score more and more points
-Gold is for points only
-Various differences on NES
-Rate of fire is faster the closer you are to your target
Gradius (ARC, 1985/NES, 1986) - Horizontal Shoot 'em up
-Upgrade system (pick from a table, each power up moves the selection to the right eventually looping to the first slot)
-Each level has a unique boss but one (most include a variation of a previous one though, 7 levels)
-Gun drones/multiples
-Rate of fire is faster the closer you are to your target
Paperboy (ARC, 1985/NES, 1988/SMS, 1990/MD, 1992) - Isometric Biking/Delivery Sim
-Obstacle course segments with jumps after each level
-Modern day setting
Choplifter (PCs, 1982/ARC, 1985/SMS, 1986) - Defender variation w/ Rescue missions, 2.5D elements
Metro Cross/Metro-Cross (ARC, 1985) - Auto-scrolling Platformer, Tilted View
-Avoid hazards
-Skateboard power up
-Spring platforms which also boost your speed
-Tiles that slow you down
-Basic map/progress bar in the HUD (similar to the mini-map in Defender)
Ghosts 'n Goblins (ARC, 1985/NES, 1986) - Action Platformer
-Fairly early horror themed game (Monster Bash)
-Unlimited continues
-Semi-random enemy spawning points
-7 unique boss fights (one for each level) although three of them are variations on a previous one
-(Minor) hit stun on enemies
Boulder Dash (PCs, 1984/ARC, 1985/NES, 1990) - Puzzle/Maze/Trapping
-Block pushing with gravity (similar to Dig Dug which had blocks with gravity but you couldn't push them)
-Side view but the player char doesn't fall down pits (Dig Dug)
-Duplicating enemy which needs to be trapped to be defeated
Buggy Boy/Speed Buggy (ARC, 1985/C64, 1987/AMI, 1988) - Platforming/Driving
-Can drive on two wheels
-Jumps via logs
-Bridges (Spy Hunter)
-Three screens wide panoramic view ver. (TX-1 1983)
Galivan: Cosmo Police (ARC, 1985) - Maze Platformer
-Open-ended levels
-Robot suit upgrade
-Diagonal fire
-Slopes
-Fairly impressive FM music for the time (OPL/YM3526)
Ninja Princess/Sega Ninja (ARC, 1985) - TD Run 'n Gun/Collectathon w/ some Auto-Scrolling/Shoot 'em up levels
-Medieval Japan theme
-Female protagonist - one of the first in a shooter and shoot 'em up along with Cauldron (C64)
-Dodge move (disappear temporarily)
-Can destroy some enemy projectiles
-Basic ranking system - measures your hit ratio and gives bonus point fro 100%+ (can hit more than one enemy with one shot with the shuriken)
-8-way aiming - Western Gun/Gun Fight (1975), Venture, Regulus
Typhoon Gal (ARC, 1985) - Fighting/Beat 'em up Hybrid, Tilted view
-Oddly the levels play like a side view beat 'em up (can't move sideways) while the boss fights are 1 on 1 and do let you move sideways
-Female protagonist
-Throws
Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom (ARC, 1985) - Maze Action w/ Minecart segments, Tilted top down view/isometric, Rescue mission (imprisoned children)
-Can destroy some enemy projectiles with your whip
-Smart bomb power up (triggers when touched)
-Some creative level gimmicks (conveyor belts, slides, )
-Hit stun on enemies when hitting them with the whip
Road Avenger (ARC, 1985/MCD/ ) - FMV Action/QTE
Time Gal (ARC, 1985/MCD, ) - FMV Action/QTE
Commando (NES/ARC/C64, 1985) - TD View Run 'n Gun, 2-Player co-op
-Throw grenades over some obstacles (Front Line)
-Military theme - SOS (ARC, 1979)
Teddy Boy (ARC, 1985/SMS, ) - Maze/Action
-Vertical and horizontal looping levels (similar to Defender)
Gun.Smoke (ARC, 1985) - Humanoid-based V-Shooter
-Horse riding
-Strafing (no turning)
3-way aiming
-Bosses are assisted by minions
-10 different bosses
I'm Sorry (ARC, 1985) - Maze Action/Beat 'em up/Collectathon
-Parody theme (JP politics)
-Features S&M as a loss animation
Rush'n Attack (ARC, 1985/NES, ) - Side View Beat 'em up/Action Platformer/Run 'n Gun, 2-player co-op
-Sub weapon
-In-game cutscenes
-Military theme - SOS (ARC, 1979)
TwinBee (ARC, 1985/NES, 1986) - V-Shooter, 2-player co-op
-Bell mechanic (shoot to change its power up, cycles?)
-Cutesy
-Each level has a unique boss (5 in total, after that the game loops)
The Legend of Kage (ARC, 1985) - Action Platformer
Each level features a unique boss (3 in total)
-Mini-bosses
-Moon jumps/super jumps/high jumps
-Right to left scrolling
-FM music (Marble Madness)
Shoot Out/Shootout (ARC, 1985) - Gallery Shooter/TPS (fixed movement, single screen)
First gallery shooter with an on-screen player avatar?
-Dodge/roll move
-Civilian targets/innocent bystanders (penalty for shooting them?)
-Objects to shoot for hidden point bonuses (the game tells you about some of them)
-Partially destructible environment (Samurai, Pengo, Mr. Do's Castle, Lode Runner)
-Five-way aiming but no crosshair (see Cabal)
Baraduke (ARC, 1985) - ? Flight Action, Side view
-Female protagonist
-Beat the final boss by going into its mouth and killing it from the inside (later used in Metroid 2)
Star Luster (ARC/NES, 1985/X68K, 1994) - ? Space Combat Sim, FP View
-Regenerating health
Shanghai Kid (ARC, 1985) - Fighting
-Early game in the genre
-High, mid and low attacks
-One of the first games with combo attacks
Heavy Metal (ARC, 1985) - Regulus-like shoot 'em up/run 'n gun, Tank avatar, Top down view
-Can move and shoot in 8 directions
-Enemy radar and long distance attacks (lob missiles across the level, the radar detects missile bases which can fire the same kind of missiles towards the player)
Yie Ar Kung-Fu (ARC, 1985) - Vs. Fighting, Side View, 1-player only
-Hits stun the opponent - Punch-Out, Karate Champ although opponents are taken out when you achieve it here
-Directional (high, mid, low) attacks
-Armed opponents using a variety of weapons
-One opponent can block your attacks with a shield - Punch-Out
Shao-lin's Road/Kicker (ARC, 1985) - Beat 'em up, Side view
-The player avatar gets knocked back with some invincibility time when hit - Punch-Out has the former
-Fireball power up
-Limited invincibility power up
Metal Clash (ARC, 1985) - Flight-based Beat 'em up/Arena Fighting
-Weapons
-Early mech game
1986:
Renegade/Nekketsu Kouha Kunio-kun (ARC, 1986/NES/CPC, 1987/SMS, 1993) - First tilted view Beat 'em up (Typhoon Gal is a Fighting hybrid)
-Grabs and throws (can knee grabbed enemies, can also be grabbed from behind and then either kick forwards or shake them off by waggling the d-pad/joystick)
-Running attacks (knocks down multiple enemies)
-Back attacks (kicks)
-Jump kicks
-Scrolling pauses
-Throw enemies into water and pits
-Mount and hit knocked down enemies
-The Warriors-inspired aesthetics in the west (originally had a rival JP school gangs theme)
-Bike riding segment (SMS & NES only?)
-8-way movement
-Bounce and attack off of walls - later used in TMNT
Solomon's Key (ARC, 1986/NES, 1987/SMS, 1988) - SS Puzzle Platformer
-Destroy and create blocks mechanic
-Hidden levels
-Sub weapon (spell)
-Hit power ups to change them?
OutRun (ARC, 1986/SMS/PCE/MD, ) - Driving/Race against the clock;
-Alternate paths
-Slopes
-Radio feature (select background music before beginning)
-Stone arcs in the background
-Shows your selected route on a map screen after finishing
Xain'd Sleena/Solar warrior (ARC, 1986) - Run 'n Gun/Horizontal Shooter hybrid (second part of each level)
-Choose your own path (level select screen/hub map)
-Double jump (can only do it as you're moving upwards though)
-Move while shooting
-Mini-bosses on some planets
-Scrolls both horizontally and vertically
-Some large sprites
-Difficulty options
-Escape sequence in the final level
Rampage (ARC, 1986) - Action Platformer/Arena Combat, Single screen, 3-player vs., Side view
-Monster attack theme (see the Godzilla or King Kong movies for example)
-Destructible environment focus (buildings are destroyed one tile at a time and eventually crumble and fall down) - an element in Samurai, Pengo, Mr. Do's Castle, Lode Runner and Shoot Out
-Wall climbing
-Some friendly NPCs can be rescued for points (each monster has a preference for a certain NPC and can only rescue that one)
Bubble Bobble (ARC, 1986/C64, 1987/AMI, 1988/NES/SMS)- 2-player Co-op Action Platformer/Collectathon
-Ghost appears after some time
-Use enemies as platforms mechanic
-Large bosses
-Unlock items by collecting letters to a word
-Some interesting items (attack upgrades (bubble speed, rate of fire and range), warp/level skip items, flood and lightning attacks, smart bomb, speed+jump further+fall faster shoes, stop watch, comet rain that makes enemies more aggressive, lightning bubbles - a lightning projectile shoot out when it bursts, water bubbles - causes a flood when it bursts, fire bubbles - releases a falling fireball that covers the floor in fire when it lands)
-Many levels
Quartet (ARC, 1986/SMS, ) - 4-player Co-op, Run 'n Gun/Maze Platformer
-Flight power up
Wonder Boy (ARC, 1986/SMS, 1987) - Action Platformer
-Ranged attack
-Hunger/draining HP mechanic
-Pop-up food items (Pac-Land)
-Skateboard power up
-Hidden dolls unlock last world
Rolling Thunder (ARC, 1986/NES, 1989) - Cover Shooter/Action Platformer
-Spy movie theme (Spy Hunter)
-Jump through platforms/floors from below (variation on Popeye)
-Limited ammo
Fantasy Zone (ARC, 1986/SMS/PCE, ) - Defender-like (horizontally looping levels), Side View
-Shops
-Several alternate weapons
-Each level has a unique boss
-Impressive FM (YM2151) music for the time
-One of the first games with a boss rush before the final boss
-Two bosses with multiple phases (moon and snowman)
Jackal (ARC, 1986/NES, 1988) - 2-player Co-op Vehicle-Based Run 'n Gun, Choplifter elements
-One continuous level
-Strafing (Bullfight, Gun.Smoke)
-Sub weapon
-Military theme - SOS (ARC, 1979)
Life Force (ARC, 1986/NES, - different) - 2-player Co-op H-Shooter
-Biological theme (travel through a monster - not fully realized though)
-Different upgrade trees for the two ships
-Plenty of voice samples
Enduro Racer (ARC, 1986) - Race against the clock
-Jumps via ramps
Rush & Crash/Speed Rumbler (ARC, 1986) - Jackal variation w/ some auto-scrolling segments, 1-player
-Knock over barrels
-First game with exploding barrels that affect surrounding objects/enemies?
-On foot and in jeep gameplay
Ikari Warriors II: Victory Road (ARC, 1986) - 2-player co-op TD Run 'n Gun
-Strafing (ARC only; Bullfight, Gun.Smoke)
-Military/sci-fi theme
-Tanks?
Legendary Wings (ARC, 1986/NES, 1988) - Vertical Scrolling Shoot 'em up, 2-player Co-op
-Cave entries
-Fantasy/greek mythology theme
Salamander/US Life Force (ARC, 1986) - 2-player Co-op
Ikari Warriors (ARC, 1986/NES, ) - Run 'n Gun, TD view, 2-player Co-op
-Drive tanks (lets you take some hits although they blow up rather quickly from flying debris when destroying buildings, requires fuel)
-Auto-fire (a bit slow but your rate of fire can be upgraded). Can also upgrade your range, the grenades' blast radius and make your shots penetrate rocks
-Sub weapon (grenade, no control over how far you throw them)
-Military theme - SOS (ARC, 1979)
-Smart bombs although they trigger upon touch
-Optional respawning on the spot after continuing (you hold fire and press start)
-Twisting joystick control (the game let you twist the joystick to aim and move at the same time but it doesn't seem to work that well, if it was twin stick it'd let you strafe as well as shoot in 8 directions)
KiKi KaiKai (ARC, 1986) - TD Run 'n Gun
-Medieval Japan/JP horror themes
-Some large sprites
-Doppelganger racoon final boss - Rocky?
-4 (?) levels of weapon upgrades - not much of a difference to the projectile except for the length and damage though
-Smart bombs and stop watches (both are pretty rare)
-Forgiving checkpoint system
-Some alternate death animations (getting squeezed by snakes for example)
-Basic puzzle in final level (find hidden items to get out of a loop)
Gauntlet II (ARC, 1986/Multi) - 4-player Co-Op Maze Action (2-player on most consoles), Top Down View, Non-linear?
-Ricocheting/reflective shots
-Players can choose the same char (they'll have different colors)
-Levels might rotate 90 degrees at times
-"you're it" enemy - lures enemies toward the player until touching another player
-Damage tiles
-Giant dragon enemy
-Invisible walls
-Walls that turn into enemies
-Stun tiles
-Clues to secret rooms (gives you parts of a code to a real life competition)
Trojan (ARC/NES, 1986) - Hack 'n Slash/Action Platformer, Side View
-High and low attacks plus manual blocking
-7 unique bosses (1 more on NES)
-5-way blocking with the shield
-High jump pads (rather than the boots power up in the NES ver.)
-Some enemies can knock your sword and shield out of your hands, making you have to pick them up again
Arkanoid (ARC, 1986/NES, ) - Pinball variation/Breakout-like (1976)
-Bouncing ball physics
-Paddle
Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars (ARC, 1986/SMS, 1988) - 2-player (ARC only)
-Draining HP (Gauntlet, Wonder Boy)
-Temporary ranged attack
-Pretty good variation
Jail Break/Manhatten 24 Bunsyo (ARC, 1986) - ? TD R&G
-Cop protagonist
Side Arms Hyper Dyne (ARC, 1986) - Hori-Shooter
-Some vertical scrolling segments
Lock-On/Lock On (ARC, 1986/Multi) - Flight Combat Sim (Arcade-style), FP view
-Homing missiles (Time Pilot '84, Spy Hunter)
-Proto-mode 7 effect on the ground
Clash Road (ARC, 1986) - Bike Racing/Beat 'em up
-One of the first of its kind - perhaps it inspired Road Rash?
Express Raider (ARC, 1986) - Side View Action Platformer/Beat 'em up & Auto-Scrolling Gallery Shooter/Cabal-like Shooter Hybrid, SV/TP view
-Enemies that push breakable boxes
-Can hit thrown objects to break them
-Unusual health bar system (starts at 50%, fills up as you hit enemies and after each one killed it goes back to 50%)
-High and low attacks - Karate Champ?
-Knockback when hitting enemies or being hit
Slap Fight (ARC, 1986/MD) - Vertical Shoot 'em up, TD view
-Extend your ship vertically with multiple addons/parts (multiple destructible parts as only the addons are destroyed if the enemies hit them)
Renegade/Nekketsu Kouha Kunio-kun (ARC, 1986/NES/CPC, 1987/SMS, 1993) - First tilted view Beat 'em up (Typhoon Gal is a Fighting hybrid)
-Grabs and throws (can knee grabbed enemies, can also be grabbed from behind and then either kick forwards or shake them off by waggling the d-pad/joystick)
-Running attacks (knocks down multiple enemies)
-Back attacks (kicks)
-Jump kicks
-Scrolling pauses
-Throw enemies into water and pits
-Mount and hit knocked down enemies
-The Warriors-inspired aesthetics in the west (originally had a rival JP school gangs theme)
-Bike riding segment (SMS & NES only?)
-8-way movement
-Bounce and attack off of walls - later used in TMNT
Solomon's Key (ARC, 1986/NES, 1987/SMS, 1988) - SS Puzzle Platformer
-Destroy and create blocks mechanic
-Hidden levels
-Sub weapon (spell)
-Hit power ups to change them?
OutRun (ARC, 1986/SMS/PCE/MD, ) - Driving/Race against the clock;
-Alternate paths
-Slopes
-Radio feature (select background music before beginning)
-Stone arcs in the background
-Shows your selected route on a map screen after finishing
Xain'd Sleena/Solar warrior (ARC, 1986) - Run 'n Gun/Horizontal Shooter hybrid (second part of each level)
-Choose your own path (level select screen/hub map)
-Double jump (can only do it as you're moving upwards though)
-Move while shooting
-Mini-bosses on some planets
-Scrolls both horizontally and vertically
-Some large sprites
-Difficulty options
-Escape sequence in the final level
Rampage (ARC, 1986) - Action Platformer/Arena Combat, Single screen, 3-player vs., Side view
-Monster attack theme (see the Godzilla or King Kong movies for example)
-Destructible environment focus (buildings are destroyed one tile at a time and eventually crumble and fall down) - an element in Samurai, Pengo, Mr. Do's Castle, Lode Runner and Shoot Out
-Wall climbing
-Some friendly NPCs can be rescued for points (each monster has a preference for a certain NPC and can only rescue that one)
Bubble Bobble (ARC, 1986/C64, 1987/AMI, 1988/NES/SMS)- 2-player Co-op Action Platformer/Collectathon
-Ghost appears after some time
-Use enemies as platforms mechanic
-Large bosses
-Unlock items by collecting letters to a word
-Some interesting items (attack upgrades (bubble speed, rate of fire and range), warp/level skip items, flood and lightning attacks, smart bomb, speed+jump further+fall faster shoes, stop watch, comet rain that makes enemies more aggressive, lightning bubbles - a lightning projectile shoot out when it bursts, water bubbles - causes a flood when it bursts, fire bubbles - releases a falling fireball that covers the floor in fire when it lands)
-Many levels
Quartet (ARC, 1986/SMS, ) - 4-player Co-op, Run 'n Gun/Maze Platformer
-Flight power up
Wonder Boy (ARC, 1986/SMS, 1987) - Action Platformer
-Ranged attack
-Hunger/draining HP mechanic
-Pop-up food items (Pac-Land)
-Skateboard power up
-Hidden dolls unlock last world
Rolling Thunder (ARC, 1986/NES, 1989) - Cover Shooter/Action Platformer
-Spy movie theme (Spy Hunter)
-Jump through platforms/floors from below (variation on Popeye)
-Limited ammo
Fantasy Zone (ARC, 1986/SMS/PCE, ) - Defender-like (horizontally looping levels), Side View
-Shops
-Several alternate weapons
-Each level has a unique boss
-Impressive FM (YM2151) music for the time
-One of the first games with a boss rush before the final boss
-Two bosses with multiple phases (moon and snowman)
Jackal (ARC, 1986/NES, 1988) - 2-player Co-op Vehicle-Based Run 'n Gun, Choplifter elements
-One continuous level
-Strafing (Bullfight, Gun.Smoke)
-Sub weapon
-Military theme - SOS (ARC, 1979)
Life Force (ARC, 1986/NES, - different) - 2-player Co-op H-Shooter
-Biological theme (travel through a monster - not fully realized though)
-Different upgrade trees for the two ships
-Plenty of voice samples
Enduro Racer (ARC, 1986) - Race against the clock
-Jumps via ramps
Rush & Crash/Speed Rumbler (ARC, 1986) - Jackal variation w/ some auto-scrolling segments, 1-player
-Knock over barrels
-First game with exploding barrels that affect surrounding objects/enemies?
-On foot and in jeep gameplay
Ikari Warriors II: Victory Road (ARC, 1986) - 2-player co-op TD Run 'n Gun
-Strafing (ARC only; Bullfight, Gun.Smoke)
-Military/sci-fi theme
-Tanks?
Legendary Wings (ARC, 1986/NES, 1988) - Vertical Scrolling Shoot 'em up, 2-player Co-op
-Cave entries
-Fantasy/greek mythology theme
Salamander/US Life Force (ARC, 1986) - 2-player Co-op
Ikari Warriors (ARC, 1986/NES, ) - Run 'n Gun, TD view, 2-player Co-op
-Drive tanks (lets you take some hits although they blow up rather quickly from flying debris when destroying buildings, requires fuel)
-Auto-fire (a bit slow but your rate of fire can be upgraded). Can also upgrade your range, the grenades' blast radius and make your shots penetrate rocks
-Sub weapon (grenade, no control over how far you throw them)
-Military theme - SOS (ARC, 1979)
-Smart bombs although they trigger upon touch
-Optional respawning on the spot after continuing (you hold fire and press start)
-Twisting joystick control (the game let you twist the joystick to aim and move at the same time but it doesn't seem to work that well, if it was twin stick it'd let you strafe as well as shoot in 8 directions)
KiKi KaiKai (ARC, 1986) - TD Run 'n Gun
-Medieval Japan/JP horror themes
-Some large sprites
-Doppelganger racoon final boss - Rocky?
-4 (?) levels of weapon upgrades - not much of a difference to the projectile except for the length and damage though
-Smart bombs and stop watches (both are pretty rare)
-Forgiving checkpoint system
-Some alternate death animations (getting squeezed by snakes for example)
-Basic puzzle in final level (find hidden items to get out of a loop)
Gauntlet II (ARC, 1986/Multi) - 4-player Co-Op Maze Action (2-player on most consoles), Top Down View, Non-linear?
-Ricocheting/reflective shots
-Players can choose the same char (they'll have different colors)
-Levels might rotate 90 degrees at times
-"you're it" enemy - lures enemies toward the player until touching another player
-Damage tiles
-Giant dragon enemy
-Invisible walls
-Walls that turn into enemies
-Stun tiles
-Clues to secret rooms (gives you parts of a code to a real life competition)
Trojan (ARC/NES, 1986) - Hack 'n Slash/Action Platformer, Side View
-High and low attacks plus manual blocking
-7 unique bosses (1 more on NES)
-5-way blocking with the shield
-High jump pads (rather than the boots power up in the NES ver.)
-Some enemies can knock your sword and shield out of your hands, making you have to pick them up again
Arkanoid (ARC, 1986/NES, ) - Pinball variation/Breakout-like (1976)
-Bouncing ball physics
-Paddle
Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars (ARC, 1986/SMS, 1988) - 2-player (ARC only)
-Draining HP (Gauntlet, Wonder Boy)
-Temporary ranged attack
-Pretty good variation
Jail Break/Manhatten 24 Bunsyo (ARC, 1986) - ? TD R&G
-Cop protagonist
Side Arms Hyper Dyne (ARC, 1986) - Hori-Shooter
-Some vertical scrolling segments
Lock-On/Lock On (ARC, 1986/Multi) - Flight Combat Sim (Arcade-style), FP view
-Homing missiles (Time Pilot '84, Spy Hunter)
-Proto-mode 7 effect on the ground
Clash Road (ARC, 1986) - Bike Racing/Beat 'em up
-One of the first of its kind - perhaps it inspired Road Rash?
Express Raider (ARC, 1986) - Side View Action Platformer/Beat 'em up & Auto-Scrolling Gallery Shooter/Cabal-like Shooter Hybrid, SV/TP view
-Enemies that push breakable boxes
-Can hit thrown objects to break them
-Unusual health bar system (starts at 50%, fills up as you hit enemies and after each one killed it goes back to 50%)
-High and low attacks - Karate Champ?
-Knockback when hitting enemies or being hit
Slap Fight (ARC, 1986/MD) - Vertical Shoot 'em up, TD view
-Extend your ship vertically with multiple addons/parts (multiple destructible parts as only the addons are destroyed if the enemies hit them)
1987:
Xybots (ARC, 1987) - TPS/Maze Shooter, 2-player Co-op Split Screen
-Strafing
-90 degree turning (move in 4 directions)
-No friendly fire
-Map feature (auto-mapper)
-Shop (between levels)
-Teleporters
-Displays avatar health on their backpack
Wonder Boy in Monster Land (ARC, 1987)/SMS, 1988) - Action Platformer w/ ARPG/Adventure elements, Maze (final level)
-New gear shows on the player avatar
-Mini-bosses (Dragon Buster)
-Item trading sequence
-Bar gossip
-Hover jump/glide jump boots power up
-HP drain system (WB1)
-Ammo-based sub weapons (can carry all kinds at once though the game picks the active one for you)
-Temporary DEF and STR boosting items (helmet and gauntlet respectively)
-Consumable sub weapons (bombs, tornados, thunder, fireball; Castlevania)
APB/All Points Bulletin (ARC, 1987) - Driving/Chase, Multi-Directional Scrolling Shooter aka Free-Roaming Shooter, Collectathon of sorts, Time limit (collect donuts to increase the timer)
-Crossing traffic
-Comical police theme
-Arrests
-Basic interrogation (mini-game)
-Briefings
-Vertically looping levels/areas (Defender). Game actually takes place in one big level where you start at different points depending on the day/mission
-Fuel mechanics - refill at gas stations
-Car upgrades that carry over to the next level/day (acceleration, brakes, gun, armor)
-No map
-Get penalized for shooting innocents
After Burner II (ARC, 1987/SMS, /MD, ) - Plane Flight
-Intense action
-Acceleration/deceleration control (Juno First)
-"Barrel roll" move
-Lock-on system
-Homing missiles - Spy Hunter, Time Pilot, Lock-On
Black Tiger/Black Dragon (ARC, 1987) - Action Platformer
-Hostage rescue (Shops (armor and weapon upgrades), hints, time, money)
-Pole climbing
-Some alternate paths
-Some large sprites
Double Dragon (ARC, 1987) - Beat 'em up, 2-player Co-op, Platformer elements
-Throw barrels and boulders
-Alternate melee weapons (knife, whip, bat)
-After the last boss you have to fight the other player
-Pits
-Abobo
Shadow Land/Yokai Dochuki (ARC/NES, 1987) - Action Platformer w/ Adventure/RPG elements
-JP mythology/religion theme
-Adventure/rpg elements (fairly open ended levels, gambling and shopping, various upgrades)
-Sidekick animals (they won't attack but instead act as a shield of sorts)
-Weapon upgrades (rate of fire and strength) and movement upgrades (faster movement and longer jumps, faster swimming)
-Some hidden areas
-Ranged charge attack (need to stand still and if you charge for too long your character gets stunned for ~2 seconds, when fully charged it goes through regular enemies)
-Fairly impressive FM (YM2151) music
-Interesting map feature (shows a nice bird's eye view of the entire area but no topographic specifics)
-There's a "food" item that lets you regain 6 HP at death (similar to fairies in Zelda 3)
-Good jump controls
-Five different endings (not a big difference but still - your behaviour in the game determines if you'll end up in heaven or hell or somewhere "in-between", the less points (not shown until the end?) you get in the final level the better and you mustn't collect or kill anything in lvl 5 to go to heaven)
-One sequence break (lvl 4 tree part?)
-Interesting boss fights (summon a flying spirit to fight for you in the first fight),
Shinobi (ARC, 1987) - Action Platformer/Run 'n Gun, FPS/Light-Gun style (stationary) mini-game
-Pretty intense action
-Ninja magic
-Two plane gameplay in some parts
-Memorable final boss with multiple forms
-Hostage rescue
-Some bosses appear during levels
-Context sensitive melee attack
-No contact damage (just get knocked back a little)
Super Dodge Ball (ARC, 1987/NES, 1989/PCE, 1990) - 2-player vs.? Dodge Ball (Sports)
-Special moves
-Dodge/duck move - 1942/Spatter
-Cartoon/Anime style (helped established the Kunio Kun style)
Contra (ARC, 1987/NES, 1988) - 2-player Co-op, TPS (multi-screen, fixed movement) style even levels
-8-way aiming
-Bullet speed upgrade
-Spread shot
-Some large sprites
-Respawn on the spot
-Pretty intense action
Thunder Blade (ARC, 1987/3DS, 2014) - Rail Shooter/V-Shooter hybrid, Helicopter Flight
-Air to air and air to ground weapons
-Manual height control (sprite scaling effect) and ground targets in the top down v-shooter segments. Can also fly backwards briefly during these segments
-Distance to goal map
-Manual speed adjustment in third person view segments (can also hover in place)
3DS ver.: Faster and smoother
Super Hang-On (ARC, 1987) - Motorbike Driving/Race against the clock, 2.5D
-Turbo feature
-Difficulty options (different courses, tough even on easiest)
Rastan (ARC, 1987/SMS, 1988) - Hack 'n Slash/Action Platformer
-Pretty intense action
-Down stab (Dragon Buster) and up stab
-Slopes w/ an effect on friction
-Partially destructible environment (Samurai, Pengo, SMB1, etc)
R-Type (ARC, 1987/SMS, 1988/PCE/X68K, 1989) - Horizontal Shooter
-Pod mechanic (can use it as a shield or shoot it out to damage enemies and to reach into crevices or bosses' weak spots)
-Gieger-inspired sci fi theme (Aliens movie)
-Large and memorable bosses
-Very good variation
-Charge beam (charges automatically while not shooting)
-Risk/reward mechanic: The pod can also be launched and recalled. When the pod is launched, it can reach into bosses' weak spots to take them down quicker, but while doing this the player's ship is left more vulnerable to enemy fire, fire power from the ship is lessened and the pod also moves pretty slowly when called back.
Ninja Kid II/Rad Action/Ninja-Kun: Ashura no Shou (ARC, 1987/NES, 1988) - Action Platformer
-Wall jumps
Rainbow Islands: The Story of Bubble Bobble 2 (ARC, 1987) - Vertical Platformer/Collectathon
-Create platforms w/ the rainbow attack
-Flight power up
-Unlockable extra island (diamond combo)
RoadBlasters (ARC, 1987/MD, ) - Rail Shooter/Driving
-Fuel mechanic
Bionic Commando (ARC, 1987) - Action Platformer/Run 'n Gun
-Hookshot mechanic which replaces jumping
SRD: Super Real Darwin (ARC, 1987) - Vertical Shoot 'em up
-Evolution theme (make your ship grow and change form as you pick up DNA power ups) - inspired by Dragon Spirit?
Operation Wolf (ARC, 1987/SMS, ) - Light Gun Shooter, 1-player?; grenades, civilians
Alien Syndrome (ARC, 1987/SMS/NES/GG, ) - 2-player Co-op; sci-fi horror theme, large bosses,
Ginga Ninkyouden (ARC, 1987) - Hack 'n Slash/H-Shooter; cutesy/comical theme
Dragon Spirit (ARC, 1987) - V-Shooter; grow in size when upgraded, ground targets, some manual horizontal scrolling, fantasy theme, impressive FM (YM2151) music
Heavyweight Champ (ARC, 1987) - Third person/behind the avatar view Boxing;
Tiger Road (ARC, 1987) - Hack 'n Slash, V-Scrolling Flight segments; level select screen, 1-player
Heavy Barrel (ARC, 1987/NES, 1990) - ? 2-player Co-op TD Run 'n Gun; locked chests, grenades, military theme
Combat School/Boot Camp (ARC/C64, 1987) - Mini-Games/Sports, some scrolling segments;
Wonder Momo (ARC, 1987) - Female protagonist,
Mr. Heli (ARC, 1987/PCE, 1989) - Flight-based Run 'n Gun; similar to Fantasy Zone, destructible wall tiles,
1943 (ARC, 1987) - ? Military theme
Devil World/Maju no Okoku (ARC, 1987) - 2-player Co-op TD Run 'n Gun; avoid the western version (Dark Adventure) which has poorly balanced close combat and frustrating labyrinthine levels
Kodure Okami/Lone Wolf and Cub (ARC, 1987) - ? 1-player?, mini-game duels
Twin Cobra/Kyuukyoku Tiger (ARC, 1987/PCE, 1989/MD, 1991/X68K, 1993) - Military theme
Karnov (ARC/NES, 1987) - ?
Battlantis (ARC, 1987) - ? Space Invaders clone/spinoff;
Gondomania (ARC, 1987) - Vertical shoot 'em up; Buy sub weapons w/ collected coins (Fantasy Zone), rotary joystick aiming (Ikari Warriors)
Xybots (ARC, 1987) - TPS/Maze Shooter, 2-player Co-op Split Screen
-Strafing
-90 degree turning (move in 4 directions)
-No friendly fire
-Map feature (auto-mapper)
-Shop (between levels)
-Teleporters
-Displays avatar health on their backpack
Wonder Boy in Monster Land (ARC, 1987)/SMS, 1988) - Action Platformer w/ ARPG/Adventure elements, Maze (final level)
-New gear shows on the player avatar
-Mini-bosses (Dragon Buster)
-Item trading sequence
-Bar gossip
-Hover jump/glide jump boots power up
-HP drain system (WB1)
-Ammo-based sub weapons (can carry all kinds at once though the game picks the active one for you)
-Temporary DEF and STR boosting items (helmet and gauntlet respectively)
-Consumable sub weapons (bombs, tornados, thunder, fireball; Castlevania)
APB/All Points Bulletin (ARC, 1987) - Driving/Chase, Multi-Directional Scrolling Shooter aka Free-Roaming Shooter, Collectathon of sorts, Time limit (collect donuts to increase the timer)
-Crossing traffic
-Comical police theme
-Arrests
-Basic interrogation (mini-game)
-Briefings
-Vertically looping levels/areas (Defender). Game actually takes place in one big level where you start at different points depending on the day/mission
-Fuel mechanics - refill at gas stations
-Car upgrades that carry over to the next level/day (acceleration, brakes, gun, armor)
-No map
-Get penalized for shooting innocents
After Burner II (ARC, 1987/SMS, /MD, ) - Plane Flight
-Intense action
-Acceleration/deceleration control (Juno First)
-"Barrel roll" move
-Lock-on system
-Homing missiles - Spy Hunter, Time Pilot, Lock-On
Black Tiger/Black Dragon (ARC, 1987) - Action Platformer
-Hostage rescue (Shops (armor and weapon upgrades), hints, time, money)
-Pole climbing
-Some alternate paths
-Some large sprites
Double Dragon (ARC, 1987) - Beat 'em up, 2-player Co-op, Platformer elements
-Throw barrels and boulders
-Alternate melee weapons (knife, whip, bat)
-After the last boss you have to fight the other player
-Pits
-Abobo
Shadow Land/Yokai Dochuki (ARC/NES, 1987) - Action Platformer w/ Adventure/RPG elements
-JP mythology/religion theme
-Adventure/rpg elements (fairly open ended levels, gambling and shopping, various upgrades)
-Sidekick animals (they won't attack but instead act as a shield of sorts)
-Weapon upgrades (rate of fire and strength) and movement upgrades (faster movement and longer jumps, faster swimming)
-Some hidden areas
-Ranged charge attack (need to stand still and if you charge for too long your character gets stunned for ~2 seconds, when fully charged it goes through regular enemies)
-Fairly impressive FM (YM2151) music
-Interesting map feature (shows a nice bird's eye view of the entire area but no topographic specifics)
-There's a "food" item that lets you regain 6 HP at death (similar to fairies in Zelda 3)
-Good jump controls
-Five different endings (not a big difference but still - your behaviour in the game determines if you'll end up in heaven or hell or somewhere "in-between", the less points (not shown until the end?) you get in the final level the better and you mustn't collect or kill anything in lvl 5 to go to heaven)
-One sequence break (lvl 4 tree part?)
-Interesting boss fights (summon a flying spirit to fight for you in the first fight),
Shinobi (ARC, 1987) - Action Platformer/Run 'n Gun, FPS/Light-Gun style (stationary) mini-game
-Pretty intense action
-Ninja magic
-Two plane gameplay in some parts
-Memorable final boss with multiple forms
-Hostage rescue
-Some bosses appear during levels
-Context sensitive melee attack
-No contact damage (just get knocked back a little)
Super Dodge Ball (ARC, 1987/NES, 1989/PCE, 1990) - 2-player vs.? Dodge Ball (Sports)
-Special moves
-Dodge/duck move - 1942/Spatter
-Cartoon/Anime style (helped established the Kunio Kun style)
Contra (ARC, 1987/NES, 1988) - 2-player Co-op, TPS (multi-screen, fixed movement) style even levels
-8-way aiming
-Bullet speed upgrade
-Spread shot
-Some large sprites
-Respawn on the spot
-Pretty intense action
Thunder Blade (ARC, 1987/3DS, 2014) - Rail Shooter/V-Shooter hybrid, Helicopter Flight
-Air to air and air to ground weapons
-Manual height control (sprite scaling effect) and ground targets in the top down v-shooter segments. Can also fly backwards briefly during these segments
-Distance to goal map
-Manual speed adjustment in third person view segments (can also hover in place)
3DS ver.: Faster and smoother
Super Hang-On (ARC, 1987) - Motorbike Driving/Race against the clock, 2.5D
-Turbo feature
-Difficulty options (different courses, tough even on easiest)
Rastan (ARC, 1987/SMS, 1988) - Hack 'n Slash/Action Platformer
-Pretty intense action
-Down stab (Dragon Buster) and up stab
-Slopes w/ an effect on friction
-Partially destructible environment (Samurai, Pengo, SMB1, etc)
R-Type (ARC, 1987/SMS, 1988/PCE/X68K, 1989) - Horizontal Shooter
-Pod mechanic (can use it as a shield or shoot it out to damage enemies and to reach into crevices or bosses' weak spots)
-Gieger-inspired sci fi theme (Aliens movie)
-Large and memorable bosses
-Very good variation
-Charge beam (charges automatically while not shooting)
-Risk/reward mechanic: The pod can also be launched and recalled. When the pod is launched, it can reach into bosses' weak spots to take them down quicker, but while doing this the player's ship is left more vulnerable to enemy fire, fire power from the ship is lessened and the pod also moves pretty slowly when called back.
Ninja Kid II/Rad Action/Ninja-Kun: Ashura no Shou (ARC, 1987/NES, 1988) - Action Platformer
-Wall jumps
Rainbow Islands: The Story of Bubble Bobble 2 (ARC, 1987) - Vertical Platformer/Collectathon
-Create platforms w/ the rainbow attack
-Flight power up
-Unlockable extra island (diamond combo)
RoadBlasters (ARC, 1987/MD, ) - Rail Shooter/Driving
-Fuel mechanic
Bionic Commando (ARC, 1987) - Action Platformer/Run 'n Gun
-Hookshot mechanic which replaces jumping
SRD: Super Real Darwin (ARC, 1987) - Vertical Shoot 'em up
-Evolution theme (make your ship grow and change form as you pick up DNA power ups) - inspired by Dragon Spirit?
Operation Wolf (ARC, 1987/SMS, ) - Light Gun Shooter, 1-player?; grenades, civilians
Alien Syndrome (ARC, 1987/SMS/NES/GG, ) - 2-player Co-op; sci-fi horror theme, large bosses,
Ginga Ninkyouden (ARC, 1987) - Hack 'n Slash/H-Shooter; cutesy/comical theme
Dragon Spirit (ARC, 1987) - V-Shooter; grow in size when upgraded, ground targets, some manual horizontal scrolling, fantasy theme, impressive FM (YM2151) music
Heavyweight Champ (ARC, 1987) - Third person/behind the avatar view Boxing;
Tiger Road (ARC, 1987) - Hack 'n Slash, V-Scrolling Flight segments; level select screen, 1-player
Heavy Barrel (ARC, 1987/NES, 1990) - ? 2-player Co-op TD Run 'n Gun; locked chests, grenades, military theme
Combat School/Boot Camp (ARC/C64, 1987) - Mini-Games/Sports, some scrolling segments;
Wonder Momo (ARC, 1987) - Female protagonist,
Mr. Heli (ARC, 1987/PCE, 1989) - Flight-based Run 'n Gun; similar to Fantasy Zone, destructible wall tiles,
1943 (ARC, 1987) - ? Military theme
Devil World/Maju no Okoku (ARC, 1987) - 2-player Co-op TD Run 'n Gun; avoid the western version (Dark Adventure) which has poorly balanced close combat and frustrating labyrinthine levels
Kodure Okami/Lone Wolf and Cub (ARC, 1987) - ? 1-player?, mini-game duels
Twin Cobra/Kyuukyoku Tiger (ARC, 1987/PCE, 1989/MD, 1991/X68K, 1993) - Military theme
Karnov (ARC/NES, 1987) - ?
Battlantis (ARC, 1987) - ? Space Invaders clone/spinoff;
Gondomania (ARC, 1987) - Vertical shoot 'em up; Buy sub weapons w/ collected coins (Fantasy Zone), rotary joystick aiming (Ikari Warriors)
1988:
Galaxy Force II (ARC, 1988/SAT/3DS, ) - Rail Shooter/Spaceship Flight Combat
-Fuel mechanic (destroy enemies to gain extra fuel for the next level)
-Level select screen (choose starting level, afterwards the game chooses the order for you)
-Lock onto and shoot several targets at once
-Separate player ship parts have their own HP values and can be damaged separately (the wings)
-Very smooth sprite scaling
-Pretty impressive music
-Homing missiles - Spy Hunter, Time Pilot, Lock-On, After Burner II
Winning Run (ARC, 1988) - 3D Racing (F1 cars), 4-player vs. MP (linked cabinets), FP view
-Fast and smooth polygonal graphics with flat-shaded models (2D sprite cockpit)
-Good draw distance
-Subtle fog effect on objects in the far background
-Course map
-Slopes and tunnels
Top Landing (ARC, 1988) - 3D Flight Sim (landing part only), FP view
-Pretty detailed 3D polygonal graphics w/ a decent framerate (2D sprite cockpit)
-Basic textures on the ground?
-Level select
-High color count
Ghouls 'n Ghosts (ARC/MD, 1988)/SGX/X68K/PS1/SAT - Action Platformer/Run 'n Gun
-Basic dynamic difficulty balancing (the 8 DIP switch difficulty settings determine how hard the game gets the longer you stay alive and how much the difficulty drops when losing a life (there are 16 internal settings in all) - look up specifics?)
-Horror theme
-Two loops (have to get the new weapon in the second one as well as beat the final boss with it to get the proper ending)
-Four-way aiming (8 in Contra)
-Charge attack (Shadow Land) - the armor upgrade power up adds an attack which differs depending on your current weapon (one of them is basically a smart bomb)
-Intense action
-Large sprites
-Great variation
Cabal (ARC, 1988) - TPS (fixed movement, single screen)/Gallery Shooter, 2-Player Co-op, Cover Shooter
-Grenades
-Dodge move
-Destructible buildings (Rampage)
The New Zealand Story/Kiwi Kraze (ARC, 1988/NES/SMS/PCE/MD, ) - Action Platformer/Run 'n Gun
-Steal flying enemy vehicles (balloons, rocket/water tank?, spaceship (temporary) - later used in Kirby; can ride some of them either from above or below)
-Get swallowed and fight the first boss from the inside in the New ver. (the flying whale, later re-used in Yoshi's Island)
-Swimming (generally a minor part of a level)
-Different levels on MD (based on alternate ARC version?)
-Basic mini-map feature (shows how large the level is, the exit and your position but no topology or items)
-Some cool weapons (ricocheting fireballs shot from a wand, spitting water while at water surfaces)
-Good enemy variety within each level
-Frequent checkpoints+you start in a balloon if you were flying when killed
-No touch damage from most enemies (spiky ones excluded, you walk through them instead of pushing them or your movement being blocked) - it's their attacks that hurt (later used in Shadow Dancer and Revenge of Shinobi)
-Fairly open and sometimes maze-like levels (generally you're pointed towards the right direction with signs)
-Some alternate paths through levels
-Hidden warps (SMB)
-Movement speed power up (lasts until the end of the level or death; Bubble Bobble, Gauntlet) and temporary invincibility
-Some smart bomb power ups (placed in set locations and trigger when shot or touched though)
-Enemies' vehicles are also hit by spikes - systemic element
-Enemy freeze power ups (kind of rare)
-Mirror teleporter power ups (takes you to the level exit, very rare)
-Some multi-jointed sprites
-Stay too long in a level and a devil starts chasing you (Bubble Bobble)
Power Drift (ARC, 1988) - TP View Kart Racing (2.5D)
-Slopes and bridges (no jump ramps though)
-Cartoon characters (inspired Mario Kart?)
-Fast and smooth sprite scaling
-Impressive FM music (YM2151+PCM)
-Course maps
Ninja Spirit (ARC, 1988)/PCE, 1990/GB, 1993) - Action Platformer/Run 'n Gun
-Clone trail power up
-Intense action
-Small sprites/large bosses
Super Contra (ARC, 1988) - 2-player Co-op Run 'n Gun, Top Down even levels
-Some very large sprites
-Auto-fire (pretty slow unless you're using the missile weapon though)
-Better balanced weapons (nerfed spread, boosted laser - still worse than the others though)
-Improved variation and initially more interesting set pieces
-Better use of FM synth and there are now solid sampled drums+guitars and some voices
-Smart bombs (can hold on to them here)
-Some jump height control (press up to jump higher)
Splatterhouse (ARC, 1988) - Hack 'n Slash/Run 'n Gun or Action Platformer, Side view
-Horror/gore theme
-Some large and detailed sprites
-Fairly impressive FM (YM2151) music
Gain Ground (ARC, 1988/MD, ) - TD Arena Shooter/Puzzle/RTT, 2-Player Co-op
-Rescue characters/units for later use
-Many different player units/chars for the time
-Perma-death/Dead chars stay dead
-One new area on MD
Forgotten Worlds (ARC, 1988/PCE CD/MD, ) - 2-player Co-op Hori-Shooter
-360 degree aiming
-Shops
-Some huge bosses
Double Dragon II (ARC, 1988) - BEU/Platformer hybrid, 2-player Co-op
-Fairly impressive use of FM (YM2151)
-Better variation?
Chase H.Q. (ARC, 1988) - Racing/Search & Destroy Mission (or rather tackle until the car breaks down)
-Rudimentary map shows when you're near the target
-Slopes
Bonze Adventure (ARC/PCE, 1988) - ? Run 'n Gun; Japanese horror theme, shoot while climbing,
Reikai Doushi (ARC, 1988) - ? Fighting; digitized graphics,
Atomic Runner/Chelnov (ARC, 1988)/MD (1992) - Auto-Scrolling Action Platformer/Run 'n Gun hybrid; better on MD
Rainbow Islands Extra (ARC, 1988/MD, ) - Vertical Platformer; create platforms, flight power up, unlockable extra island (diamond combo),
Psycho-nics Oscar (ARC, 1988) - Run 'n Gun; Gradius-style upgrade system,
Gradius II/Vulcan Venture (NES/ARC, 1988/PCE CD/X68K, 1992)/PS1/SAT, 1996) - 2-player Co-op H-Shooter; choose weapon setup pre-game,
Kickle Cubicle/Meikyu Jima (NES/ARC, 1988) - TD Puzzle; block pushing/sliding, revolving pole puzzles,
Toobin' (ARC, 1988) - Water Racing (tubes?)/Combat, 2-player vs.,
Robocop (ARC, 1988) - Action Platformer w/ some QTE (quick-time events), Light-Gun style bonus level; longer voice samples,
Silkworm (AMI/ARC, 1988) - 2-player Asymmetrical Co-op (one player controls a helicopter, one a jeep) H-Shooter;
Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair (ARC, 1988)/PCE CD, 1989/MD, 1990) - H-Shooter segments (where you fight the bosses), 2-player Co-op
-Cling to platform edges and climb up
-Very good visual variation
-Large and detailed bosses
-Timed weapons (Fantasy Zone)
Altered Beast (ARC/MD, 1988) - Side view Beat 'em up, 2-Player Co-op
-Transformations (upgrade your strength 3+ times in a level to turn into a beast which differs for each one
-Flight (level 2/dragon form)
-Attack upwards
-Alternate ranged attacks
-Petrify enemies (level 3/the bear)
-Interactive staff roll
-Dash attack/tackle in wolf form which can be used as an air dash
-Upwards air dash in tiger form (level 4)
Syvalion (ARC, 1988) - Dragon avatar (multi-jointed sprite)
P.O.W.: Prisoners of War (ARC, 1988) - 2-player Co-op; guns (limited ammo), grenades (explosions caused by enemies also affect them), exploding barrels, some pits
Truxton/Tatsujin (ARC, 1988/MD/PCE, ) - Vertical Shoot 'em up
-Smart bombs
-Large bosses
-Level transitions
-Checkpoints
Märchen Maze (ARC, 1988/X68K, 1991) - Isometric Run 'n Gun; fantasy/cutesy theme, charge attack
Operation Thunderbolt (ARC, 1988/AMI, 1989) - ? 2-player Co-op Light Gun Shooter, Rail Shooter segments;
Mirai Ninja/Cyber Ninja (ARC, 1988) - Fast paced, small sprites, tight vertical scrolling
Assault (ARC, 1988) - TD R&G/Maze Shooter?, Tank-based; 360 degree targeting (rotates the screen),
Ninja Kazan/Iga Ninjutsuden: Goshin no Sho (ARC, 1988) - Similar to SonSon II and Castlevania, travel the world theme
Bloody Wolf (ARC, 1988/PCE, 1989) - ? TD Run 'n Gun; tilted view segments, jumping
Bakutotsu Kijuutei/Baraduke II (ARC, 1988) - ? Flight Action; female protagonist?
Fire Shark (ARC, 1989/MD, ) - V-Shooter; smart bombs, upgradeable weapons (near screen covering), military theme
Superman (ARC, 1988) - 2-player Co-op Shoot 'em up/side view BEU hybrid; flight,
Ninja Gaiden (ARC, 1988) - ? 2-player co-op BEU; acrobatics, 2.5D elements
1943 Kai (ARC, 1988/PCE, 1991) - ? V-Shooter; military theme
Thunder Cross (ARC, 1988) - 2-player Co-op; gun drones, credits stop working after reaching the final stage!
The Ninja Warriors (ARC, 1988/MCD, ) - 2-player Co-op, side view BEU; two screens wide gameplay field
Bad Dudes vs. Dragon Ninja (ARC, 1988/NES, ) - 2-player?, side view BEU w/ Platformer elements;
Last Duel (ARC, 1988) - 2-player Co-op V-Shooter; gun drones,
NARC (ARC, 1988/ ) - 2-player Co-op BEU, guns?
Ordyne (ARC, 1988) - 2-player Co-op H-Shooter; ?
Kabuki Z (ARC, 1988) - ? BEU;
Cloud Master (ARC, 1988) - H-Shooter; shops,
Image Fight (ARC, 1988/PCE, 1990) - ?
Apache 3 (ARC, 1988) - Rail Shooter/Hostage Rescue;
Galaxy Force II (ARC, 1988/SAT/3DS, ) - Rail Shooter/Spaceship Flight Combat
-Fuel mechanic (destroy enemies to gain extra fuel for the next level)
-Level select screen (choose starting level, afterwards the game chooses the order for you)
-Lock onto and shoot several targets at once
-Separate player ship parts have their own HP values and can be damaged separately (the wings)
-Very smooth sprite scaling
-Pretty impressive music
-Homing missiles - Spy Hunter, Time Pilot, Lock-On, After Burner II
Winning Run (ARC, 1988) - 3D Racing (F1 cars), 4-player vs. MP (linked cabinets), FP view
-Fast and smooth polygonal graphics with flat-shaded models (2D sprite cockpit)
-Good draw distance
-Subtle fog effect on objects in the far background
-Course map
-Slopes and tunnels
Top Landing (ARC, 1988) - 3D Flight Sim (landing part only), FP view
-Pretty detailed 3D polygonal graphics w/ a decent framerate (2D sprite cockpit)
-Basic textures on the ground?
-Level select
-High color count
Ghouls 'n Ghosts (ARC/MD, 1988)/SGX/X68K/PS1/SAT - Action Platformer/Run 'n Gun
-Basic dynamic difficulty balancing (the 8 DIP switch difficulty settings determine how hard the game gets the longer you stay alive and how much the difficulty drops when losing a life (there are 16 internal settings in all) - look up specifics?)
-Horror theme
-Two loops (have to get the new weapon in the second one as well as beat the final boss with it to get the proper ending)
-Four-way aiming (8 in Contra)
-Charge attack (Shadow Land) - the armor upgrade power up adds an attack which differs depending on your current weapon (one of them is basically a smart bomb)
-Intense action
-Large sprites
-Great variation
Cabal (ARC, 1988) - TPS (fixed movement, single screen)/Gallery Shooter, 2-Player Co-op, Cover Shooter
-Grenades
-Dodge move
-Destructible buildings (Rampage)
The New Zealand Story/Kiwi Kraze (ARC, 1988/NES/SMS/PCE/MD, ) - Action Platformer/Run 'n Gun
-Steal flying enemy vehicles (balloons, rocket/water tank?, spaceship (temporary) - later used in Kirby; can ride some of them either from above or below)
-Get swallowed and fight the first boss from the inside in the New ver. (the flying whale, later re-used in Yoshi's Island)
-Swimming (generally a minor part of a level)
-Different levels on MD (based on alternate ARC version?)
-Basic mini-map feature (shows how large the level is, the exit and your position but no topology or items)
-Some cool weapons (ricocheting fireballs shot from a wand, spitting water while at water surfaces)
-Good enemy variety within each level
-Frequent checkpoints+you start in a balloon if you were flying when killed
-No touch damage from most enemies (spiky ones excluded, you walk through them instead of pushing them or your movement being blocked) - it's their attacks that hurt (later used in Shadow Dancer and Revenge of Shinobi)
-Fairly open and sometimes maze-like levels (generally you're pointed towards the right direction with signs)
-Some alternate paths through levels
-Hidden warps (SMB)
-Movement speed power up (lasts until the end of the level or death; Bubble Bobble, Gauntlet) and temporary invincibility
-Some smart bomb power ups (placed in set locations and trigger when shot or touched though)
-Enemies' vehicles are also hit by spikes - systemic element
-Enemy freeze power ups (kind of rare)
-Mirror teleporter power ups (takes you to the level exit, very rare)
-Some multi-jointed sprites
-Stay too long in a level and a devil starts chasing you (Bubble Bobble)
Power Drift (ARC, 1988) - TP View Kart Racing (2.5D)
-Slopes and bridges (no jump ramps though)
-Cartoon characters (inspired Mario Kart?)
-Fast and smooth sprite scaling
-Impressive FM music (YM2151+PCM)
-Course maps
Ninja Spirit (ARC, 1988)/PCE, 1990/GB, 1993) - Action Platformer/Run 'n Gun
-Clone trail power up
-Intense action
-Small sprites/large bosses
Super Contra (ARC, 1988) - 2-player Co-op Run 'n Gun, Top Down even levels
-Some very large sprites
-Auto-fire (pretty slow unless you're using the missile weapon though)
-Better balanced weapons (nerfed spread, boosted laser - still worse than the others though)
-Improved variation and initially more interesting set pieces
-Better use of FM synth and there are now solid sampled drums+guitars and some voices
-Smart bombs (can hold on to them here)
-Some jump height control (press up to jump higher)
Splatterhouse (ARC, 1988) - Hack 'n Slash/Run 'n Gun or Action Platformer, Side view
-Horror/gore theme
-Some large and detailed sprites
-Fairly impressive FM (YM2151) music
Gain Ground (ARC, 1988/MD, ) - TD Arena Shooter/Puzzle/RTT, 2-Player Co-op
-Rescue characters/units for later use
-Many different player units/chars for the time
-Perma-death/Dead chars stay dead
-One new area on MD
Forgotten Worlds (ARC, 1988/PCE CD/MD, ) - 2-player Co-op Hori-Shooter
-360 degree aiming
-Shops
-Some huge bosses
Double Dragon II (ARC, 1988) - BEU/Platformer hybrid, 2-player Co-op
-Fairly impressive use of FM (YM2151)
-Better variation?
Chase H.Q. (ARC, 1988) - Racing/Search & Destroy Mission (or rather tackle until the car breaks down)
-Rudimentary map shows when you're near the target
-Slopes
Bonze Adventure (ARC/PCE, 1988) - ? Run 'n Gun; Japanese horror theme, shoot while climbing,
Reikai Doushi (ARC, 1988) - ? Fighting; digitized graphics,
Atomic Runner/Chelnov (ARC, 1988)/MD (1992) - Auto-Scrolling Action Platformer/Run 'n Gun hybrid; better on MD
Rainbow Islands Extra (ARC, 1988/MD, ) - Vertical Platformer; create platforms, flight power up, unlockable extra island (diamond combo),
Psycho-nics Oscar (ARC, 1988) - Run 'n Gun; Gradius-style upgrade system,
Gradius II/Vulcan Venture (NES/ARC, 1988/PCE CD/X68K, 1992)/PS1/SAT, 1996) - 2-player Co-op H-Shooter; choose weapon setup pre-game,
Kickle Cubicle/Meikyu Jima (NES/ARC, 1988) - TD Puzzle; block pushing/sliding, revolving pole puzzles,
Toobin' (ARC, 1988) - Water Racing (tubes?)/Combat, 2-player vs.,
Robocop (ARC, 1988) - Action Platformer w/ some QTE (quick-time events), Light-Gun style bonus level; longer voice samples,
Silkworm (AMI/ARC, 1988) - 2-player Asymmetrical Co-op (one player controls a helicopter, one a jeep) H-Shooter;
Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair (ARC, 1988)/PCE CD, 1989/MD, 1990) - H-Shooter segments (where you fight the bosses), 2-player Co-op
-Cling to platform edges and climb up
-Very good visual variation
-Large and detailed bosses
-Timed weapons (Fantasy Zone)
Altered Beast (ARC/MD, 1988) - Side view Beat 'em up, 2-Player Co-op
-Transformations (upgrade your strength 3+ times in a level to turn into a beast which differs for each one
-Flight (level 2/dragon form)
-Attack upwards
-Alternate ranged attacks
-Petrify enemies (level 3/the bear)
-Interactive staff roll
-Dash attack/tackle in wolf form which can be used as an air dash
-Upwards air dash in tiger form (level 4)
Syvalion (ARC, 1988) - Dragon avatar (multi-jointed sprite)
P.O.W.: Prisoners of War (ARC, 1988) - 2-player Co-op; guns (limited ammo), grenades (explosions caused by enemies also affect them), exploding barrels, some pits
Truxton/Tatsujin (ARC, 1988/MD/PCE, ) - Vertical Shoot 'em up
-Smart bombs
-Large bosses
-Level transitions
-Checkpoints
Märchen Maze (ARC, 1988/X68K, 1991) - Isometric Run 'n Gun; fantasy/cutesy theme, charge attack
Operation Thunderbolt (ARC, 1988/AMI, 1989) - ? 2-player Co-op Light Gun Shooter, Rail Shooter segments;
Mirai Ninja/Cyber Ninja (ARC, 1988) - Fast paced, small sprites, tight vertical scrolling
Assault (ARC, 1988) - TD R&G/Maze Shooter?, Tank-based; 360 degree targeting (rotates the screen),
Ninja Kazan/Iga Ninjutsuden: Goshin no Sho (ARC, 1988) - Similar to SonSon II and Castlevania, travel the world theme
Bloody Wolf (ARC, 1988/PCE, 1989) - ? TD Run 'n Gun; tilted view segments, jumping
Bakutotsu Kijuutei/Baraduke II (ARC, 1988) - ? Flight Action; female protagonist?
Fire Shark (ARC, 1989/MD, ) - V-Shooter; smart bombs, upgradeable weapons (near screen covering), military theme
Superman (ARC, 1988) - 2-player Co-op Shoot 'em up/side view BEU hybrid; flight,
Ninja Gaiden (ARC, 1988) - ? 2-player co-op BEU; acrobatics, 2.5D elements
1943 Kai (ARC, 1988/PCE, 1991) - ? V-Shooter; military theme
Thunder Cross (ARC, 1988) - 2-player Co-op; gun drones, credits stop working after reaching the final stage!
The Ninja Warriors (ARC, 1988/MCD, ) - 2-player Co-op, side view BEU; two screens wide gameplay field
Bad Dudes vs. Dragon Ninja (ARC, 1988/NES, ) - 2-player?, side view BEU w/ Platformer elements;
Last Duel (ARC, 1988) - 2-player Co-op V-Shooter; gun drones,
NARC (ARC, 1988/ ) - 2-player Co-op BEU, guns?
Ordyne (ARC, 1988) - 2-player Co-op H-Shooter; ?
Kabuki Z (ARC, 1988) - ? BEU;
Cloud Master (ARC, 1988) - H-Shooter; shops,
Image Fight (ARC, 1988/PCE, 1990) - ?
Apache 3 (ARC, 1988) - Rail Shooter/Hostage Rescue;
1989:
S.T.U.N. Runner (ARC, 1989/Lynx, ) - 3D Race against the clock/Rail Shooter
-Polygonal graphics (cars and track)
-Fast, pretty smooth framerate and draw distance overall (sometimes gets pretty choppy)
-Boost pads and segments which slow you down (RC Pro-Am)
-Smart bombs (shockwave style, clears otherwise invulnerable enemies)
-Round tunnels which you can loop sideways in (similar to Wipeout or Sonic 2's special stages) - use the opposite wall to gain more speed in turns
-Tunnels with turns and slopes
-Hover car which falls apart gradually as you take damage (car damage/multiple destructible parts)
-Jumps via ramps (Enduro Racer)
-Some courses have alternate paths
-Get tips on the next course between courses (sometimes useless though)
-Difficulty options which change the course layouts (three levels)
-Can aim upwards (some air enemies)
-Pretty good voice samples
-Course maps (only shown before racing though)
Hard Drivin' (ARC, 1989/MD, ) - Driving Sim
-Polygonal graphics
-Loops
-Replay feature (satisfying crashes for the time)
-10 second timer starts when off road (then the game puts you back on track; there's also a button for this on the cabinet)
-Automatic or manual transmission
Valkyrie no Densetsu/Legend of Valkyrie (ARC, 1989/PCE, 1990) - 2-player co-op (second player is Whirlo from the SNES game), Top Down Maze Shooter/Platformer hybrid
-Norse mythology/cutesy theme
-Alternate paths through levels
-Minor RPG/Adventure elements (NPC encounters (in the third level there's a quiz that can kill you and at the mammoth you can get sent back to the beginning of the level), shops (weapon upgrades, health), rescue NPCs from mini-bosses, magic inventory)
-Impressive FM (YM2151+C140) music
-Good use of scaling effects overall (giant/big spell, bouncing around high above ground in the castle segment, in-game intro where you jump down from a cloud, platforming segment high in the sky, lava cave boss, etc.)
-Some interesting spells (create mini-clones of yourself that act like gun drones/options in shooters but can fall down pits here)
-Decent cutscenes between levels (text and pics with minor animation - can skip on a per pic/paragraph basis)
-Can block some projectiles by hitting them with your sword
-Very good variation
Final Fight (ARC, 1989)/MCD - 2-player Co-op Beat 'em up
-Grabs and throws (Renegade)
-Pits (Double Dragon)
-Grenades
-Decent hazard variation
-Large sprites
-Very good visual variation
Strider (ARC, 1989/MD, 1990) - Action Platformer
-Gun drone and hawk robot mascots
-Wall climbing and ceiling climbing
-Somersaults
-Weapon and HP upgrades
-Very good variation
-Cutscenes with voice acting (Dragon's Lair?, Ninja Gaiden had cutscenes without VA)
-Attack off of walls
-Some large and detailed sprites
-One mountable boss (flying snake)
Golden Axe (MD/ARC, 1989) - 2-player Co-op, Hack 'n Slash, Platformer elements
-Beast rides
-Throws
-Pits (Renegade, Double Dragon)
-Large bosses and magic effect sprites
-Upgradeable magic attacks/smart bombs
-Medieval fantasy theme (Rastan)
-Some dialogue during gameplay
-Meta ending (ARC ver.)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/TMNT (ARC, 1989/NES, 1990) - 4-player Co-op! Beat 'em up, One auto-scrolling level
-Bounce and attack off of walls
-High jumps
-Enemies can grab you (mash to get loose)
-Fast paced
-Somewhat interactive environment
-Three different jump kicks
-Great visual variation
-Decent hazard variation
-Exploding barrels
-Auto-throw move (activated after a set amount of foot soldiers are killed (different for each turtle) and can be used against them only)
-No friendly fire?
-No pits?
Crack Down (ARC, 1989/MD, 1990) - Maze Shooter/Stealth/Cover Shooter, 2-player Co-op (Split-screen), TD View
-Map feature (mini-map in GUI)
-Cling to and move alongside walls (lets you dodge regular shots)
-Enemies can kill each other (systemic element)
-Small sprites/zoomed out view
Burning Force (ARC, 1989/MD, 1990)/X68K, ) - Rail Shooter, Water Scooter/Plane hybrid
-Jumps via ramps
-Impresssive FM music (YM2151+PCM)
-Homing missiles?
Willow (ARC, 1989) - Action Platformer/Hack 'n Slash, Maze (one level)
-Shops
-Spells
-Two different playable characters (can't pick manually though)
-Some large sprites
-Upgradeable charge attacks
Dynamite Duke (ARC, 1989) - Rail Shooter/TP Shooter/TP Fighting Hybrid (Cabal-like Gallery Shooter)
-Good enemy variation
-Large sprites
-Good bosses overall (multiple phases, ranged and melee moves)
-Dodge move (Cabal?)
-Mini-bosses
-Hidden items
-Partially destructible environments (Cabal, Rampage, etc.)
-Smart bombs (need to be charged up; Defender, Gauntlet, etc.)
-Optional "pay to win" mechanic (can insert a credit between some levels for extra items)
-Some gore (Splatterhouse, Chiller 1986)
Night Striker (ARC, 1989) - Rail Shooter w/ Driving & Flying Car
-Branching paths between levels (Darius-style with different final levels and bosses)
-Quick briefing screens before each level (shows a pic of the boss and its name)
-Water splash effect when flying near water and skidding effect when touching tunnel walls or roofs
-Multiple endings (some of them are funny in an over the top serious way and there's some engrish in several of them)
-Moving wall hazards (later used in Panorama Cotton and Star Fox)
-Slopes and tunnels (Out Run)
-Health bar/shield in a shooter (5 HP)
-Respawn on the spot
-Transform into a mech for some of the final levels (cool but makes it harder to see hazards and makes you a large target) - in another your car is destroyed and you fly around like in Space Harrier instead which plays better and in yet another your car is upgraded into a ship with a stronger weapon (stage T)
-Vaguely cyberpunk aesthetic (the music is more jazz fusion/synth prog rock with some 90s dance elements though - more so on SAT)
SAT (Night Striker S):
-Adds an Extra Game mode (6 remixed levels and higher challenge), auto-center (like Space Harrier) on/off toggle, adds an extra CG intro (looks decent for the time and features a good arranged version of the main theme which is different from the MCD one), optional auto-fire, limited continues (just 3 on Normal)
Toki (ARC, 1989/AMI, 1991/NES) - Action Platformer/Run 'n Gun, All power ups are timed (can't keep the helmet for bosses - Fantasy Zone?)
-Mine cart segment
-8-way aiming while climbing (5-way on the ground)
-Some interesting mechanics (jump shoes, springs)
-Some interesting weapons (flamethrower, charge shot)
-Good bosses
-Swimming levels are actually fun
-Mini-bosses
-Very forgiving checkpoints
-Difficulty options
-Good enemy variation
-You can increase HP by collecting a helmet (temporary?)
-Bounce on enemies (used to reach some power ups) - SMB
Legend of Hero Tonma (ARC/PCE, 1989) - 2-player Co-op (1-player on PCE?), Action Platformer/Run 'n Gun, Vertical Platformer segments
-Temporary shield power up (5 extra hits)
-Pretty big and detailed boss sprites
-Bounce on enemy heads (fairly controllable height, does minor damage)
-Power up that turns enemies into coins for a short period of time (sort of like a smart bomb)
-Hover jumps (press up, usually not that useful though)
-Cartoony
-Some invincibility time when picking up a power up
Dynasty Wars (ARC, 1989) - 2-player Co-op Hack 'n Slash
-Horseback riding (doesn't affect gameplay much)
-Charge attacks
-Upgradeable weapon
-Somewhat destructible environment
-Bosses are assisted by minions who all die when you defeat them (Gun.Smoke?)
-No jumping nor grabs or throws
-A basic combo is gained as you progress?
-Small sprites but many of them on-screen at the same time
-Some dialogue during gameplay (like in RCR)
-No running?
Shadow Dancer (ARC, 1989) - Action Platformer/Run 'n Gun-ish, Timed Bomb Defusal Mission
-Dog companion (can stun enemies (moves on its own), turns into a puppy if hit but can be restored by collecting a bomb)
-Pretty good magic attack cutscenes (altered beast-style)
-Enemies don't hurt simply by touching (unless you walk into a knife or sword)
Act Fancer: Cybernetick Hyper Weapon (ARC, 1989) - Action Platformer/Run 'n Gun
-Hover jump
-Post-apocalypse/gore theme
-Double weapon attack (like in Fantasy Zone)
R-Type II (ARC, 1989/AMI, 1991) - Horizontal Shoot 'em up
-Sometimes interactive environments (waterfalls, breakable walls)
-Rescue some allies during the final boss fight
-Charge beam (full charge tears through enemies, super charge covers almost the entire screen with projectiles)
-Impressive graphics
-One new weapon type
-Pretty frequent checkpoints
-Nice in-game ending cutscene (in which you and your allies and escape from the enemy ship)
Tetris (1984 port/ARC, 1988/NES/C64/GB, 1989/MD, 1989) - Falling Block Puzzle, 2-player vs. (Atari only?)
UN Squadron (ARC, 1989) - 2-player Co-op, air to ground attacks (Gradius)
-Three playable characters
-Shops
Turbo OutRun (ARC, 1989) - Race against the clock, No 2-player
-Turbo feature (has a 10+ second cooldown period after each use) - Super Hang-On
-Light RPG/career mode feature (choose between an engine/tyres (grip)/turbo upgrade between levels - only one level for each though sadly so your build always ends up the same)
-Manual or automatic transmission toggle
-Some new obstacles like barrels and fence roadblocks that you can run through and break (only slows you down a bit)
-Pretty impressive FM music (YM2151+PCM), More music variety during a playthrough
-New surface types (water, oil - if you use your turbo here it's lit on fire, sand, grovel, snow) and bumps on the road (these make you jump a little bit - good feedback when landing)
-While there aren't proper branching paths here the road does occasionally split in two
-Rival car
-Get chased by the police (they can't catch you though unlike in Road Rash for example)
-Good sense of speed for the time
-An animated band plays between levels and during the ending
-Basic weather effects (rain, sand/dust storm, falling snow) - quite pixelated and without transparency though
-Infinite continues? (coin-based)
-Locations are loosely based on various US states (the route starts on the US east coast and ends on its west coast)
Marvel Land (ARC/MD, 1989) - Platformer/Action Platformer, Mini-game boss fights (janken, button mashing)
-Warps
-Rotating platforms
-Cutesy
Gradius III (ARC, 1989/SNES, ) - Hori-Shooter
-4 weapon arsenal setups + edit mode
-Pretty impressive FM (YM2151) music
-No 2-player simultaneous, No continues
Prehistoric Isle in 1930 (ARC, 1989) - Some vertical scrolling segments, 2-player Co-op H-Shooter
-Dinosaur theme
Darius II/Sagia (ARC, 1989) - 2-player Co-op
-Two screens wide gameplay field
-Many different paths through the game (choose between two after each beaten level)
-Comical/bizarre elements
LED Storm (ARC/C64, 1989) - ? Racing w/ jumping;
ESWAT: Cyber Police (ARC, 1989) - Action Platformer/Run 'n Gun (can’t move backwards in levels), 2-Player Co-op, Side View, Time limit (two difficulty levels)
-Transform into a mech/robocop-like after three levels (stronger weapon, gradually breaks apart when hit)
-Hostage situations (second boss)
-Sub weapons (some act like smart bombs, very limited ammo) - Gradius?
-Some neat level transitions
-Bosses taunt you before fights (voiced)
-Double plane gameplay and balconies in some segments (Shinobi/Rolling Thunder-style)
-Difficulty options (4 levels, starting lives options, coin worth options)
-Move while shooting and while crouching
-Limited ammo
-Large sprites
Line of Fire (ARC, 1989) - Light Gun/Rail Shooter, 2-player Co-op; sprite scaling
Klax (ARC, 1989/MD/PCE etc., ) - 2-player vs.;
Laser Ghost (ARC, 1989) - 2-player Co-op Light Gun Shooter, Rail Shooter segments; horror theme,
Wild Fang/Tecmo Knight (ARC, 1989) - 2-player Co-op, Platformer elements
-Switch between two characters/mounts on the fly (small guy riding a tiger or the same guy riding a semi-giant) - invincibility while switching. Can also find a timed dragon transformation power up (it's invincible)
-Pits (Renegade, Double Dragon)
-Bombs
-Medieval fantasy theme
-Gore (can behead enemies)
-Can knock objects into placed bombs causing chain reactions
The Astyanax (ARC, 1989/NES, 1990) - Action Platformer/Side View Hack 'n Slash/Beat 'em up, 2-player co-op (helps with stamina and overall difficulty and pacing)
-Charge attack/Stamina bar - affects your attack strength (makes some parts rather slow/button mash heavy if you don't know when to use your magic (which you can only hold one of))
-Nice visuals w/ some large and detailed sprites
-Nice artwork stills between levels showing the previous boss fight
-Shield (auto-use)
-Smart bomb/magic attack (upgradeable) - Defender
-Good jump control
-Good enemy variation
-Instant respawn/respawn on the spot
-Lady enemies lose their clothes and run away when beaten
-Male boob plate
Exterminator (ARC, 1989) - Action/Gallery Shooter, FP View ("severed hands" avatar), 2-player co-op (compete for score)
-Plays like a mix of Space Invaders (in semi-3D), Sliding block puzzles and some pinball games like Devil's Crush (where you could reach other rooms by meeting certain conditions)
-Fully digitized graphics
-Enemy descriptions before levels
-Crush attack (similar to stomp attacks in some later games)
Mechanized Attack (ARC, 1989) - ? Light Gun
Dragon Breed (ARC, 1989) - Syvalion-like (ride a multi-jointed dragon) H-Shooter; some manual vertical scrolling
X-Multiply (ARC, 1989/PS1, ) - 2-player Co-op?; tentacles (similar to the pod in R-Type), gore/horror sci-fi theme
Sly Spy (ARC, 1989) - Action Platformer, Auto-scrolling faling segment (intro level); two swimming levels, some vertical downward platforming, jump kicks
Escape from the Planet of the Robot Monsters (AXL/ARC, 1989) - Isometric, Cover Shooter (ducking), 2-player Co-op, Hover Car segments
-360 degree aiming (Forgotten Worlds)
-Minor stealth elements
-Cling to platform edges and climb up
-Jumping?
Hellfire (MD/ARC, 1989/PCE CD, ) - Horizontal Shoot 'em up
-Aiming mode switch
Midnight Resistance (ARC, 1989)/MD (1991) - Run 'n Gun
-8-way aiming
-Weapon select room after intro level
-Smart bomb-like alternate attack
Plotting (ARC/NES, 1989/Multi, 1990) - Matching Puzzle/Shooter Hybrid (Match 2)
-90 degree ricocheting shots (if you shoot into the wall above the pile of symbol blocks)
-Falling blocks (tetris/chain shot!)
-The block type next to the blocks you clear determines your next equipped block type (the block next to the cleared blocks switches to the same type as the ones cleared)
Vapor Trail (ARC, 1989/MD, 1991) - 2-player Co-op; voice samples
Demon's World/Horror Story (ARC/PCE CD, 1989) - Auto-Scrolling Run 'n Gun, 2-player Co-op
-Double jump (Dragon Buster)
Don Doko Don (ARC, 1989)/NES/PCE (1990) - Bubble Bobble-like, 2-player Co-op;
Trio the Punch: Never Forget Me... (ARC, 1989) - 1990? - Side view Beat 'em up/Action Platformer
-Comedic
-Multiple playable chars
Atomic Robo-Kid (ARC etc., 1989) - Flight-based Action/Run 'n Gun; large sprites/zoomed in view
Volfied (ARC, 1989/ ) - Fence off enough of the level to win, fence in enemies to kill them, top down view
Zero Wing (ARC, 1989/MD, 1991/PCE CD, ) - Gun drones,
Arkanoid: Revenge of Doh (ARC, 1987) -
Pang/Buster Bros/Pomping World (ARC/PCE CD/AMI etc., 1989) - Arena Shooter/Space Invaders variation, 2-player Co-op?; side view
S.T.U.N. Runner (ARC, 1989/Lynx, ) - 3D Race against the clock/Rail Shooter
-Polygonal graphics (cars and track)
-Fast, pretty smooth framerate and draw distance overall (sometimes gets pretty choppy)
-Boost pads and segments which slow you down (RC Pro-Am)
-Smart bombs (shockwave style, clears otherwise invulnerable enemies)
-Round tunnels which you can loop sideways in (similar to Wipeout or Sonic 2's special stages) - use the opposite wall to gain more speed in turns
-Tunnels with turns and slopes
-Hover car which falls apart gradually as you take damage (car damage/multiple destructible parts)
-Jumps via ramps (Enduro Racer)
-Some courses have alternate paths
-Get tips on the next course between courses (sometimes useless though)
-Difficulty options which change the course layouts (three levels)
-Can aim upwards (some air enemies)
-Pretty good voice samples
-Course maps (only shown before racing though)
Hard Drivin' (ARC, 1989/MD, ) - Driving Sim
-Polygonal graphics
-Loops
-Replay feature (satisfying crashes for the time)
-10 second timer starts when off road (then the game puts you back on track; there's also a button for this on the cabinet)
-Automatic or manual transmission
Valkyrie no Densetsu/Legend of Valkyrie (ARC, 1989/PCE, 1990) - 2-player co-op (second player is Whirlo from the SNES game), Top Down Maze Shooter/Platformer hybrid
-Norse mythology/cutesy theme
-Alternate paths through levels
-Minor RPG/Adventure elements (NPC encounters (in the third level there's a quiz that can kill you and at the mammoth you can get sent back to the beginning of the level), shops (weapon upgrades, health), rescue NPCs from mini-bosses, magic inventory)
-Impressive FM (YM2151+C140) music
-Good use of scaling effects overall (giant/big spell, bouncing around high above ground in the castle segment, in-game intro where you jump down from a cloud, platforming segment high in the sky, lava cave boss, etc.)
-Some interesting spells (create mini-clones of yourself that act like gun drones/options in shooters but can fall down pits here)
-Decent cutscenes between levels (text and pics with minor animation - can skip on a per pic/paragraph basis)
-Can block some projectiles by hitting them with your sword
-Very good variation
Final Fight (ARC, 1989)/MCD - 2-player Co-op Beat 'em up
-Grabs and throws (Renegade)
-Pits (Double Dragon)
-Grenades
-Decent hazard variation
-Large sprites
-Very good visual variation
Strider (ARC, 1989/MD, 1990) - Action Platformer
-Gun drone and hawk robot mascots
-Wall climbing and ceiling climbing
-Somersaults
-Weapon and HP upgrades
-Very good variation
-Cutscenes with voice acting (Dragon's Lair?, Ninja Gaiden had cutscenes without VA)
-Attack off of walls
-Some large and detailed sprites
-One mountable boss (flying snake)
Golden Axe (MD/ARC, 1989) - 2-player Co-op, Hack 'n Slash, Platformer elements
-Beast rides
-Throws
-Pits (Renegade, Double Dragon)
-Large bosses and magic effect sprites
-Upgradeable magic attacks/smart bombs
-Medieval fantasy theme (Rastan)
-Some dialogue during gameplay
-Meta ending (ARC ver.)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/TMNT (ARC, 1989/NES, 1990) - 4-player Co-op! Beat 'em up, One auto-scrolling level
-Bounce and attack off of walls
-High jumps
-Enemies can grab you (mash to get loose)
-Fast paced
-Somewhat interactive environment
-Three different jump kicks
-Great visual variation
-Decent hazard variation
-Exploding barrels
-Auto-throw move (activated after a set amount of foot soldiers are killed (different for each turtle) and can be used against them only)
-No friendly fire?
-No pits?
Crack Down (ARC, 1989/MD, 1990) - Maze Shooter/Stealth/Cover Shooter, 2-player Co-op (Split-screen), TD View
-Map feature (mini-map in GUI)
-Cling to and move alongside walls (lets you dodge regular shots)
-Enemies can kill each other (systemic element)
-Small sprites/zoomed out view
Burning Force (ARC, 1989/MD, 1990)/X68K, ) - Rail Shooter, Water Scooter/Plane hybrid
-Jumps via ramps
-Impresssive FM music (YM2151+PCM)
-Homing missiles?
Willow (ARC, 1989) - Action Platformer/Hack 'n Slash, Maze (one level)
-Shops
-Spells
-Two different playable characters (can't pick manually though)
-Some large sprites
-Upgradeable charge attacks
Dynamite Duke (ARC, 1989) - Rail Shooter/TP Shooter/TP Fighting Hybrid (Cabal-like Gallery Shooter)
-Good enemy variation
-Large sprites
-Good bosses overall (multiple phases, ranged and melee moves)
-Dodge move (Cabal?)
-Mini-bosses
-Hidden items
-Partially destructible environments (Cabal, Rampage, etc.)
-Smart bombs (need to be charged up; Defender, Gauntlet, etc.)
-Optional "pay to win" mechanic (can insert a credit between some levels for extra items)
-Some gore (Splatterhouse, Chiller 1986)
Night Striker (ARC, 1989) - Rail Shooter w/ Driving & Flying Car
-Branching paths between levels (Darius-style with different final levels and bosses)
-Quick briefing screens before each level (shows a pic of the boss and its name)
-Water splash effect when flying near water and skidding effect when touching tunnel walls or roofs
-Multiple endings (some of them are funny in an over the top serious way and there's some engrish in several of them)
-Moving wall hazards (later used in Panorama Cotton and Star Fox)
-Slopes and tunnels (Out Run)
-Health bar/shield in a shooter (5 HP)
-Respawn on the spot
-Transform into a mech for some of the final levels (cool but makes it harder to see hazards and makes you a large target) - in another your car is destroyed and you fly around like in Space Harrier instead which plays better and in yet another your car is upgraded into a ship with a stronger weapon (stage T)
-Vaguely cyberpunk aesthetic (the music is more jazz fusion/synth prog rock with some 90s dance elements though - more so on SAT)
SAT (Night Striker S):
-Adds an Extra Game mode (6 remixed levels and higher challenge), auto-center (like Space Harrier) on/off toggle, adds an extra CG intro (looks decent for the time and features a good arranged version of the main theme which is different from the MCD one), optional auto-fire, limited continues (just 3 on Normal)
Toki (ARC, 1989/AMI, 1991/NES) - Action Platformer/Run 'n Gun, All power ups are timed (can't keep the helmet for bosses - Fantasy Zone?)
-Mine cart segment
-8-way aiming while climbing (5-way on the ground)
-Some interesting mechanics (jump shoes, springs)
-Some interesting weapons (flamethrower, charge shot)
-Good bosses
-Swimming levels are actually fun
-Mini-bosses
-Very forgiving checkpoints
-Difficulty options
-Good enemy variation
-You can increase HP by collecting a helmet (temporary?)
-Bounce on enemies (used to reach some power ups) - SMB
Legend of Hero Tonma (ARC/PCE, 1989) - 2-player Co-op (1-player on PCE?), Action Platformer/Run 'n Gun, Vertical Platformer segments
-Temporary shield power up (5 extra hits)
-Pretty big and detailed boss sprites
-Bounce on enemy heads (fairly controllable height, does minor damage)
-Power up that turns enemies into coins for a short period of time (sort of like a smart bomb)
-Hover jumps (press up, usually not that useful though)
-Cartoony
-Some invincibility time when picking up a power up
Dynasty Wars (ARC, 1989) - 2-player Co-op Hack 'n Slash
-Horseback riding (doesn't affect gameplay much)
-Charge attacks
-Upgradeable weapon
-Somewhat destructible environment
-Bosses are assisted by minions who all die when you defeat them (Gun.Smoke?)
-No jumping nor grabs or throws
-A basic combo is gained as you progress?
-Small sprites but many of them on-screen at the same time
-Some dialogue during gameplay (like in RCR)
-No running?
Shadow Dancer (ARC, 1989) - Action Platformer/Run 'n Gun-ish, Timed Bomb Defusal Mission
-Dog companion (can stun enemies (moves on its own), turns into a puppy if hit but can be restored by collecting a bomb)
-Pretty good magic attack cutscenes (altered beast-style)
-Enemies don't hurt simply by touching (unless you walk into a knife or sword)
Act Fancer: Cybernetick Hyper Weapon (ARC, 1989) - Action Platformer/Run 'n Gun
-Hover jump
-Post-apocalypse/gore theme
-Double weapon attack (like in Fantasy Zone)
R-Type II (ARC, 1989/AMI, 1991) - Horizontal Shoot 'em up
-Sometimes interactive environments (waterfalls, breakable walls)
-Rescue some allies during the final boss fight
-Charge beam (full charge tears through enemies, super charge covers almost the entire screen with projectiles)
-Impressive graphics
-One new weapon type
-Pretty frequent checkpoints
-Nice in-game ending cutscene (in which you and your allies and escape from the enemy ship)
Tetris (1984 port/ARC, 1988/NES/C64/GB, 1989/MD, 1989) - Falling Block Puzzle, 2-player vs. (Atari only?)
UN Squadron (ARC, 1989) - 2-player Co-op, air to ground attacks (Gradius)
-Three playable characters
-Shops
Turbo OutRun (ARC, 1989) - Race against the clock, No 2-player
-Turbo feature (has a 10+ second cooldown period after each use) - Super Hang-On
-Light RPG/career mode feature (choose between an engine/tyres (grip)/turbo upgrade between levels - only one level for each though sadly so your build always ends up the same)
-Manual or automatic transmission toggle
-Some new obstacles like barrels and fence roadblocks that you can run through and break (only slows you down a bit)
-Pretty impressive FM music (YM2151+PCM), More music variety during a playthrough
-New surface types (water, oil - if you use your turbo here it's lit on fire, sand, grovel, snow) and bumps on the road (these make you jump a little bit - good feedback when landing)
-While there aren't proper branching paths here the road does occasionally split in two
-Rival car
-Get chased by the police (they can't catch you though unlike in Road Rash for example)
-Good sense of speed for the time
-An animated band plays between levels and during the ending
-Basic weather effects (rain, sand/dust storm, falling snow) - quite pixelated and without transparency though
-Infinite continues? (coin-based)
-Locations are loosely based on various US states (the route starts on the US east coast and ends on its west coast)
Marvel Land (ARC/MD, 1989) - Platformer/Action Platformer, Mini-game boss fights (janken, button mashing)
-Warps
-Rotating platforms
-Cutesy
Gradius III (ARC, 1989/SNES, ) - Hori-Shooter
-4 weapon arsenal setups + edit mode
-Pretty impressive FM (YM2151) music
-No 2-player simultaneous, No continues
Prehistoric Isle in 1930 (ARC, 1989) - Some vertical scrolling segments, 2-player Co-op H-Shooter
-Dinosaur theme
Darius II/Sagia (ARC, 1989) - 2-player Co-op
-Two screens wide gameplay field
-Many different paths through the game (choose between two after each beaten level)
-Comical/bizarre elements
LED Storm (ARC/C64, 1989) - ? Racing w/ jumping;
ESWAT: Cyber Police (ARC, 1989) - Action Platformer/Run 'n Gun (can’t move backwards in levels), 2-Player Co-op, Side View, Time limit (two difficulty levels)
-Transform into a mech/robocop-like after three levels (stronger weapon, gradually breaks apart when hit)
-Hostage situations (second boss)
-Sub weapons (some act like smart bombs, very limited ammo) - Gradius?
-Some neat level transitions
-Bosses taunt you before fights (voiced)
-Double plane gameplay and balconies in some segments (Shinobi/Rolling Thunder-style)
-Difficulty options (4 levels, starting lives options, coin worth options)
-Move while shooting and while crouching
-Limited ammo
-Large sprites
Line of Fire (ARC, 1989) - Light Gun/Rail Shooter, 2-player Co-op; sprite scaling
Klax (ARC, 1989/MD/PCE etc., ) - 2-player vs.;
Laser Ghost (ARC, 1989) - 2-player Co-op Light Gun Shooter, Rail Shooter segments; horror theme,
Wild Fang/Tecmo Knight (ARC, 1989) - 2-player Co-op, Platformer elements
-Switch between two characters/mounts on the fly (small guy riding a tiger or the same guy riding a semi-giant) - invincibility while switching. Can also find a timed dragon transformation power up (it's invincible)
-Pits (Renegade, Double Dragon)
-Bombs
-Medieval fantasy theme
-Gore (can behead enemies)
-Can knock objects into placed bombs causing chain reactions
The Astyanax (ARC, 1989/NES, 1990) - Action Platformer/Side View Hack 'n Slash/Beat 'em up, 2-player co-op (helps with stamina and overall difficulty and pacing)
-Charge attack/Stamina bar - affects your attack strength (makes some parts rather slow/button mash heavy if you don't know when to use your magic (which you can only hold one of))
-Nice visuals w/ some large and detailed sprites
-Nice artwork stills between levels showing the previous boss fight
-Shield (auto-use)
-Smart bomb/magic attack (upgradeable) - Defender
-Good jump control
-Good enemy variation
-Instant respawn/respawn on the spot
-Lady enemies lose their clothes and run away when beaten
-Male boob plate
Exterminator (ARC, 1989) - Action/Gallery Shooter, FP View ("severed hands" avatar), 2-player co-op (compete for score)
-Plays like a mix of Space Invaders (in semi-3D), Sliding block puzzles and some pinball games like Devil's Crush (where you could reach other rooms by meeting certain conditions)
-Fully digitized graphics
-Enemy descriptions before levels
-Crush attack (similar to stomp attacks in some later games)
Mechanized Attack (ARC, 1989) - ? Light Gun
Dragon Breed (ARC, 1989) - Syvalion-like (ride a multi-jointed dragon) H-Shooter; some manual vertical scrolling
X-Multiply (ARC, 1989/PS1, ) - 2-player Co-op?; tentacles (similar to the pod in R-Type), gore/horror sci-fi theme
Sly Spy (ARC, 1989) - Action Platformer, Auto-scrolling faling segment (intro level); two swimming levels, some vertical downward platforming, jump kicks
Escape from the Planet of the Robot Monsters (AXL/ARC, 1989) - Isometric, Cover Shooter (ducking), 2-player Co-op, Hover Car segments
-360 degree aiming (Forgotten Worlds)
-Minor stealth elements
-Cling to platform edges and climb up
-Jumping?
Hellfire (MD/ARC, 1989/PCE CD, ) - Horizontal Shoot 'em up
-Aiming mode switch
Midnight Resistance (ARC, 1989)/MD (1991) - Run 'n Gun
-8-way aiming
-Weapon select room after intro level
-Smart bomb-like alternate attack
Plotting (ARC/NES, 1989/Multi, 1990) - Matching Puzzle/Shooter Hybrid (Match 2)
-90 degree ricocheting shots (if you shoot into the wall above the pile of symbol blocks)
-Falling blocks (tetris/chain shot!)
-The block type next to the blocks you clear determines your next equipped block type (the block next to the cleared blocks switches to the same type as the ones cleared)
Vapor Trail (ARC, 1989/MD, 1991) - 2-player Co-op; voice samples
Demon's World/Horror Story (ARC/PCE CD, 1989) - Auto-Scrolling Run 'n Gun, 2-player Co-op
-Double jump (Dragon Buster)
Don Doko Don (ARC, 1989)/NES/PCE (1990) - Bubble Bobble-like, 2-player Co-op;
Trio the Punch: Never Forget Me... (ARC, 1989) - 1990? - Side view Beat 'em up/Action Platformer
-Comedic
-Multiple playable chars
Atomic Robo-Kid (ARC etc., 1989) - Flight-based Action/Run 'n Gun; large sprites/zoomed in view
Volfied (ARC, 1989/ ) - Fence off enough of the level to win, fence in enemies to kill them, top down view
Zero Wing (ARC, 1989/MD, 1991/PCE CD, ) - Gun drones,
Arkanoid: Revenge of Doh (ARC, 1987) -
Pang/Buster Bros/Pomping World (ARC/PCE CD/AMI etc., 1989) - Arena Shooter/Space Invaders variation, 2-player Co-op?; side view