Developed and published by Data East for the arcades in 1989 its gameplay is very reminiscent of the Contra / Probotector saga released by Konami.In Europe the game was ported by Special FX to several 8-bit and 16-bit home computers and published in 1990 by Ocean Software. The Genesis conversion was done in 1991 by ISCO / Opera House and given a new soundtrack composed by Hitoshi Sakimoto.It is notable in its original arcade format for having a rotatable hat as part of the joystick. The joystick 'hat's rotation would then relate to the direction the player's character aimed their weapon in the game. This was an innovative approach to solving a re-occuring problem in platform shoot 'em-ups, of aiming in a different direction to the movement of the player's character. The arcade version also supports a two players co-op mode which was omitted in all other portings except on the Amiga.StoryThere are different story versions depending on the platform the game was released on: In the Arcade version, two nameless brothers are on a mission to rescue their family from an alien mutant known as King Crimson.In the home computer versions published by Ocean Software, a ruthless Commissar, leader of a vicious regime of megalomaniacs, has kidnapped the players family (including the grandfather - a world famous scientist in the field of weapons research). Now it is the task of the player to free his relatives before the evil Commissar forces the grandfather to reveal his superior weapons research which he can then use to subjugate the world.In the Genesis version, the player assumes the role of Johnny Ford (Daichi Madoka in the Japanese version) a member of an operative group who shuts down drug cartels. Johnny's father, Dr. Malcom Ford, is also a fighter against drug abuse and is about to research a serum that would break people's addiction to lethal drugs. He has tested it on laboratory rats, and is in the process of making it safe for use by human beings. When Crimson King, the head of the most powerfull drug cartel, finds out about the research he loses no time and immediately kidnaps the whole family. After completing his last mission, Johnny returns home only to find an devastated house. When he sees a note in which King Crimson kidnapped his entire family he immediately starts for the tropical island called Matano. Since Johnny knows the Crimson King's organization inside and out, he suspects this to be the place where his family is being held.GameplayWith a character, that resembles Rambo and is armed with an automatic weapon, nine rather short levels have to be crossed before the final showdown with King Crimson. The play mechanics and controls are similar to that of the Contra series and the Arcade and Amiga versions can be played by two players in a co-op mode. The main protagonist can run in two directions, jump, crawl, climb ladders and shoot in eight directions(clockwise or counter-clockwise).The Arcade game has as already mentioned a special rotating joystick similar to the one used in Ikari Warriors for independent control of movement and firing. This property has been cumbersome ported to the other systems that lack this joystick. In the home computer versions for example, pressing and holding the fire button will maintain the last movement (standing, walking, crawling) and after that the joystick lever can be used to determine the direction of the shot. In the Genesis version two control schemes are offered: The first one is a basic method of shooting the direction of the D-pad while the second one, which is considerably trickier to control and requires more practice, allows the player to continually shoot in a particular direction no matter what the D-pad is doing. On the way, the player must fight enemies such as soldiers, tanks, jets, saws, helicopters, ships and metal snakes. Some of the defeated soldiers lose red keys that can be picked up and used to buy weapons at the end of each level where the player enters a weapon storage room. There are six glass cases with a different number of key slots at the bottom, each holding one weapon or item. The number of the key slots shows how many keys are required to open the case and release the weapon or item included in it. Since each player can carry only six keys at the same time he will never be able to open every case and should therefore experiment early with each different type of weapon and find out which ones are more effective.The two types of weapons that can be purchased in the weaponry are hand-held weapons(Full Auto, 3-Way, Fire, Shot Gun) and backpack weapons(Nitro, Shower, Homing Missile) that are launched by pushing the joystick up while pressing the shoot button or simply with the space key in the home computer versions. All types of weapons have limited ammunition and when the player runs out of ammo, he will revert to the default "Full Auto" rifle which is the only one with unlimited ammo. Additional ammo for the player's current weapon and other power-ups can be purchased in the weaponry.When the player character comes in contact with an enemy or is downed by enemy fire he loses one life and drops the weapons and keys he is carrying. But these all can be picked up again if they don't fall off-screen.After the penultimate level the player enters again the weapon storage room. But this time the glass cases are holding instead of weapons or items the relatives of the player. Those can be freed in exchange for the collected keys. So to free all relatives it must be ensured that the last armory is entered with six keys.Weapons & Power-upsIcon in the WeaponryItemDescription Full AutoThe standard hand-held weapon with unlimited ammunition and a long range. 3-WayA powerfull hand-held weapon which fires in three directions. With limited ammunition and long range. Shot GunA hand-held weapon which fires not many but very powerfull bullets. The ammunition is limited. FireA hand-held weapon which throws flames. It's the most powerfull weapon in the game with limited ammunition and range. Homing MissilesA backpack weapon limited to 50 charges. When fired, eight missiles lock automatically on the nearest enemies. NitroA backpack weapon limited to 50 charges. When fired, flames spread in eight directions from the top of the screen. ShowerA backpack weapon limited to 50 charges. When fired, lethal spikes come from top of the screen and sift through enemies in their way. Super ChargePowers up the carried hand-held weapon to its full capabilities. Especially usefull with the flamethrower. BarrierTime limited shield protection for the playing character. BulletIncreases the count on the carried hand-held weapon counter by 500. 1 UpExtra life. ReviewsMagazineIssuePageSystemRating%ReviewerLanguageGames-X05/199136Genesis96 out of 10096 -EnglishYour Commodore11/199042,43C6495 out of 10095 -EnglishYour Sinclair06/199275ZX Spectrum94 out of 10094 StuartEnglishCrash07/199040ZX Spectrum93 out of 10093 Mark, NickEnglishZzap04/199249C6493 out of 10093 -EnglishThe Games Machine07/199044,45Amiga, ZX Spectrum92 out of 10092 Mark CaswellEnglishYour Sinclair08/199035ZX Spectrum92 out of 10092 MattEnglishZero08/199032,33,34,35Amiga91 out of 10091 Paul Lakin, Teresa MaughanEnglishThe Games Machine07/199044,45Atari ST90 out of 10090 Mark CaswellEnglishSinclair User08/199018,19ZX Spectrum90 out of 10090 Jim DouglasEnglishZzap12/199014,15C6490 out of 10090 Stuart Wynne, Robin Hogg, Phil KingEnglishCU Amiga07/199036,37Amiga89 out of 10089 Tony DillonEnglishZzap10/199093Amiga89 out of 10089 Stuart Wynne, Robin HoggEnglishZero08/199032,33,34,35Atari ST88 out of 10088 Paul Lakin, Teresa MaughanEnglishMicro Hobby09/199033ZX Spectrum88 out of 10088 -SpanishSinclair User05/199260,61ZX Spectrum87 out of 10087 AlanEnglishSinclair User04/199319ZX Spectrum87 out of 10087 -EnglishC+VG (Computer + Video Games)06/199144,45,46Genesis86 out of 10086 Robert Swan, Paul GlanceyEnglishAmiga Action04/199280Amiga86 out of 10086 -EnglishAmiga Action08/199066,67Amiga85 out of 10085 Steve Kennedy, Alex Simmons, Doug JohnsEnglishGeneration 409/199012,13Amiga85 out of 10085 -FrenchAmiga Joker10/199034Amiga85 out of 10085 Carsten BorgmeierGermanMega Tech01/199279Genesis85 out of 10085 -EnglishCommodore Force08/199316C6485 out of 10085 -EnglishAmstrad Cent Pour Cent11/199028,29Amstrad CPC84 out of 10084 Matt MurdockFrenchMean Machines05/199182,83,84Genesis84 out of 10084 Matt, JulianEnglishSinclair User03/199156ZX Spectrum84 out of 10084 Mathew DentonEnglishAmiga Power06/199281Amiga84 out of 10084 Stuart CampbellEnglishThe One08/199052,53Amiga81 out of 10081 Gary WhittaEnglishAmiga Magazine12/199082Amiga81 out of 10081 -ItalianCU Amiga01/1990113Arcade80 out of 10080 -EnglishC+VG (Computer + Video Games)08/199068,69Amiga80 out of 10080 Robert SwanEnglishASM (Aktueller Software Markt)10/199056Amiga9.6 out of 1280 Manfred KleimannGermanCommodore Format11/199034,35C6480 out of 10080 AndyEnglishJoystick11/1990280Amstrad CPC80 out of 10080 SebFrenchDatormagazin12/199059C648 out of 1080 Pontus BergSwedishMicro News05/1991105Genesis4 out of 580 -FrenchElectronic Gaming Monthly06/199122Genesis8 out of 1080 -EnglishRaze09/199130,31Genesis80 out of 10080 Julian BoardmanEnglishJoystick09/1990158Amiga79 out of 10079 KaaaFrenchC+VG (Computer + Video Games)10/199077Atari ST79 out of 10079 -EnglishZero06/199264Amiga79 out of 10079 -EnglishAmiga Force03/199312Amiga77 out of 10077 Ben the BoffinEnglishJoystick09/1990158Atari ST75 out of 10075 KaaaFrenchASM (Aktueller Software Markt)10/199056Atari ST9 out of 1275Manfred KleimannGermanASM (Aktueller Software Markt)10/199056C648.8 out of 1273 Manfred KleimannGermanDatormagazin09/199065Amiga7 out of 1070 Johan PettersonSwedishPower Play10/1990116Amiga70 out of 10070 Heinrich LenhardtGerman64'er02/1991103C647 out of 1070Jörg FreymannGermanAmiga Format09/199040Amiga69 out of 10069 Mark HillEnglishPower Play01/1991161C6468 out of 10068 Heinrich LenhardtGermanVideo Games02/199189Genesis68 out of 10068 Winnie ForsterGermanACE (Advanced Computer Entertainment)06/199173Genesis680 out of 100068 Jim DouglasEnglishAmiga Mania06/199272Amiga67 out of 10067 Huw PryceEnglishPower Play07/1991124Genesis63 out of 10063 Michael HengstGermanAmiga Power05/1991107,108Amiga3 out of 560 -EnglishPower Play10/1990116Atari ST56 out of 10056 Heinrich LenhardtGermanCommodore Format05/199248C6443 out of 10043 -EnglishST Format08/199046Atari ST41 out of 10041 Neil JacksonEnglishSega Visions04+05/199113Genesis-- -EnglishGamePro11/199151Genesis-- -English
