Bosconian is a multidirectional space shooter released by Namco in arcades in 1981 (distributed in North America by Midway in 1982). This “Old Version” is an earlier ROM revision of the same game. Piloting the Starfighter, a ship that can move freely in eight directions and fires both forward and backward at the same time, the player has to hunt down and destroy enemy space stations known as Bosco bases scattered across a scrolling starfield.
How to Play
Each Bosco base is a hexagonal ring of six cannons surrounding a central core; destroy all six cannons or hit the core directly to take the base out. A radar display tracks nearby enemies and bases, and the field is littered with asteroids and homing mines to dodge, plus enemy fighter formations that pay out a bonus if you wipe out the whole group.
- Arrow Keys — move the Starfighter in eight directions
- Z — fire (shoots forward and backward simultaneously)
- Enter — start
- Shift — insert coin
Tips
- Watch the radar constantly — bases and mines often approach from off-screen edges you’re not looking at.
- Since your ship fires both ahead and behind at once, you don’t need to turn around to deal with something sneaking up from the rear.
- Try to wipe out entire enemy formations rather than picking off stragglers; a full clear pays a bonus.
Leave a Comment / Review: