Developed by Taito in 1986, this revised arcade edition of the iconic horizontal shoot ’em up rebalances the notoriously brutal difficulty of the original release. Piloting the Silver Hawk fighter craft, you must navigate through branching stages filled with aquatic-themed robotic enemies and massive bosses like the legendary King Fossil. The "Extra" version tweaks weapon power levels, enemy formations, and boss durability to create a fairer but still immensely challenging experience across its famously wide multi-screen playfield.
How to play
Your objective is to shoot down enemy waves, collect colored orbs to upgrade your ship’s offensive and defensive capabilities, and defeat the boss at the end of each zone before choosing your next branching path. Use the Arrow keys to maneuver the Silver Hawk. Press Z to fire your main forward missiles and lasers, and X to drop bombs on ground targets. Use Enter to insert a coin and start.
Tips
- Protect your power level: Prioritize red orbs to upgrade your main shot, but play defensivelyโdying strips away your hard-earned power-ups, making recovery extremely difficult in later zones.
- Master the bombs: Collecting green orbs upgrades your bombs into a powerful multi-directional attack that can preemptively destroy enemies attacking from below.
- Boss positioning: When fighting massive sea-creature bosses, avoid hugging the extreme edges of the screen; staying near the middle-left gives you the best angle to weave through their complex bullet patterns.
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