Tyrian was published by Eclipse Software, released in 1995.

What kind of game is Tyrian?

Tyrian is a action, shooter game for the MS-DOS.

Can two people play Tyrian?

Yes. Tyrian supports multiplayer (Multiplayer). Player 1 uses the arrow keys, player 2 uses WASD, and two USB or Bluetooth gamepads can be connected instead.

How much data does Tyrian load?

The Tyrian ROM is 3978 kB. It is fetched once when you press play and then cached by your browser, so returning to the game does not download it again.

Tyrian Game (1995) - DOS

Name: Tyrian
Availability: InStock
Author: Eclipse Software

Action / Button	Keyboard Key
D-Pad (Up / Down / Left / Right)	`Arrow Keys`
Button A	`Z` or `J`
Button B	`X` or `K`
Button X / Turbo A	`A` or `U`
Button Y / Turbo B	`S` or `I`
Select	`Shift`
Start	`Enter`

Gamepad Input	Retro Function	Keyboard Key
D-Pad / Analog	Character Movement / Steering	`▲` `▼` `◄` `►`
Button A (East)	Primary Action / Attack / Fire	`Z` / `K`
Button B (South)	Secondary / Jump / Cancel	`X` / `J`
Button X / Y	Special / Turbo / Extra Fire	`A` / `S`
Select	Insert Coin / Select Option	`Right Shift`
Start	Game Start / Pause Game	`Enter`

Gamepad Input

Retro Function

Keyboard Key

D-Pad / Analog

Character Movement / Steering

▲ ▼ ◄ ►

Button A (East)

Primary Action / Attack / Fire

Z / K

Button B (South)

Secondary / Jump / Cancel

X / J

Button X / Y

Special / Turbo / Extra Fire

A / S

Select

Insert Coin / Select Option

Right Shift

Start

Game Start / Pause Game

Enter

Emulator Core Engine	Technology	Multiplayer	Gamepad	Touch	Ads	Action / Switch
EmulatorJS (Default WebAssembly)	`WebAssembly / JS`	YES	YES	YES	NO	▶ ACTIVE
MS-DOS (Recommended)	`WebAssembly / Libretro`	YES	YES	YES	NO	PLAY ⚡
JS-DOS v3.0 / DOSBox Engine	`Emscripten C++`	YES	YES	NO	NO	PLAY ⚡

Emulator Core Engine

Technology

Multiplayer

Gamepad

Touch

Ads

Action / Switch

EmulatorJS (Default WebAssembly)

WebAssembly / JS

YES

▶ ACTIVE

MS-DOS (Recommended)

WebAssembly / Libretro

YES

PLAY ⚡

JS-DOS v3.0 / DOSBox Engine

Emscripten C++

YES

PLAY ⚡

Developed by Eclipse Software and released for DOS in 1995, Tyrian is a classic vertical-scrolling shoot ’em up that stands out for its deep customization. Rather than relying on simple weapon pickups, you earn credits between missions to purchase ship hull upgrades, stronger generators, and an extensive arsenal of front cannons, rear weapons, and sidekicks.

How to play

You pilot a fighter through hostile alien worlds, dodging dense bullet patterns and destroying enemy fleets. The game features a full story campaign where you manage your ship’s loadout, alongside a classic arcade mode. Control your ship using the arrow keys, and fire using Space, Ctrl, or Alt. The game can be played in full screen by pressing Right Alt + Enter.

Tips

Your shield generator is your most important component; upgrade it early to survive longer against heavier enemy fire.
Experiment with different weapon combinations, as certain enemies and bosses are highly resistant to specific damage types like energy or physical projectiles.
Collect and read the data cubes dropped in levels—they provide lore and often unlock hidden paths or secret ships.