Metal Gear Solid 3 trailer

G.I. Joe is a third-person rail shooter video game produced by Konami and released in 1992 for video arcades. It is based on the cartoon series G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero and stars four characters from the show: Duke, Snake Eyes, Scarlett, and Roadblock.

RoboCop 2 is a platform shooter video game based on the 1990 film of the same name. The game was released for several platforms, including Amiga, Amstrad GX4000, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Game Boy, Nintendo Entertainment System, and ZX Spectrum. Ocean Software developed and published several versions, and Data East manufactured an arcade version.

RoboCop is a beat 'em up/run-and-gun action game developed and published by Data East for arcades in 1988, based on the 1987 film of the same name. It was sub-licensed to Data East by Ocean Software, who obtained the rights from Orion Pictures at the script stage. Data East and Ocean Software subsequently adapted the arcade game for home computers.

The game was a critical and commercial success. The arcade game was the highest-grossing arcade game of 1988 in Hong Kong, and reached number-two on Japan's monthly Game Machine arcade charts. On home computers, the game sold over 1 million copies worldwide, and it was especially successful in the United Kingdom where it was the best-selling home computer game of the 1980s.

Sunset Riders[a] is a side-scrolling run-and-gun shooter video game developed and released by Konami as a coin-operated video game on the JAMMA arcade platform in 1991.

Gameplay

Gameplay screenshot showing Steve on the game's third level
The game, which is set in a fanciful version of the American Old West, revolves around four bounty hunters named Steve, Billy Cool, Bob, and Cormano Wild, who are out to claim rewards offered for eliminating the most wanted outlaws in the West.

Guardians (ガーディアンズ), known as Denjinmakai II (電神魔傀II) in Japan, is a side-scrolling beat 'em up developed by Winkysoft and published by Banpresto that was exclusively released as a coin-operated arcade game in 1995 as the successor of the 1994 arcade game Denjin Makai.

Gameplay
Guardians can be played by up to two players simultaneously. Health gauges are displayed for both player and enemy characters, while energy bars are displayed for special moves.

The controls for Guardians consist of an eight-way joystick and two buttons for attacking and jumping respectively. Pressing the attack button repeatedly when attacking an enemy or multiple enemies will cause the player character to perform a combo. The final blow of the combo can be changed to a throw if the player moves the joystick in the opposite direction just before landing it. The player also can perform a jump attack. When two players play, they can perform team-based special moves.

Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors, known in Japan as Vampire: The Night Warriors (ヴァンパイア ザ ナイト ウォーリアー, Vanpaia Za Naito Wōriā), is the first title in the Darkstalkers fighting game series, developed and released by Capcom in 1994, originally for the CPS II arcade hardware. It was ported to the PlayStation by Psygnosis in 1996 and was followed by Night Warriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge in 1995.

Gameplay

Arcade version screenshot showcasing a match between Morrigan Aensland and Felicia.
Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors features ten playable characters (Demitri Maximoff, Jon Talbain, Victor von Gerdenheim, Lord Raptor, Morrigan Aensland, Anakaris, Felicia, Bishamon, Rikuo, and Sasquatch), as well as two non-playable boss characters (Huitzil and Pyron) as the final opponents of single-player mode.

Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter[a] is a crossover fighting video game developed and published by Capcom. It is the sequel to X-Men vs. Street Fighter and the second installment in the Marvel vs. Capcom series. The game was first released as an arcade game in 1997. It then received ports to the Sega Saturn in 1998 and the PlayStation in 1999.

The gameplay and aesthetics of Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter remain similar to X-Men vs. Street Fighter. Each player selects two characters to compete in a one-on-one tag team fight, attempting to defeat the opposing team. The game replaces most of the X-Men cast from the previous installment with characters from other Marvel properties. In addition, it introduces a new gameplay mechanic known as the "Variable Assist", which would be used in future Marvel vs. Capcom titles.

Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes[a] is a crossover fighting game developed and published by Capcom. It is the third installment in the Marvel vs. Capcom series, which features characters from Capcom's video game franchises and characters from Marvel Comics. The game debuted in Japanese and North American arcades in 1998. It was ported to the Dreamcast in 1999 and the PlayStation in 2000. The game was re-released in 2012 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 as part of the Marvel vs. Capcom Origins collection.

Players select a team of characters from the Marvel and Capcom universes to engage in combat and attempt to knock out their opponents. Unlike the series' previous entry, Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter, the game features characters from numerous Capcom video game franchises, rather than strictly Street Fighter characters. While the gameplay is largely identical to its predecessor, Clash of Super Heroes features two distinct changes: the removal of the traditional character assist system and the introduction of the "Variable Cross" attack.

Marvel Super Heroes (マーヴル・スーパーヒーローズ, Māvuru Sūpā Hīrōzu) is a fighting video game developed by Capcom. Originally released in the arcade in 1995 on the CPS-2 arcade system, it was ported to the Sega Saturn and PlayStation in late 1997. The game, alongside Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes, was also included in the Marvel vs. Capcom Origins collection, released digitally for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in September 2012.

Marvel Super Heroes is loosely based on "The Infinity Gauntlet" storyline of the Marvel Universe. It is the second Capcom fighting game based on characters from the Marvel Comics line, following X-Men: Children of the Atom, and was later succeeded by the Marvel vs. Capcom series.

Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon[a] is a side-scrolling beat 'em up arcade video game developed by Gazelle and released on March 22, 1995. It was published in Japan by Banpresto and elsewhere by Sega. It is the first game to be created by Gazelle, one of the offshoots of defunct developer Toaplan that were founded after they declared bankruptcy in 1994, and one of the few titles based upon Naoko Takeuchi's Sailor Moon shōjo manga and anime series that had an official international release, and it also has been compared with other titles in the same genre such as Capcom's Final Fight and Technōs Japan's Double Dragon.

Following the first season of the anime series, which adapted the first arc of the manga, the players control one of the five original Inner Senshi and fight against enemies across several locations in order to protect Earth from the Dark Kingdom, a group of antagonists led by Queen Beryl who previously destroyed the ancient Moon Kingdom as they attempt to steal life energy from humans and the Silver Crystal to free Queen Metaria from her imprisonment. Takeuchi supervised the production of the project and seiyūs from the anime series returned to reprise their roles, with mangaka and Knuckle Bash designer Junya Inoue serving as one of the game's graphic designers.

Shock Troopers: 2nd Squad[b] is a run and gun arcade game developed by Saurus and published by SNK in 1998 for the Neo-Geo arcade and home platform. It has no connection with the first Shock Troopers game. 2nd Squad was re-released for the Wii's Virtual Console service in the North American region in 2012. SNK Playmore released it for iOS, Linux and Windows via Humble Bundle and Steam in 2016.

Gameplay

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (April 2020)
The gameplay system has been drastically changed because only four characters are selectable and there is no team mode from the first Shock Troopers. The graphics use pre-rendered sprites and the action is more violent. A major new feature is an ability to ride some vehicles, as in the Metal Slug games.

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (April 2020)
Shock Troopers: 2nd Squad for the Neo Geo was given a positive review by Classic Game Room despite being considered not as good as its predecessor. According to Hardcore Gaming 101, "Shock Troopers: 2nd Squad is often viewed as a disappointing follow up the original. Just like with Gunstar Super Heroes, Shock Troopers: 2nd Squad really only makes the mistake of sharing its name with a superior game. If judged by itself, it is really a great game and if it had been released as a stand alone with a different name, it would be recognized as such, rather than as an inferior sequel." The Virtual Console release of the game received a score of 7/10 from Nintendo Life.

Shock Troopers[a] is a run and gun arcade game developed by Saurus and published by SNK in 1997 for the Neo-Geo arcade and home platform. Gameplay involves taking command of one or three soldiers in an eight-way shooter. A second game in the series, Shock Troopers: 2nd Squad, followed up in 1998.

Gameplay

At the beginning of each session, players choose whether to go through the game in one of two modes, "Lonely Wolf" or "Team Battle". In "Lonely Wolf", one character is controlled throughout the game, while "Team Battle" allows selecting a band of three soldiers through their missions, switching between them on-the-fly. Choosing to go it alone gives a higher starting life total, while proceeding as a team will give a wider variety of special weapons as well as a higher starting total (ten for each of the three characters instead of twenty for one).

Metal Slug 5[a] is a run and gun video game for the Neo-Geo created by SNK Playmore. It was released in 2003 for the MVS arcade platform and is the fifth game in the Metal Slug series. The game was developed by Noise Factory/SNK Playmore, after Korean company Mega Enterprise had directed Metal Slug 4.

It was later ported to Microsoft Xbox and PlayStation 2 as a stand-alone game, and along with Metal Slug 4 as a compilation in North America and South Korea. It was ported to Microsoft Windows for a Korean release. A port was also released on Nintendo Switch in 2018.

Plot

One year after the events of Metal Slug 4, a special disc that contains deep and intricate secrets about the Metal Slug project is stolen by a mysterious group called the Ptolemaic Army, whose specialty lies from within archaeological excavation and espionage. Marco and Tarma of the Peregrine Falcon Strike Force follow in hot pursuit against the group and in the process are joined by Eri and Fio of SPARROWS. Together once more, the quartet investigate the shrouded objective of the Ptolemaic Army, who over time grows more powerful as they are joined by a mysterious masked man and his followers. At the end of the game, the Ptolemaic Army summons a giant demon as the final boss, which after a long battle is forced to leave Earth thanks to the heroes.

Metal Slug 4[b] is a run and gun video game for the Neo-Geo console/arcade platform created by Mega Enterprise along with Noise Factory. It was released in 2002 for the Neo-Geo MVS arcade platform, and is the fourth game in the Metal Slug series. Two years later, Playmore published Metal Slug 4 for consoles.

Metal Slug 4 retains the same gameplay as previous titles, with the addition of some enemies, bosses, weapons, several vehicles and a bonus combo system. It was ported to Xbox and PlayStation 2 as a stand-alone game in Japan and Europe, and along with Metal Slug 5 as a compilation in North America and South Korea. The Nintendo Switch version was released in 2018.

Metal Slug 3[a] is a run and gun video game developed by SNK. It was originally released in 2000 for the Neo-Geo MVS arcade platform as the sequel to Metal Slug 2/Metal Slug X. The music of the game was developed by Noise Factory.

The game was ported to the PlayStation 2, Xbox, Microsoft Windows, iOS, Android, Wii, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and Nintendo Switch.

The game adds several features to the gameplay of the original Metal Slug and Metal Slug 2, such as weapons and vehicles, as well as introducing branching paths into the series. It received generally positive reviews.

Metal Slug 2[a] is a run and gun video game developed by SNK. It was originally released in 1998 for the Neo-Geo MVS arcade platform as the sequel to the 1996 game Metal Slug. The original version of the game had extensive slowdown and performance issues, eventually leading SNK to release a modified version in 1999 titled Metal Slug X: Super Vehicle-001 (メタルスラッグX). It has been ported to the Neo Geo CD, PlayStation, Virtual Console, iOS and Android, and to the Wii, PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 2 (as part of the Metal Slug Anthology). The game added several new features to the gameplay of the original Metal Slug, such as new weapons, vehicles and the ability to transform the character. It received generally positive reviews. It was followed by Metal Slug 3 released in 2000.

Metal Slug X (メタルスラッグ X, Metaru Suraggu Ekkusu) is a run and gun video game in the Metal Slug series. The game is available for the Neo-Geo console/arcade platform created by SNK. It was released in 1999 for the MVS arcade platform and is a remixed/upgraded/spin-off version of Metal Slug 2 that utilizes the game engine from Metal Slug 3. It is the pseudo-third title in the series. It was also ported to the Sony PlayStation.

Metal Slug (Japanese: メタルスラッグ, Hepburn: Metaru Suraggu) is a Japanese run and gun video game series originally created by Nazca Corporation before merging with SNK in 1996 after the completion of the first game in the series. Spin-off games include a third-person shooter to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the series and a tower defense game for the mobile platform. Originally created for Neo-Geo arcade machines hardware (MVS) and the Neo-Geo home game consoles (AES) hardware, the original games have also been ported to other consoles and mobile platforms throughout the years, with several later games created for various other platforms. The games focus on the Peregrine Falcon Squad, a small group of soldiers who fight against a rebel army, aliens, zombies, mummies and various other forces intent on world domination.

Real Bout Fatal Fury 2: The Newcomers[a] is a 1998 fighting game by SNK for the Neo Geo platform. It is the seventh game in the Fatal Fury series and the third game in the Real Bout sub-series, following Real Bout Fatal Fury and Real Bout Fatal Fury Special. The game uses the same graphics as Real Bout Special, but returns to the same fighting system from the original Real Bout. It was later included in Fatal Fury Battle Archives Vol. 2, a compilation released for the PlayStation 2. In March 2017, this compilation was re-released in the PlayStation Store on PlayStation 4

Gameplay

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (April 2020)
Real Bout 2 revamps the two-line battle system from Real Bout Special. Instead of fighting in either two lines, the player is now forced to fight in a main line, while the second line is a "sway line" used to avoid attacks (similar to the original Real Bout). The one-line trap stages, last seen in Fatal Fury Special, also return.

Real Bout Fatal Fury Special[a] is a 1997 fighting game released by SNK for the Neo Geo platform. It is the sixth installment in the Fatal Fury series and the second game in the Real Bout sub-series, following the original Real Bout Fatal Fury. Real Bout Fatal Fury Special features all new graphics and returns to the two-level plane system from Fatal Fury 2. The game was later included in Fatal Fury Battle Archives Vol. 2, a compilation released for the PlayStation 2. In March 2017, this compilation was re-released in the PlayStation Store on the PlayStation 4.

Gameplay

Gameplay screenshot showcasing a match between Terry Bogard and Blue Mary.

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (April 2020)
Though gameplay is two-dimensional, characters can move between two different planes during battle. Breaking an opponent through one of the barriers located on either side of a stage causes them to become stunned.

Real Bout Fatal Fury[a] is a 1995 fighting game released by SNK for the Neo-Geo arcade and home platforms. It is the fifth installment in the Fatal Fury series, following Fatal Fury 3: Road to the Final Victory. Ports of Real Bout were released for the Neo-Geo CD, PlayStation (in Japan and the PAL region)[b] and the Sega Saturn (in Japan, which requires the Extended RAM cartridge for the system). The game was later included in Fatal Fury Battle Archives Vol. 2, a compilation released for the PlayStation 2. In March 2017, this compilation was re-released in the PlayStation Store on PlayStation 4.

Garou: Mark of the Wolves[a] is a 1999 fighting game produced by SNK, originally for the Neo Geo system and then as Fatal Fury: Mark of the Wolves for the Dreamcast. It is the eighth (or ninth if one counts Fatal Fury: Wild Ambition) installment of the Fatal Fury series.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time, released as Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles: Turtles in Time in Europe, is a beat 'em up arcade video game produced by Konami and released in 1991. A sequel to the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade game, it is a scrolling beat 'em up type game based mainly on the 1987 TMNT animated series. Originally an arcade game, Turtles in Time was ported to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1992 under the title Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time, continuing the numbering from the earlier Turtles games released on the original NES. That same year, a game that borrowed many elements, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist, was released for the Sega Genesis.

The Simpsons is an arcade beat 'em up developed and published by Konami released in 1991. It was the first video game based on the Simpsons franchise to be released in North America. The game allows up to four players to control members of the Simpson family as they fight various enemies to rescue the kidnapped Maggie. It was a commercial success in the United States, where it was one of the top three best-selling arcade video game machines of 1991.

The game was ported to the Commodore 64 and MS-DOS soon after its launch in the arcades, and was released as The Simpsons Arcade Game on those platforms. It was also released under that title on Xbox Live Arcade for Xbox 360 and PlayStation Network for PlayStation 3 in February 2012, however it has since been removed from both services. In 2021, Arcade1Up released a 30th anniversary edition home arcade cabinet.