Screenshots from VG Museum

Year released: 1988 (NES)

Number of Players: 1-2

Graphics: You ride in a relatively small jeep and ride on the dirt and concrete of enemy bases. The graphics imitate reality. The view is from above, like in Legend of Zelda.

Play control: Use the control pad to move around (any direction, including diagonal), use the B button to fire a gun (only fires upward on the screen) and the A button to fire a grenade (in whatever direction you last pressed on the control pad or whatever direction you're moving). The jeep you're in moves at an acceptible pace--not slow, not fast.

Sound: Normal sound effects for such a game--not much bleeps and bloops, but more of those scratchy effects that are used when something blows up. Music is normal for Konami--somewhat energetic, fantastic merely because your focus is on the gameplay.

Challenge: One hit and you're dead, and you've got several lives. Get enough points, your life count goes up by one. There's one continue.
Weave in and out of enemy fire and make it through the enemy bases. Enemies and fire will come at you from any direction, so you've got to keep your eyes peeled. The two player cooperative play is not only fun but easier (two pairs of eyes are better than one).

Gameplay: Generally, you move upward through the stages, but that doesn't mean you'll be heading upward the whole time. The formation of the bases (walls and placement of enemies) don't form some great flow of gameplay, but they do know how to take the challenge another level up.
You can blow open houses and rescue people, too. This will earn you points when you drop them off at the end of the level--there's a helipad at the end of each level where you can drop off the people you've rescued. If you rescue a person that's turning bright colors, your grenade will be upgraded. One upgrade turns it into a missile, the next upgrade spreads the explosion vertical, and one more upgrade lets the expolsion spread both vertical and horizontal. Think of Bomberman bombs if you can.

Bottom line: A fun game because of the freedom of your movement and the freedom of enemy placement, a freedom granted by the overhead view. Rescuing people is a nice touch to an otherwise shallow game.
And no one can deny the coolness of two player coop play.

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