Screenshots from Video Game Museum

Year released: 1986 (NES, SEGA Master System)

Number of Players: 1-2 simultaneously

When there's trouble afar, the US turns not to the Bad Dudes, but Rambo!

Graphics: Plain with little shading. Other than the realistic title screen picture, everything is gritty (except for the lime green trees). The uniforms and machines all look realistic.

Play control: You can move in the four directions of the D-pad, then in the four diagonal directions. Rambo, the guy you play as, can't shoot behind him, though. Button 1 shoots normal bullets, which travel over most of the screen and are in endless supply, while button 2 shoots a grenade, which explodes upon impact with blast radius that isn't bad. Rambo gets three grenades per life, and he has 3 lives.

Sound: The music is energetic somewhat, but the instruments bring it down. Considering the range of music instruments usable on the Master System, it's pretty good music, and it doesn't get old. Other sounds are standard.

Challenge: You have to get Rambo farther up the screen. Enemies walk in from the top of the screen and shoot at you, throw grenades, etc. You don't have to kill every last thing, and once you get above them on the screen, they can't attack you. Dealing with the occasional terrain variation and the location of enemies will make you have to choose the best path and order to go about things while thinking on your feet. One shot and you're dead; however, you get three lives, and when you die, you start right where you died.

Gameplay: Whee! It's a great game. It has the arcade feel of a game that never gets old, except with gameplay that is more solid.

Bottom line: One of those timeless things, you know? And unlike Ikari Warriors, you have infinite bullets.

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