Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1982)
Genres:Shooter, Arcade
Themes:Action, Science fiction
Game modes:Single player, Multiplayer
Story:In Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back the player takes on the role of a Rebel pilot attempting to destroy AT-ATs on Hoth.
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FreelancerEight hundred years prior to the start of our story, bitter conflict divided all of mankind. A handful of colonists struck out on their own to begin anew - far away from the Earth and its turmoil. Several ships were launched with enough equipment and supplies to give the hundreds onboard a fighting chance - but since the area around far-off Sirius had never been surveyed, no one really knew what to expect. What they found was a new frontier of free-flowing natural resources, unexplored territories, great wonders and lurking dangers. Each ship, representing the clusters of people and their earthly place of origin, settled into different parts of the galaxy pre-selected by their ship-board computer to give them the best chance of survival.
Life was hard in the beginning, but over the 800 years the different colonies prospered and expanded their territories, claiming more and more systems for their own. Survival and propagation eventually led to growth and profit as each of the colonies developed specialties and fostered commerce. As the colonies grew and time passed their connections with their roots on Earth dwindled and they lost their memories of the conflicts of the past. Soon their attention was dominated by new, more immediate conflicts. Feelings of lost ancestral connection spurred anachronism in the look of the great cities, and created a somewhat distorted image of each colony's cultural heritage. In the ever-expanding outer edge of the territories, frontier lawlessness prevailed.
The Houses: Each shipboard colony that left Earth carried some memory of its origins in its name. The Liberty carried Americans, The Bretonia flew from The United Kingdom and surrounding territory, The Kusari from Asia, and the Rheinland launched with Germanic cargo.
As each ship settled and colonies began to expand, they knew little about each other and their advancing development. Finally, little by little, the individual colonies found each other and began to set up trade routes to link their systems for commerce and solidarity.
Today, with each colony firmly rooted in its respective corner of the galaxy, the colonies rely heavily on each other for trade and industry but also compete for resources and new territories in the Border Worlds. The colonies mandate member governments in "The New Alliance" within the Sirius sector. To control conflicts, each colony has forged alliances and treaties with others as they have grown. Competition remains fierce, however. Struggles rage for supremacy in business, commerce, resources, power and control. There can be tenuous peace between colonies' political agendas, but the grabs for holdings constantly unsettle the volatile frontier.Our Pick Top Trending Science fiction Sandbox
Bayonetta 2The witching hour strikes again. Brimming with intricate battles that take place in, on and all over epic set pieces, Bayonetta 2 finds our sassy heroine battling angels and demons in unearthly beautiful HD. You’re bound to love how it feels to string together combos with unimaginable weapons and to summon demons using Bayonetta’s Umbran Weave in this frantic stylized action game.Action Fantasy
BayonettaA member of an ancient witch clan and possessing powers beyond the comprehension of mere mortals, Bayonetta faces-off against countless angelic enemies, many reaching epic proportions, in a game of 100% pure, unadulterated all-out action. Outlandish finishing moves are performed with balletic grace as Bayonetta flows from one fight to another. With magnificent over-the-top action taking place in stages that are a veritable theme park of exciting attractions, Bayonetta pushes the limits of the action genre, bringing to life its fast-paced, dynamic climax combat.Action Fantasy
GauntletThe players, up to four at once in the arcade version, select among four playable fantasy-based characters; Thor the Warrior, Merlin the Wizard, Thyra the Valkyrie, or Questor the Elf. Each character has his or her own unique strength and weaknesses. For example, the Warrior is strongest in hand-to-hand combat, the Wizard has the most powerful magic, the Valkyrie has the best armour and the Elf is the fastest in movement.
Upon selecting a playable character, the gameplay is set within a series of top-down, third-person perspective mazes where the object is to find and touch the designated exit in every level. An assortment of special items can be located in each level that increase player's character's health, unlock doors, gain more points and magical potions that can destroy all of the enemies on screen.
The enemies are an assortment of fantasy-based monsters, including ghosts, grunts, demons, lobbers, sorcerers and thieves. Each enters the level through specific generators, which can be destroyed. While there are no bosses in the game, the most dangerous enemy is "Death", who can not only drain a character's health, but is difficult to destroy.
As the game progresses, higher levels of skill are needed to reach the exit, with success often depending on the willingness of the players to cooperate by sharing food and luring monsters into places where they can be engaged and slaughtered more conveniently. While contact with enemies reduces the player's health, it also slowly drains on its own, thus creating a time limit. When a character's health reaches zero, that character dies. The character can be revived in place with full health by spending a game credit (i.e. inserting a coin) within a certain short time window after it died. This allows even the least proficient players to keep playing indefinitely, if they are willing to keep inserting coins.Action Fantasy Historical
Gauntlet IIThe gameplay is very similar to the original Gauntlet, a topdown dungeon crawl supporting up to four players. The biggest difference from the original game is that players can choose identical classes, instead of being limited to a particular one for each joystick; each player is differentiated by color. Thus, instead of having a "warrior", "wizard", and "valkyrie" (for instance), in Gauntlet II there could be a "red wizard", a "blue elf" and a "green warrior".
In addition to the new "class" system, new level designs were added, including the possibility of encountering them in altered ways by having the play-field turned in steps of 90°. Other new features included the enemy "It", which upon contact would make a player "It" and draw all enemies towards him/her. The only way to release this curse is by touching another player or entering the exit, turning any level containing "It" into a fantasy filled game of tag. Other notable additions include the ability to ricochet shots off walls by means of a special pick-up, acid puddles that caused large, predetermined amounts of damage and a large dragon which would occupy multiple squares and require multiple hits to destroy.
New level elements were also added, adding more variety to the original game. These included "all walls are invisible", "magic walls" which changed into monsters or items when hit, "stun tiles" which stunned the player, and fake exits.
Another challenge in the game is the possibility to find a "secret room". This can be found by completing specific achievements within the level (e.g., "don't be fooled", means that you must find the real exit first). The secret room contains items such as food and magic potions (extra shot power, extra shot speed, extra magic power, extra speed, extra armor and extra fight power).
This sequel was also the first to feature what is now known as the Gauntlet theme tune, which resembles a simplified Baroque fugue.Action Fantasy
GauntletFantasy
The Walking Dead: Survival InstinctThe Walking Dead: Survival Instinct is a first-person action survival game that brings to life the authentic, heart-stopping horrors of the AMC hit TV series The Walking Dead. In the game, players assume the role of the mysterious, crossbow-wielding survivor Daryl Dixon, brought to life by TV series star Norman Reedus, alongside his overbearing brother Merle, voiced by Michael Rooker.Action Horror Stealth Survival
Elite Exorcist MikoA bullet hell shoot 'em up featuring hololive’s Sakura Miko! hololive has been possessed by evil spirits! Combine melee and ranged combat with a variety of items to fight your friends and set them free!New Action
Mutant MontyYou have to collect all the gold nuggets in the room displayed within a certain time limit in order to become rich and save the princess.Action Fantasy
CycloneThe player controls a rescue helicopter and must retrieve five supply crates from a collection of islands, while a dangerous cyclone is in the area.
While searching for the missing crates, the player may optionally earn bonus points by rescuing refugees from the islands. There is no limit on the number of crates or refugees the helicopter can carry, and the player only needs to return to Base Island after the last crate has been found and loaded.
Hindering progress is the cyclone itself, which can cause the helicopter to behave erratically at long range, and crash at close range. While over open water the helicopter must avoid low flying planes which traverse the screen occasionally. The player also has limited fuel - which can be replenished at helipads on several of the islands - and a time limit in which to retrieve the crates. The screen display warns the player of the cyclones proximity, any approaching planes, and also the remaining time and fuel.
The view has two aspects of North and South to switch between, which is necessary as some of the crates are hidden behind buildings or terrain. There is also a map view to help locate the cyclone and the islands.
Once completed the game loops, with no change in difficulty.
Panayi’s previous game, Tornado Low Level, (and to a lesser extent Android 2,) featured similar graphics.Action