Play Ikari 3 - The Rescue Online

Ikari 3: The Rescue came out for the NES in 1989, published by SNK. It was part of that wave of late 80s action games that tried to translate arcade-style run and gun gameplay to the home console. You control Ralf Jones and Clark Still, two soldiers from the Ikari Warriors series, on a mission to rescue a general's kidnapped daughter from a hostile military force.

You guide your character through side-scrolling and overhead-view stages, shooting enemies with a standard rifle that can be upgraded to a flamethrower or a spread shot. The main objective is straightforward: fight from the start of each level to the end, defeating bosses along the way. Signature mechanics include driving vehicles like jeeps and helicopters in certain sections, and using limited continues that make every life count. The pacing is aggressive, and the difficulty is high, with enemy bullets coming from all directions. It feels like a relentless push through enemy lines where one mistake can cost you dearly.