Play Ikari III (Japan) Online

Ikari III came out on the NES in 1989, published by SNK. It was part of that wave of arcade-style action games that tried to bring a little more complexity to the console, though it never quite reached the same level of recognition as some other titles from the era. You could tell developers were experimenting with how to translate fast, chaotic arcade gameplay into something that worked on a home system.

You control a soldier who moves through side-scrolling and overhead stages, switching between hand-to-hand combat and vehicle sequences. The main goal is to rescue hostages while fighting through waves of enemy soldiers. Signature mechanics include picking up and using different weapons dropped by foes, hijacking enemy vehicles like helicopters or tanks by tossing grenades at them, and navigating both outdoor and indoor areas that change the pace abruptly. The difficulty is pretty relentless, with enemies swarming from all directions and limited continues. It feels like a constant scramble for survival, where every small victory comes with a sigh of relief.