Play Ikari Warriors 2 Online

Ikari Warriors 2 came out on the NES in 1987, developed by SNK. It was part of that wave of top-down shooters that tried to capture the feel of arcade action at home, though it never quite reached the same level of recognition as some of its peers. You control two soldiers, Paul and Vince, who crash-land in a hostile future and have to fight their way through.

You move screen by screen, clearing out enemies with a default spread shot that can be upgraded by collecting power-ups dropped by certain foes. The main objective is to push forward through jungles, caves, and military bases, rescuing prisoners along the way. The pacing is relentless, with constant enemy waves and environmental hazards like instant-death pits that demand careful positioning. It feels like a tense, sometimes unforgiving grind where every screen cleared is a small victory.