Play Ikari Warriors (Europe) Online

Start with two dudes blasting through the jungle, then suddenly you're in a tank shredding everything—until it blows up five seconds later. The controls feel janky at first, but once you're spinning in a helicopter raining bullets, it just works.

Developer: SNK

Genre: Run and gun

Released: 1988

File size: 128 bytes

Game Overview

Ikari Warriors is one of those NES games that looks simple at first—just two tough guys in bandannas blasting through jungles—but then you hop into a tank and suddenly everything gets way more chaotic. The controls take a second to get used to (rotating your guy feels weird at first), but once you’re mowing down enemies from a helicopter or crushing stuff in your treads, it clicks. Just don’t get too attached to your ride—everything explodes real fast.

It’s got that classic arcade vibe where you’ll die a lot, but somehow you keep hitting continue anyway. The music’s all tense drums and synth, which fits perfectly when you’re desperately backpedaling from a swarm of soldiers. Definitely one of those "wait, how was this on the NES?" games.