Ikari Warriors is a scrolling shooter that had its beginnings in a standard upright cabinet that was once an arcade hit and was originally published in 1986 by DataWest. Ikari, meaning anger in Japanese, was the crux of the game, featuring wild shoot ‘em ups and non-stop action from start to finish. It has since been ported to most any format from the Commodore 64 to the personal computer.
Ikari Warriors is based on the lives of two men, Ralf Jones and Clark Steel.
These men and the game itself were both said to be inspired by the Rambo movies series that was popular at the time of the game’s development. The player (or players, since simultaneous multi-player combat is encouraged in Ikari Warriors) assumes the role of a commando-type of warrior, battling his way through seemingly insurmountable odds and droves of enemies. The two players use large weapons and also a tank to blow away their rivals before their last peg of life is diminished. The two commandos are trying to reach the village of Ikari without being killed.
Along the way are numerous bonuses, besides the enemies. Enemy tanks can be commandeered and driven until they run out of fuel or are caught by
an explosive charge. (Bullets do not affect tanks, but tanks will explode if caught in a bomb or if they run out of fuel.) Players also have limited ammunition and must gain more as they scroll their way up the scenery toward the village. Some power ups and bonuses that are available include: grenades, guns and gas (which maxes out the ammunition available and refuels the tank, if one has been acquired.) A “K” bomb will annihilate every enemy on the screen and an “L” power up will allow your bullets to travel the entire length of the screen, providing a cool long range shot.
The rest of the game is just shooting, shooting and more shooting. It could be hours of shooting, because the game offers no check stations or save points, making it a single continuous play or nothing. This can get a bit repetitive since there is a very limited variety of enemy units that come after you, and a rhythm can be established pretty easily. Still, the graphics are not bad and there are always a plethora of exploding sound effects, grunts and crashes. It is action-packed, fast-paced and exciting, and well worth the download for a little mindless stress relief.
