Ikari Warriors

• Release Date: 1990
• Genre: Shooter
• Style: Vertical Scrolling Shooter
• Similar Games: Commando (Arcade), Commando (Nintendo Entertainment System), Commando (Commodore 64/128), Commando (Atari Video Computer System), Commando (Intellivision), Commando (Atari 7800)

Game Description

Join forces with the Ikari Warriors for a special combat mission behind enemy lines. This Atari 7800 game for one or two players was adapted from the arcade game of the same name.

Each warrior begins with 99 rounds of ammo, 50 grenades, and 3 lives. The warriors must advance through enemy territory to rescue a captured colonel.

The top-down view of the battlefield scrolls as the warriors advance. Power ups and supplies appear from time to time. The warriors even have the opportunity to capture and drive enemy tanks.

Bonus lives are awarded every twenty thousand points. The challenge may be varied by selecting from four levels of difficulty.

Review: Overall

The theme of a lone commando on a mission behind enemy lines against overwhelming forces spawned a number of top-view coin-op arcade shooters. Two of these games migrated into the home courtesy of the Atari 7800: Commando and Ikari Warriors.

Ikari Warriors is one of the less effective arcade translations for the Atari 7800. There are a number of things about the 7800 version of the game which cause me to rate it below the somewhat similar Commando.

One thing that immediately distinguishes the two games is their differing tones. Commando plays like a gritty war movie with a rousing musical score. Ikari Warriors, on the other hand, is a cartoonish game of Japanimation style commandos dieting on power-ups.

Another notable difference between the two games is in control feel. The control of your character in Ikari Warriors does not feel as precise as in Commando. This is compounded by the fact that the flickery graphics do not always do a good job of conveying when you are in danger from bullets and explosions.

Ikari Warriors also falls victim to one of the weaknesses that plagues many other games of this genre: your mission is the same every time. You move through the same terrain and the most of the targets appear in the same places.

Ikari Warriors does have a number of features that set it apart from Commando. There is a simultaneous two-player mode, you can fire your weapon in a different direction than you are moving, and you can drive enemy tanks which have moving turrets. Ikari Warriors also has a number of different power-ups which add variety to the game.

Ikari Warriors had the makings for a great Atari 7800 game. However, its playability flaws cause it to miss the mark. Commando gets my recommendation as the best commmando shooter in the Atari 7800 library.

Review: Enjoyment

Simultaneous two-player mode helps make the game more enjoyable.

Review: Graphics

Although less detailed than Commando, the graphics are adequate in appearance. Flickering is a problem with some fast moving objects.

Review: Sound

The music can be a bit monotonous but the sound effects are acceptable.

Review: Replay Value

You can only stand the same mission so many times.

Review: Documentation

The brief manual includes illustrations.