Heavy Barrel (USA)

In Heavy Barrel, players take on the role of an elite commando tasked with infiltrating a heavily fortified terrorist base. The primary objective is to disarm a nuclear weapon and recover the scattered pieces of the legendary superweapon known as the Heavy Barrel. The game is a classic top-down, run-and-gun shooter with the familiar two-dimensional perspective of the 80s arcade era.

Players can move in 8 directions and shoot in 8 directions, offering great flexibility in combat. You start with a basic machine gun but can pick up various other weapons throughout the game, including: shotguns, flamethrowers, rocket launchers, and hand grenades. Grenades are limited in quantity but are extremely effective for clearing groups of enemies or dealing significant damage to bosses. Collecting power-up icons will increase the firing rate and damage output of your current weapon.

Enemies in Heavy Barrel are diverse, ranging from regular infantry soldiers, fixed turrets, tanks, and robots, to powerful end-of-stage bosses. Players will need to collect keycards to open locked doors and progress deeper into the enemy base.

A unique aspect of the game is the search for the six pieces of the Heavy Barrel weapon. These pieces are hidden in secret areas or awarded after defeating certain enemies. Once all six pieces are collected, players can assemble and wield the Heavy Barrel – an incredibly powerful gun capable of clearing the screen of enemies, proving invaluable during final confrontations. The NES version of Heavy Barrel supports one or two players simultaneously, allowing players to cooperate to overcome challenging obstacles. Each stage culminates in an intense boss battle, requiring players to master their movement and weapon usage skills.