Gunforce

Game Details:

GunForce was officially released to the arcade market by Irem in 1991. The game's story follows a brutal unknown army that has occupied a vital military island (the Island of Terror) and intends to use it as a base to trigger a global crisis. Players take on the role of elite special forces, tasked with landing on the beach and breaking through heavily fortified enemy lines. This title is a milestone in the history of action-shooting games; its vehicle-driving mechanics, detailed pixel-art environmental destruction, and hardcore bullet patterns laid the gameplay and artistic foundation for the legendary Metal Slug series that followed years later.

Game Guide:

The core gameplay involves cleverly utilizing verticality and hijacking enemy vehicles.

Pro Tips:

The starting rifle is weak and can only fire forward. However, by breaking specific weapon crates, you can obtain the "3-Way" shot (firing up, down, and forward), the piercing "Laser," and the high-powered "Bazooka." The game’s standout feature is that "everything is drivable"—motorcycles, jeeps, helicopters, and even enemy gun turrets can be hijacked simply by jumping on them. Vehicles not only boost firepower but also act as temporary armor (players eject automatically without taking damage when a vehicle is destroyed). When facing the final boss—a giant computer core—grenade-throwing grunts will spawn continuously on both sides. The best strategy is to seize the lift platform on the left to gain high ground, then use the Laser's piercing ability to hit both the core and the grunts simultaneously. Simply maintain your positioning and movement to clear the game.