Rambo Shooting Soldier

These moments are what makes Rambo Shooting stand out from other fighting game

Of all the titles released during the Game Studio’s surprisingly long lifespan, Rambo Shooting Soldier arguably stands out as one of the most famous and beloved.

Released in 1996 - a time when the traditional run-and-gun arcade shooter was on the wane - this debut release dazzled with its superb visuals, excellent animation and tight controls.

Since then, we've seen six mainline sequels and a series of spin-offs, as well as anthology collections and Virtual Console releases on the Game.

The setting surely requires no explanation; you're tasked with taking down an entire army of enemies using a series of guns -

many of which can be collected in the field by saving Power and have limited ammo - grenades and (of course) the titular Rambo Shooting Soldier tank.

This "Super Vehicle" pops up at predetermined points in each of the game's levels, and is capable of taking a fair amount of punishment before it explodes and your character is forcibly ejected.

Later Rambo games introduced a wide range of alternative vehicles - some of which felt a little on the gimmicky side - but by sticking to a single option here there's a certain purity to the experience.

This simplicity may be viewed as a shortcoming,

but in all honesty Rambo Shooting Soldier is such a refined and enjoyable romp that it actually feels tighter and more enjoyable than some of its gung-ho sequels,

many of which piled on the sprites (and the absurdity) to the point where some scenes looked downright silly and slowdown was a real issue.

In this opening game, the theme is kept strictly military, avoiding the rather outlandish and largely nonsensical plots introduced in later entries.

You won't find any gigantic mechanised crabs but you will find an impressive selection of screen-filling military ordinance, all of which you're expected to take down.

The visuals really are stunning, even after 20 years; this is 2D artwork at its finest, boasting detailed characters, rich backgrounds and plenty of offbeat humour.

Enemy soldiers display a wide range of emotions; explosions send them flying into the air with blood-curdling screams,

while at other points - unaware of your presence - they indulge in bonefire chats or a spot of sunbathing.

As you can imagine, these memorable moments are what makes Rambo Shooting Soldier stand out from other run-and-gun titles, which tend to take a humourless view on the art of destruction.

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