Ikari Warriors

Ikari Warriors - the 1986 run-and-gun action game for Commodore 64 from
Elite Systems.

Battle through jungles and enemy fortresses as two commandos armed with
machine guns, grenades, and a stolen tank or two on the road to victory.

Core loop
- march upward through scrolling enemy territory
- shoot soldiers, throw grenades, and destroy bunkers
- drive tanks for heavy firepower until fuel or armor runs out
- rescue hostages and reach the base at the end of each stage

Systems and items
- power-ups - extra grenades, fuel, and ammo dropped by foes
- tanks - temporary vehicle mode with cannon and crush ability
- two-player co-op - simultaneous play with shared screen
- continue feature - enter code to resume after death

Level design and feel
Vertically scrolling jungle maps with dense enemy placement and traps.
Paced slower than arcade speed but retains the methodical push of SNK’s
original, backed by chunky sprites and crisp explosions.

Why it is notable
- conversion of SNK’s hit arcade game, ported by Elite for C64
- among the first C64 shooters with true two-player cooperative play
- inspired a generation of overhead run-and-gun titles

Tips
- conserve grenades for bunkers and vehicle enemies
- jump out of tanks before they explode to save a life
- move in short bursts—constant motion keeps enemies from locking aim

At a glance
Year - 1986
Developer - Elite Systems
Design and programming - David Shea - Mike Ager
Graphics - Elite Systems team
Music - Mark Cooksey
Publisher - Elite Systems
Genre - Run-and-gun shooter
Players - 1 or 2 simultaneous (co-op)
Controls - Joystick in port 2