

A bidirectional, horizontal scrolling shoot'em up similar to Defender, written by Dan Thompson and Andrew Kaluzniacki and published by Sirius Software for various 8-bit homecomputers.

Shooter / Arcade / Action / Science fiction
Data East used footage from the film Harmagedon to create a laserdisc video game titled Bega's Battle. It was released in June 1983. In the game, the player to take on the role of the robot Bega (Vega) whose goal was to stop the invasion forces of the alien Varga (Genma), while also rescuing his three friends who had been kidnapped by them. Even among laserdisc games Bega's Battle has become somewhat rare because many of the machines were converted into Cobra Command machines as part of a discount deal offered by Data East in exchange for the internals of the Bega's Battle arcade cabinet. Similar to Astron Belt, the game used the footage mainly for backgrounds, while the actual gameplay was a shooting game with sprites laid over the video. Bega's Battle also used brief full-motion video cut scenes to develop a story between the game's shooting stages. Years later, this would become the standard approach to video game storytelling. Bega's Battle also featured a branching storyline. The Twin Galaxies world record for Bega's Battle was set by Steve Harris (later the founder of Electronic Gaming Monthly) on July 18, 1983.

Shooter / Hack and slash/Beat 'em up / Arcade / Action / Science fiction
Alien vs. Predator is a 1994 beat 'em up video game developed and released by Capcom for the CPS-2 arcade game system. It is based on the science fiction franchise of the same name. Introducing an original fighter to the game: Lt. Kurosawa, the players take control of up to three from the selection of four cyborgs and Predator characters in a battle against the Xenomorph hordes and rogue human soldiers.

Shooter / Arcade / Action / Science fiction
R-Type is set in the 22nd century, and the player flies a futuristic fighter craft called the R-9a "Arrowhead", named for its shape, and because it is the ninth model in the 'R' series of fighter craft (but it is the first of the series to actually be used in combat; the previous models were all prototypes). The mission is to 'blast off and strike the evil Bydo Empire'. The R- in the series title originally stood for "ray", as in a ray of light. It was a reference to the many different types of ray-like weapons in the first R-Type. his was later retconned in R-Type Final to refer specifically to the production code as well as a term of endearment for the player fighter craft, the "Round Canopy". The original R-Type was well received by most gaming critics. However, it was also infamous for its relentless difficulty. It earned 7th place in IGN's Top 10 most difficult games to beat. The gameplay of R-Type is noticeably distinct among shoot 'em ups. Invariably the player will lose, not because of an inequality in firepower, but because of the design of the levels themselves. There is usually a 'correct' way to get through a level, but players must learn these by experience - i.e. by losing and restarting from earlier in the level. The game innovated with its weapon system compared to contemporary shooters, featuring a chargeable shot (beam-meter), and detachable 'force' pod; levels were designed to require different tactics and ideal weapons (air-air, diagonal, or air-ground laser).

Shooter / Arcade / Action / Science fiction
The player controls a space ship which is trapped in an area consisting of seven tunnels which are connected by a vertical shaft. Enemies are attacking the player from left and right and it is the objective of the player to destroy as many attackers as possible using the shaft. You can't, however, hover at one spot for too long since an invincible enemy will appear, forcing the player to change positions eventually.

Shooter / Arcade / Action / Science fiction
Many dedicated Spacemen have entered Spider City but none has ever been heard from again. It is up to you, Flash Gordon, to rescue any surviving Spacemen and to conquer this hideous city of tunnels. Spider City is conquered when all of its Hatching Pods are eliminated. It doesn't hurt to blast a few Generators or enemy Patrol Ships while you're there.

Shooter / Arcade / Action / Science fiction
A space shooter designed by Dan Thompson for the Atari 2600 that was also released under the name "Final Orbit" for the Atari 8-bit and Commodore VIC-20 homecomputers.

Shooter / Puzzle / Arcade / Action / Science fiction
High-speed action-packed game play returns with the addition of exciting head-to-head battle modes, a challenging new time attack mode, and expanded game play progression that goes beyond Fever Time to SUPER FEVER TIME! Space Invaders Extreme 2 - faster and more exhilarating than ever before!