Blood Bros. (World?)

Arcade Video game published 34 years ago:

Blood Bros. (c) 1990 TAD.

Blood Bros is an into-the-screen shooter with the action viewed from an over-the-shoulder perspective. The brothers can move left and right to avoid incoming fire while the enemies themselves are targeted by moving an on-screen cross-hair over them and pressing fire. If the fire button is held down, the player-character remains static, allowing for more accurate targeting of the cross-hair. While static, the brothers are more vulnerable to incoming enemy fire.

Players have limitless ammunition for their primary gun, and carry a limited number of sticks of dynamite. Dynamite is used in a similar fashion to grenades; it can be thrown at enemies and inflicts greater damage than guns. An enemy gauge at the bottom of the screen depletes as foes are destroyed. Each of the game's stages is littered with structures that can also be destroyed. This removes enemy cover as well as earning players bonus points.

Power-ups appear from time to time, being released from objects destroyed on-screen or dropped by shooting the special characters that occasionally appear, such as the small Indian Chief or warthogs. Points and weaponry can also be dispensed from the tin can, if you shoot it into the air and juggle it with subsequent shots. Some power-ups give special weapons with increased firepower, others grant extra dynamite or points.

- TECHNICAL -

Main CPU : Motorola 68000 (@ 10 Mhz)
Sound CPU : Zilog Z80 (@ 3.579545 Mhz)
Sound Chips : YM3812 (@ 3.579545 Mhz), OKI6295 (@ 8 Khz)

Players : 2
Control : 8-way joystick
Buttons : 3

- TRIVIA -

Even if titlescreen says 1990, Blood Bros. was released in January 1991 in Japan.

According to dead code buried in Sky Smasher, it appears that the working title for Blood Bros. was 'Cabal II In West'.

A pirate version of the game is known as "West Story".

- TIPS AND TRICKS -

* Here's A Way To Play Blood Bros. For As Long As You Want :
1) Get to the second screen (preferably without dying on the first screen).
2) Shoot the building on the right side of the screen and start shooting the trees in the background on the right. 20,000 points fly out from each bunch of trees. Continue.
3) That is basically it. A few problems occur and here is how to counter them :
3a) 5 men run across the back from the left and throw grenades : Just shoot the grenades before they get to you. Eventually they come out less often, and will stop altogether.
3b) The men on the right come out from the edge to shoot you : Same as above. They stop eventually.
3c) A plane flies over and drops bombs : Same as above. It stops after some time.
3d) After a certain amount of time a bird comes out to kill you : Let it. Only 2 birds ever come out (sometimes only 1) and then they also stop coming. This is why it pays not to die on the first screen.
4) Hold your finger on the button to keep shooting the trees (sticky-tape works well here) and prepare to get 'really' bored. Play the neighboring game so that you can keep an eye on it.

* Extra Live : On the 1-1 and 4-1 stages, the tin can be shot eight times to give you a free man. If you miss it, don't bother trying again - you only get one chance.

- SERIES -

1. Cabal (1988)
2. Blood Bros. (1990)

- STAFF -

Program : Dai. Kohama
Direction : Hiro. Kakiuchi
Graphic : Jun. Matsubara, Tetsu. Shiraishi, Jun. Fujisaku, Nao. Shishino