A.L.C.O.N (Allied League of Cosmic Nations), also known as Slap Fight, is a vertically scrolling shooter developed by Toaplan.

<h2>Overview</h2><p>A.L.C.O.N (Allied League of Cosmic Nations), also known as Slap Fight, is a vertically scrolling shooter in which players must attempt to defeat enemies while upgrading their ship with power-ups. Weapons may affect enemies differently, for example some enemies may only be defeated by lasers, while others may be completely immune to them.</p><p>A version named Slap Fight MD was released for the Mega Drive in Japan, featuring new levels, weapons, power-ups, and graphics, along with new music by Yuzo Koshiro. It also featured a slightly tweaked version of the original game on the same cartridge.</p>

Bosconian is an arcade multi-directional shooter where players must clear levels of enemy space stations.

<h2>Overview </h2><p> </p><figure data-align="right" data-img-src="https://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/0/3568/344872-bosconian00.gif" data-ref-id="1300-344872" data-size="small" data-ratio="0.77777777777778" data-width="288" data-embed-type="image" style="width: 288px"><a class="fluid-height" style="padding-bottom:77.8%" href="https://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/0/3568/344872-bosconian00.gif" data-ref-id="1300-344872"><img alt="No Caption Provided" src="https://www.giantbomb.com/a/uploads/original/0/3568/344872-bosconian00.gif" srcset="https://www.giantbomb.com/a/uploads/original/0/3568/344872-bosconian00.gif 288w" sizes="(max-width: 288px) 100vw, 288px" data-width="288"></a></figure><p><b><i>Bosconian</i></b> is an arcade multi-directional space shooter developed and released by <a href="/namco-bandai-games-inc/3010-382/" data-ref-id="3010-382"> Namco</a> into <a href="/arcade/3045-84/" data-ref-id="3045-84"> arcades</a> in 1981. The player pilots a <a href="/spaceship/3055-17/" data-ref-id="3055-17"> spaceship</a> that is fixed in the center of the screen, moving across a scrolling starfield in one of eight directions. The objective for the player is to destroy enemy <a href="/space-station/3055-823/" data-ref-id="3055-823"> space stations</a> positioned somewhere in the level (with guns that fire both forwards and backwards at the same time) while avoiding <a href="/asteroid/3055-232/" data-ref-id="3055-232"> asteroids</a>, stationary mines, swarms of enemy spaceships, and enemy <a href="/missile/3055-74/" data-ref-id="3055-74"> missiles</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The game was also ported to several home computer systems, including the <a href="/msx/3045-15/" data-ref-id="3045-15">MSX</a>, <a href="/sharp-x68000/3045-95/" data-ref-id="3045-95"> Sharp X68000</a>, <a href="/sharp-x1/3045-113/" data-ref-id="3045-113"> Sharp X1</a>, and <a href="/nec-pc-6001/3045-115/" data-ref-id="3045-115"> NEC PC-6001</a>. Most of these ports were published by <a href="/midway-games/3010-185/" data-ref-id="3010-185"> Midway</a>. The original arcade release was also released in certain <a href="/namco-museum/3025-501/" data-ref-id="3025-501"> Namco Museum</a> compilations, namely <a href="/namco-museum-vol-1/3030-31411/" data-ref-id="3030-31411"> Namco Museum Vol. 1</a> for the PlayStation, <a href="/namco-museum-50th-anniversary/3030-4671/" data-ref-id="3030-4671"> Namco Museum: 50th Anniversary</a> for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube, <a href="/namco-museum-battle-collection/3030-31470/" data-ref-id="3030-31470"> Namco Museum: Battle Collection</a> for the PSP, <a href="/namco-museum-virtual-arcade/3030-24329/" data-ref-id="3030-24329"> Namco Museum: Virtual Arcade</a> for the Xbox 360, and <a href="/namco-museum-megamix/3030-33307/" data-ref-id="3030-33307"> Namco Museum Megamix</a> for the Wii.</p><p>Bosconian also received a pseudo-sequel, <a href="/bosconian-87/3030-18761/" data-ref-id="3030-18761">Bosconian '87</a>, on the <a href="/commodore-64/3045-14/" data-ref-id="3045-14">Commodore 64</a>, <a href="/amstrad-cpc/3045-11/" data-ref-id="3045-11">Amstrad CPC</a>, and <a href="/zx-spectrum/3045-16/" data-ref-id="3045-16">Sinclair ZX Spectrum</a>. These versions were all developed and published by <a href="/mastertronic-ltd/3010-425/" data-ref-id="3010-425">Mastertronic</a>.</p><p>Although<i> Bosconian</i> was not as popular as other multi-directional space shooters (such as <a href="/sinistar/3030-23214/" data-ref-id="3030-23214"> Sinistar</a>), <i>Bosconian</i> was the first arcade game to include a standard <a href="/continue/3015-635/" data-ref-id="3015-635"> continue</a> system, which allowed players to continue right where they left off once they are out of lives (by putting more credits into the machine). This option could be disabled by arcade operators via a DIP switch setting. Bosconian was also one of the first arcade games to use a digitized voice, which serves to cue players that either their spaceship was taking off, enemy spaceships are attacking, enemy spy ships are sighted, enemy spaceship formations are spotted, or when enemy spaceships are going berserk (when the condition indicator goes red).</p><h2>Gameplay</h2><p>The player's ship fires from the front and back simultaneously and is always fixed in the center of the screen. One hit from either an enemy bullet or a collision will kill the player. Bonus lives are awarded at set score milestones (such as at 10000 points). Movement was restricted to eight directions and the player had no control over the ship's speed. It was constantly in motion.</p><p>The enemy will occasionally launch formation attacks with a lead ship. By destroying the lead ship, the formation will break apart. Destroying all of the ships in a formation awards bonus points.</p><p>The game isn't timed, but it will become more aggressive if the player takes too long on a level. This is measured by the condition alert also displayed on the right side of the screen.</p><p>Flying off the "edge" of the map would only wrap the player around to the other side. Levels were cleared when all enemy bases were destroyed.</p><h2>Legacy</h2><p>The game would receive a sequel called<a href="/bosconian-87/3030-18761/" data-ref-id="3030-18761"> Bosconian '87</a>, but it would also be ported to several systems over the years as well as earn a place in Namco's <a href="/namco-museum/3030-3013/" data-ref-id="3030-3013"> Namco Museum</a> collection releases (Namco was a licensor of the game).</p>

A vertical-scrolling shoot 'em up arcade sequel to Flying Shark that features increased firepower. It was originally released as an arcade machine with separate 1-player and 2-player versions before receiving a Genesis port.

<h2>Overview</h2><p>Fire Shark (JP: Same! Same! Same!, or "Shark! Shark! Shark!") is a vertical-scrolling shoot 'em up from Toaplan that was originally released in Japanese arcades in 1990. It was adapted for the Sega Genesis console later that same year, releasing in all three territories. It is the sequel to Toaplan's <a href="/flying-shark/3030-38175/" data-ref-id="3030-38175">Flying Shark</a>.</p><p>Fire Shark is unusual for having a biplane protagonist despite being in a contemporary setting. The eponymous Fire Shark is very adaptable, however, with multiple types of weapons each with their own firing arcs and a finite supply of screen-clearing smart bombs. Color-coded power-ups result in different weapon types and collecting subsequent ones powers up that weapon type. The game is merciful in that the player doesn't start over if they collect a different colored power-up; rather, the new weapon is at the same strength level as the previous.</p>

A horizontal shoot 'em up with a color-coded alternating firing mode that can cover multiple directions. 

<h2>Overview</h2><p>Hellfire is a horizontally-scrolling shoot 'em up from Toaplan and Masaya originally released in arcades and then ported to the Sega Genesis and PC Engine CD-ROM. For its Genesis/Mega Drive releases, it had a different publisher in each region: Masaya for Japan, Seismic for North America, and Sega for Europe. The PC Engine CD-ROM version was called Hellfire S, and featured a remixed soundtrack and a new protagonist.</p><p>It has a gameplay quirk in which the player can cycle through various firing modes, each represented by a specific color. For instance, red/purple fires directly ahead, yellow fires behind, green fires directly above and below, and blue fires in all four diagonal directions. This allowed players to target enemies in every direction, as long as they could switch modes quickly enough. The player could also resort to a much more powerful shot, the Hellfire, but only a finite number of times per stage. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>

A vertical military shoot 'em up developed by Toaplan and published by Taito in 1987.

<h2>Overview</h2><p>Sky Shark is a vertical-scrolling shooting game in which the player takes command of a biplane and shoots enemies in the sky and ground as they approach. It was developed by the company Toaplan and published by Taito in 1987 for Arcade. It was previously called Flying Shark in its native Japan, but was released under the name Sky Shark in the US and was licensed to Romstar for distribution. It was also converted to the Amiga, Commodore 64, DOS, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, FM Towns, and Nintendo Entertainment System.</p><p>There was a sequel, <a href="/fire-shark/3030-18598/" data-ref-id="3030-18598">Fire Shark</a>. It was released for the Sega Mega Drive and Arcade in 1990 and is called Same! Same! Same! ("Shark! Shark! Shark!") in Japan.</p><h2>Gameplay</h2><p>Sky Shark puts the player in control of a biplane and has them take out enemy planes, turrets, tanks and other land bases. The game starts the player off with three lives and three bombs. For every one thousand points they earn the game rewards them with an extra life. If the player makes it to the base where they land their plane, the base racks up the player's points and if they haven't used any bombs it rewards them with an extra one.</p><p>The game also consists of special power-ups. The player can find these power-ups by destroying a formation of enemy planes which come at the player in a V-shape formations or criss-cross style. If the player manages to destroy the entire formation they release an S power-up that allows the player's plane to fire extra bullets. If the player manages to destroy a formation of yellow enemy planes, they are given an extra 1000 points.</p><p> </p>