Air Buster

Air Buster is a fast side-scrolling shooter developed by Inter State and published by Kaneko. Players pilot a small craft through enemy-filled stages featuring horizontal and vertical scrolling sections, including fast obstacle courses.

Each level concludes with a boss battle. Orange pods release groups of power-ups that can improve the ship’s lasers, add wingmen, or provide shields. Holding the fire button charges a blast that damages every enemy and clears enemy bullets from the screen.

With a highly unforgiving difficulty in which every hit is fatal, the game allows players to continue while lives and credits remain. It also supports two-player cooperative play. Air Buster was released on January 31, 1991, for Arcade, PC (Microsoft Windows), Sega Genesis, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, and TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine.