Blazer

Blazer is a Namco arcade shooter built around alternating control of three vehicles. Players use the Vanguard tank and Hardy helicopter across the game’s missions, with the Atlanta hovercraft appearing in the tenth and final mission.

Combat spans land and air targets. Air-based enemies can drop power-ups when struck by Vanguard’s anti-aircraft missiles. These bonuses can restore fuel, expand Vanguard’s fuel capacity, provide temporary invulnerability, or award an extra life after enough are collected. The required collection count starts at thirteen and can rise to sixteen.

Upon completion, the game presents schematics for the player’s tank along with a passage from In The Cold Morning Of August. Blazer was dedicated by its staff to Shoko Tamako Sumie.

Game Details

• Developer and publisher: Namco
• Platforms: Arcade, Final Burn Alpha Neo
• Genres: Arcade; Shooter; Shooter / Driving Diagonal