Bosconian

Bosconian is an arcade shooter developed by Namco and published by Namcot and Takara. Released in 1982, it challenges players to destroy enemy missiles and bases while scoring as many points as possible.

Gameplay

The player controls a small fighter ship that moves in eight directions and fires both forward and backward. Each round contains multiple green enemy bases that must be destroyed to advance. A semi-transparent automap helps locate them.

Each base has six cannons arranged around a central core. Players can destroy all six cannons or shoot the core directly. In later rounds, the core can defend itself by opening and closing while launching missiles.

Asteroids, mines, enemy ships, and missiles provide additional hazards. Formation attacks can be cleared for bonus points, while an occasional spy ship offers a random bonus if destroyed. Missing it causes the round to enter “condition red.”

Platforms

• Arcade
• Microsoft MSX
• MSX
• Sharp X1
• Sharp X68000
• Sord M5
• Wii