Arcade

Air Duel

Innovative vertical shooter where players control either a helicopter or jet fighter against waves of enemy aircraft. Notable for its dual-plane hitbox system and the ability to switch vehicles mid-game. Features Irem's signature detailed sprite work and intense boss battles.

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Release Date
January 1, 1990
Developer
Irem
Publisher
Irem
Players
1
Region
US
ROM Size
890 KB

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Gameplay Systems

The player selects from a jet fighter or attack helicopter , shoot enemies in the air and ground, collect power-ups , and defeat bosses to advance levels. The game differs from most others in the genre in that the players can change the aircraft they use at the start of each level. The jet fighter always shoots straight forward; power-ups increase the width and strength of its shots. The helicopter fires thinner and weaker shots, but turns in the direction it moves (similar to the later Zero Gunner ), giving it great range; powerups increase the strength of shots, as well as the number of bullets per shot (adding a small "spread" effect to the shot while moving around). Both the fighter and the helicopter also start with three bombs which wipe out everything in their path, including enemy shots. These bombs are also unique compared to similar games, in that they produce a line of small horizontal blasts that can be "directed" at the line travels across the ground, by pressing left and right (similar to the helicopter's shots). Additional bombs can be picked up during the course of the game. Losing a life resets the player's power and bomb count to the amount they start with. Later levels can become nearly unplayable if a single life is lost.

Some information sourced from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 3.0.