Rush’n Attack

Rush'n Attack

Overview & History

Released by Konami in 1985, Rush'n Attack (a clever, Cold War-era pun on "Russian Attack") drops players behind enemy lines as a lone Green Beret operative. Tasked with infiltrating a heavily fortified military base, your mission is to rescue prisoners of war and ultimately sabotage a secret enemy facility housing a nuclear launch weapon. Unlike standard side-scrolling shooters of the mid-eighties that relied on firearms, Konami opted for a tense, melee-focused combat dynamic. Originally captivating arcade-goers with its striking vertical-cabinet artwork and challenging difficulty, the game became a cult classic, later spawning various home ports and sequels while cementing its legacy as a defining title of the run-and-gun genre.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Spanning four distinct stages—ranging from an outdoor military camp and a snowy forest to a harbor and the heavily guarded interior base—Rush'n Attack keeps players on high alert through relentless enemy waves. Your commando starts equipped exclusively with a combat knife, which requires getting dangerously close to hostile guards, sentry dogs, and paratroopers. However, players can temporarily confiscate special weapons by eliminating specific blinking officers. These limited-ammo power-ups include a flamethrower, a rocket launcher, and hand grenades capable of clearing the screen of armored vehicles and turrets. The game demands precise timing, as touching an enemy or hazard instantly costs a life, turning every stage into a masterclass of memorization, positioning, and agile reflex execution.

Keyboard Controls

• Arrow Keys / D-Pad: Move
• Action Keys: Attack / Jump
• Enter: Start / Pause