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Devastators

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Arcade

A middle eastern country ran by a dictator has invaded a weaker country. The invaded country's last hope for survival is enlisting the help of the Devastators, a team of freedom fighting commandos. The commando's have to go through seven missions of varying locales that include a desert, an air f...

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Developer
Konami Industry

Released on
1988

Size
1–2 Players

Version
Arcade

Requirements
Arcade

Downloads
Shooter

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

Cooperative
Yes

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Description

A middle eastern country ran by a dictator has invaded a weaker country. The invaded country’s last hope for survival is enlisting the help of the Devastators, a team of freedom fighting commandos. The commando’s have to go through seven missions of varying locales that include a desert, an air field, a jungle, a savanna, a navy base, mountains and finally bombed ruins performing covert operations. These operations include things such as blowing up the enemy’s ammunition base, stealing a jet, and rescuing prisoners of war being held captive deep in a forest. These missions have to be completed before time runs out or the game is over. Missions can also end if the player runs out of lives, however bonus lives can be earned by getting 150 points and then at every 200 points thereafter.

The commandos are armed with an UZI sub-machine gun which has unlimited ammo plus can also pick up additional weapons from downed enemies. Additional weapons with limited uses include hand grenades, a flamethrower, a bazooka, a grenade launcher, and molotov cocktails.

Devastators

Overview & History

Released by Konami in 1988 for the arcades, Devastators is a gritty, military-themed run-and-gun third-person shooter that predates the isometric chaos of SNK's Ikari Warriors and Capcom's similar military romps by adopting a pseudo-3D perspective viewed from behind the protagonists. Players step into the combat boots of unnamed elite commandos deployed to dismantle a ruthless, technologically advanced terrorist syndicate known as "The Mad Syndicate," which has seized control of a fictional desert nation and threatened global annihilation. Operating on Konami’s robust arcade hardware of the late '80s, the game stood out for its use of destructible environmental cover, desperate cinematic pacing, and challenging multi-tiered boss encounters that demanded precise positioning rather than mere button mashing.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Devastators sets itself apart through its pseudo-rear-view perspective, forcing players to advance "into" the screen while dodging an unrelenting hail of enemy gunfire, mortar shells, and charging infantry. The action spans diverse hostile theaters, from sun-baked open deserts and fortified trench lines to ruined cityscapes and heavily guarded subterranean industrial bases. Combat mechanics revolve around a directional shooting system, allowing commandos to fire forward while adjusting their aim or strafing left and right to evade incoming hazards. A standout feature is the destructible terrain; stone walls, wooden barricades, and sandbag bunkers can be blasted away by enemy fire or player explosives, stripping away safe havens and forcing constant movement. Power-ups dropped by specialized enemy units grant access to devastating heavy artillery, including flame-throwers, rapid-fire heavy machine guns, and rocket launchers with limited ammunition. Cooperative two-player gameplay enhances the tactical chaos, allowing a duo of soldiers to crossfire through enemy ranks, revive fallen comrades in certain versions, and coordinate assaults against screen-filling mechanical behemoths, giant tanks, and heavily armored syndicate warlords.