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Heavy Metal

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Heavy Metal is a top-down, vertically-scrolling shooter in the same vein as Vindicators from Atari. You guide a tank from the bottom to top through four levels vertically shooting foes along the way. The screen scrolls automatically and there is free movement for the tank. A radar on the left ...

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Developer
Sega Enterprises

Released on
1985

Size
1–2 Players

Version
Arcade

Requirements
Arcade

Downloads
Shooter

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

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Description

Heavy Metal is a top-down, vertically-scrolling shooter in the same vein as Vindicators from Atari. You guide a tank from the bottom to top through four levels vertically shooting foes along the way.

The screen scrolls automatically and there is free movement for the tank. A radar on the left side screen scans at a constant rate, showing the tank’s position and incoming enemies by pinging them. Four different power-ups can be picked up along the way: a shield (yellow), super shot (orange), a super missile (blue) and speed up (green). There are several lives, but a single hit is immediately fatal.

Heavy Metal

Overview & History

Released in the late 1980s by a lesser-known arcade developer, Heavy Metal is an obscure, highly volatile action-platformer that fused industrial dystopia with extreme auditory and visual aesthetics. Unlike the sleek fantasy heroes of contemporary arcade hits, this cabinet dropped players into the rusted boots of "Iron-Clad Jax," a biomechanical mercenary tasked with dismantling a sentient, music-hating megacorporation known as the Silencer Syndicate. The game never saw a widespread home console port, cementing its legacy as a rare, coin-eating cult classic found only in dimly lit arcades. Its atmospheric synthesizer-metal fusion soundtrack and gritty, pixel-shredded art style set it apart from standard sci-fi beat-’em-ups of the era.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

The core gameplay loops blend relentless side-scrolling platforming with high-octane melee combat and projectile suppression. Players must navigate crumbling industrial levels filled with live electrical grids, acid vats, and hordes of corporate enforcers. Jax's arsenal includes a heavy chain whip for mid-range crowd control and a chest-mounted plasma cannon for heavy damage. A standout mechanic is the "Rage Meter," which charges as Jax takes damage or successfully parries enemy attacks. Once full, triggering the meter unleashes a temporary invulnerability state and triples attack speed, accompanied by a deafening guitar riff. Boss battles require memorizing intricate patterns, forcing players to time their jumps over shockwaves and slide beneath laser barriers while managing limited health pickups.