Cabal

Cabal

Overview & History

Released by TAD Corporation and ported to the NES by Rare in 1990, Cabal is a unique third-person arcade shooter that predates the popularization of 'over-the-shoulder' action titles. Set against a backdrop of global warfare, the loose storyline casts the player as a nameless, bandana-wearing commando tasked with infiltrating heavily fortified enemy strongholds, jungle bases, and desert compounds. Unlike standard side-scrollers, the perspective is fixed behind the protagonist, establishing a tense depth-of-field dynamic where waves of infantry, tanks, and helicopters relentlessly assault the foreground while the player retaliates from a perpetual forward-facing vantage point.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

The core gameplay loop revolves around a dual-threat mechanic: players must simultaneously dodge incoming enemy fire and rack up structural destruction. As you eliminate enemy grunts, a dedicated percentage counter at the top of the screen fills up, representing the structural integrity of the target base. Once this meter hits one hundred percent, the entire screen-filling fortress spectacularly collapses in an explosion, clearing the stage. To survive the onslaught, the commando can perform a vital forward or backward somersault, granting brief invulnerability frames to pass cleanly through enemy bullets and projectile explosions. Strategic utilization of cover—such as sandbags and concrete pillars—is mandatory, as environments degrade and eventually shatter under heavy enemy bombardment. Power-ups scattered across the battlefield temporarily upgrade your standard rifle into rapid-fire machine guns or devastating mortar strikes.

Keyboard Controls

• Arrow Keys / D-Pad: Move Commando & Crosshair Simultaneously
• Action Keys: Attack / Jump
• Enter: Start / Pause