''Rush'n Attack'' is a

run and gun game Run(s) or RUN may refer to: Places * Run (island), one of the Banda Islands in Indonesia * Run (stream), a stream in the Dutch province of North Brabant People * Run (rapper), Joseph Simmons, now known as "Reverend Run", from the hip-hop gro ...

developed and released by

Konami , is a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, it also produces and distributes trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, pachinko machines, slot machines, and arcade cabinets. Konami has casi ...

in North American arcades in 1985, and converted to the

Nintendo Entertainment System The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redesigned version, was released in American ...

and

MS-DOS MS-DOS ( ; acronym for Microsoft Disk Operating System, also known as Microsoft DOS) is an operating system for x86-based personal computers mostly developed by Microsoft. Collectively, MS-DOS, its rebranding as IBM PC DOS, and a few oper ...

PCs. Its name is a play on the phrase "Russian attack" due to its Cold War setting. It was released in some countries as and ported to home systems, becoming a critical and commercial success for arcades and home computers.

Gameplay

The players assume the roles of the United States special operations Green Berets (named Steve and Ben on the Japanese Famicom ad poster) who are infiltrating an enemy military base to save POWs from execution by

firing squad Execution by firing squad, in the past sometimes called fusillading (from the French ''fusil'', rifle), is a method of capital punishment, particularly common in the military and in times of war. Some reasons for its use are that firearms are us ...

. There are four stages, each ending with a special group of ambushers: #Marshalling Area, ends with a truckload of jump-kicking enemies #Harbor, ends with a pack of German Shepherds #Air Base, ends with three

autogyro An autogyro (from Greek and , "self-turning"), also known as a ''gyroplane'', is a type of rotorcraft that uses an unpowered rotor in free autorotation to develop lift. Forward thrust is provided independently, by an engine-driven propeller. ...

s #Siberian Camp, ends with a flame thrower operator The

Soviet Armed Forces The Soviet Armed Forces, the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union and as the Red Army (, Вооружённые Силы Советского Союза), were the armed forces of the Russian SFSR (1917–1922), the Soviet Union (1922–1991), and th ...

that attack throughout every stage are Soldiers, Gunners, Supply Runners, Combat Specialists, Jetpack Soldiers,

German Shepherd The German Shepherd or Alsatian is a German breed of working dog of medium to large size. The breed was developed by Max von Stephanitz using various traditional German herding dogs from 1899. It was originally bred as a herding dog, fo ...

s, Parachute Gunners, Gyrocopters, and Flame Throwers. The omnipresent

combat knife A combat knife is a fighting knife designed solely for military use and primarily intended for hand-to-hand or close combat fighting.Peterson, Harold L., ''Daggers and Fighting Knives of the Western World'', Courier Dover Publications, , (20 ...

can be supplemented with captured arms. By eliminating certain Russian militants, the players can obtain a three-shot

flamethrower A flamethrower is a ranged incendiary device designed to project a controllable jet of fire. First deployed by the Byzantine Empire in the 7th century AD, flamethrowers saw use in modern times during World War I, and more widely in World Wa ...

, a four-shot

RPG RPG may refer to: Military * Rocket-propelled grenade, a shoulder-launched anti-tank weapon **''Ruchnoi Protivotankoviy Granatomyot'' (Russian: ''Ручной Противотанковый Гранатомёт''), hand-held anti-tank grenade laun ...

, or a three-pack of

hand grenade A grenade is an explosive weapon typically thrown by hand (also called hand grenade), but can also refer to a Shell (projectile), shell (explosive projectile) shot from the muzzle of a rifle (as a rifle grenade) or a grenade launcher. A modern ...

s. When the mission is accomplished, the four rescued POWs salute and the player repeats the game from the first stage on the next difficulty level. An invisible time limit kills the player. Extra lives are given at 30,000 and 70,000, and per 70,000 up to 980,000, and survival of the fittest mode thereafter.

Versions

Under license from Konami,

Imagine Software Imagine Software was a British video games developer based in Liverpool which existed briefly in the early 1980s, initially producing software for the ZX Spectrum and VIC-20. The company rose quickly to prominence and was noted for its polished ...

released home versions of the game with the ''Green Beret'' title for home computers in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...

in 1986:

ZX Spectrum The ZX Spectrum () is an 8-bit home computer that was developed by Sinclair Research. It was released in the United Kingdom on 23 April 1982, and became Britain's best-selling microcomputer. Referred to during development as the ''ZX81 Colou ...

, Commodore Plus/4, Commodore 64,

Amstrad CPC The Amstrad CPC (short for ''Colour Personal Computer'') is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the S ...

Atari 8-bit family The Atari 8-bit family is a series of 8-bit home computers introduced by Atari, Inc. in 1979 as the Atari 400 and Atari 800. The series was successively upgraded to Atari 1200XL , Atari 600XL, Atari 800XL, Atari 65XE, Atari 130XE, Atari 800XE ...

MSX MSX is a standardized home computer architecture, announced by Microsoft and ASCII Corporation on June 16, 1983. It was initially conceived by Microsoft as a product for the Eastern sector, and jointly marketed by Kazuhiko Nishi, then vice-p ...

, and

BBC Micro The British Broadcasting Corporation Microcomputer System, or BBC Micro, is a series of microcomputers and associated peripherals designed and built by Acorn Computers in the 1980s for the BBC Computer Literacy Project. Designed with an empha ...

. The Commodore 64 port was programmed by David Collier, with graphics by Steve Wahid. It was released in North America in December 1986. The Commodore 64 version was well known for its loading music by Martin Galway. In 1987, the game was included on the compilation ''Konami Coin-op Hits'' with ''

Hyper Sports ''Hyper Sports'', known in Japan as is an Olympic-themed sports video game released by Konami for arcades in 1984. It is the sequel to 1983's ''Track & Field'' and features seven new Olympic events. Like its predecessor, ''Hyper Sports'' has t ...

'', '' Mikie'', and ''

Yie Ar Kung-Fu () is an arcade fighting game developed by Konami. It first had a limited Japanese release in October 1984, before having a wide release nationwide in January 1985 and then internationally in March 1985. Along with '' Karate Champ'' (1984), whic ...

''. An unrelated

IBM PC The IBM Personal Computer (model 5150, commonly known as the IBM PC) is the first microcomputer released in the IBM PC model line and the basis for the IBM PC compatible de facto standard. Released on August 12, 1981, it was created by a tea ...

version was released by Konami for the North American market with the ''Rush'n Attack'' name in

1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxon Valdez oil tanker ru ...

Famicom Disk System and NES

Family Computer Disk System The commonly shortened to the Famicom Disk System or just Disk System, is a peripheral for Nintendo's Family Computer home video game console, released only in Japan on February 21, 1986. It uses proprietary floppy disks called "Disk Cards" f ...

version of ''Green Beret'' was released in Japan on April 10,

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airpor ...

, along with a corresponding version for the

(as ''Rush'n Attack'') released that month in North America, and on June 8, 1989 in

. The objective in the NES version was changed from rescuing prisoners to destroying a secret weapon being developed in the enemy's headquarters. A two-player simultaneous cooperative mode was introduced. The gameplay mechanics are essentially identical to the arcade version; however, the Flamethrower is removed (only the Rocket Launcher and Grenades remain) and two new power-up items are introduced: a Star mark which grants invincibility and a pistol with unlimited ammo, both which are only usable for a limited period. The NES version features two additional stages that are not in the arcade game: an airport set between the Missile Base and the Harbor, where the player faces a group of rocket soldiers at the end; and a new final stage set inside the enemy's base that ends with the player using rocket launchers dropped by enemy soldiers to disarm a nuclear missile. The flamethrower corps at the end of the Warehouse stage was replaced by a paratrooper unit. The Famicom version has a few cosmetic differences with higher difficulty compared to its NES counterpart.

Game Boy Advance

A conversion of the arcade version of ''Rush'n Attack'' is included in the

2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains independence from Indonesia and ...

compilation '' Konami Collector's Series: Arcade Advanced'' for the

Game Boy Advance The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo as the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, in the PAL region on June 22, 2 ...

. The game features the same four stages as in the arcade version, and two extra stages unlocked via the Konami Code. A two-player versus mode has been added, which utilizes the

Game Link Cable The Nintendo Game Link Cable is an accessory for the Game Boy line of handheld video game systems, allowing players to connect Game Boys of all types for multiplayer gaming. Depending on the games, a Game Link Cable can be used to link two ga ...

. The A button jumps instead of the d-pad.

Nintendo DS

A second portable version is included in the

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compilation '' Konami Classics Series: Arcade Hits'' for the Nintendo DS. Unlike the GBA version, the DS version is a direct port of the original arcade game. However, it includes various bonus features such as scans of the instruction cards and leaflet, as well as tips.

Xbox 360

''Rush'n Attack'' was released on

Xbox Live Arcade Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) is a digital video game download service available through the Xbox Games Store, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360. It focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independen ...

for the

Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generati ...

on May 23,

. This version is another direct port of the arcade game, but features an optional game mode with improved graphics and a remixed soundtrack. This version was developed by Digital Eclipse.

Konami Net DX

''Green Beret'' was released for smartphones in Japan in 2006. The mobile version is a direct port of the Famicom version with a new health bar. The mobile port was re-released in China for Java phones on December 26,

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing ...

Reception

In Japan, ''Game Machine'' listed ''Green Beret'' in its November 15, 1985 issue as the third most successful table arcade unit of the month. In Europe, ''Green Beret'' was considered one "of the first military shoot 'em ups" on the market and became a major hit in arcades. The home computer conversions topped the UK

Gallup Gallup may refer to: *Gallup, Inc., a firm founded by George Gallup, well known for its opinion poll *Gallup (surname), a surname *Gallup, New Mexico, a city in New Mexico, United States **Gallup station, an Amtrak train in downtown Gallup, New Me ...

sales charts in June 1986, becoming one of the top four best-selling games of 1986 in the UK, and one of the year's top three best-selling Commodore 64 games. Its budget re-release later topped the UK budget sales chart in July 1989. ''Green Beret'' was well-received by critics. Mike Roberts and Eric Doyle of '' Computer Gamer'' magazine gave the arcade game a positive review, comparing it favorably with the

action film Action film is a film genre in which the protagonist is thrust into a series of events that typically involve violence and physical feats. The genre tends to feature a mostly resourceful hero struggling against incredible odds, which include lif ...

'' Rambo: First Blood Part II'' (1985) while calling it an "incredibly violent game" that is "brilliant to play". '' Commodore User'' said the arcade version is "a kind of rightwards scrolling ''

Commando 40_Commando.html" ;"title="Royal Marines from 40 Commando">Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin area of Afghanistan are pictured A commando is a combatant, or operative of an elite light infantry or special operations forc ...

'' utmuch better" while praising "brilliant" graphics and sound. ''

Computer and Video Games ''Computer and Video Games'' (also known as ''CVG'', ''Computer & Video Games'', ''C&VG'', ''Computer + Video Games'', or ''C+VG'') was a UK-based video game magazine, published in its original form between 1981 and 2004. Its offshoot website ...

'' reviewed the Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum versions, calling the game "Konami's answer" to

Capcom is a Japanese video game developer and publisher. It has created a number of multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being '' Resident Evil'', '' Monster Hunter'', '' Street Fighter'', '' Mega Man'', '' ...

's ''Commando'' (1985) and comparing it favorably with the ''Rambo'' film series. The review said it is fast, "furious and terribly addictive". The MS-DOS version of ''Rush'n Attack'' was reviewed in 1989 in '' Dragon'' magazine by Patricia Hartley and Kirk Lesser, giving 3 out of 5 stars. '' ACE'' reviewed the budget re-release of ''Green Beret'' for the Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, and Amstrad CPC in 1989, calling it an "intelligently thought out shoot 'em up with excellent graphics". The NES version ranked 99 on IGN's top 100 NES games list.

Notes

References

External links

* * *{{WoS game, id=0002134, name=Green Beret
''Green Beret'' at Konami Net DX (Japanese)
1985 video games Amstrad CPC games Arcade video games Atari 8-bit family games BBC Micro and Acorn Electron games Cold War video games Commodore 16 and Plus/4 games Commodore 64 games DOS games Famicom Disk System games Cancelled Game Boy Color games Konami arcade games Konami games Nintendo Entertainment System games Platform games PlayChoice-10 games Run and gun games Video games scored by Iku Mizutani Video games scored by Martin Galway Xbox 360 Live Arcade games ZX Spectrum games Digital Eclipse games Multiplayer and single-player video games Video games developed in Japan Video games set in the Soviet Union