Developed and published by Taito in 1988
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Operation Wolf is one of the quintessential arcade classics. Its replica UZI lightgun and bold graphics and blaring sound made it an instant coinmuncher.

Released a couple of years later, Operation Thunderbolt ups the ante by including cooperative multiplayer, and cranking the action dial to 11.

For those unfamiliar with the game, imagine there's an invisible line running down the centre of the screen from top to bottom. Player 1 takes damage from enemies in the left half of the screen, while enemies in the right half will damage player 2. The idea is that each player covers their respective half of the screen, taking out bad guys before they become a threat.

The problem comes, however, when playing the game solo. Even from the get go, the sheer number of enemies thrown at you is overwhelming, and the constant barrage of grenades, rockets and machine gun fire makes later levels particularly 3 and 5 a complete nightmare.

Powerups appear in the form of crates, which float down from the top of the screen on tiny parachutes. These include magazines of ammo, rocket bombs, a laser sight that makes aiming easier, bonus health, and a flak jacket which is pretty much mandatory if you want to stand the remotest chance of success. If you're close to death, there's a chance of a health vial or medpack appearing in the crates, and you'll see I was saved numerous times by grabbing one of these just before pushing up the daisies.

If I'm honest, I'm not a fan of the game. The nearconstant attempts to overwhelm the player make this virtually impossible and unenjoyable as a solo experience. Truth be told, I would rather walk away than insert another coin when asked to continue, which is a shame.


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