Ludography
Heavy Barrel cover

1987 · Data East · Arcade · Run and gun

Heavy Barrel

Nintendo console exclusive

Heavy Barrel is a 1987 overhead run and gun arcade game by Data East.

Released
1987
Platforms
Apple IIArcadeMS-DOSNESNintendo SwitchZeebo
Genres
ArcadeRun and gunShooter
Developers
Data East
Publishers
Data East
Modes
Co-opSingle-player
Perspective
Third personBird view / Isometric
Themes
ActionScience fiction
Country
Japan

About

Heavy Barrel is an overhead run and gun video game released for arcades in 1987 by Data East.

Keywords

  • crime
  • upgradeable weapons
  • infinite ammo
  • cheat code
  • terrorists
  • rotating joystick control

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

Terrorists have seized the underground control complex of a nuclear missile site, and it is up to the player to infiltrate the base and kill the enemy leader. Players begin armed with a gun with unlimited ammunition and a limited supply of grenades. Improved weapons and grenade powerups are made available within the game, either in plain sight or within crates that must be unlocked using keys. Additionally, crates may contain orbs or one of the six pieces of the Heavy Barrel superweapon. Like SNK's Ikari Warriors, the original arcade version featured 8-way rotary joysticks.

The name of the game is from an in-game weapon. The Heavy Barrel is found in six pieces and is an energy cannon capable of destroying any enemy in the game with a single shot (except the final enemy, and possibly one other boss that may have required two shots). The weapon has a wide arc of fire and can be fired as fast as the player's trigger finger permits, but after thirty seconds its use is exhausted, at which point the bearer reverts to his previous weaponry. The Heavy Barrel is best used to get past tough bosses, and the game only contains enough pieces to allow the weapon to be built three times in a single game. In a two-player game, whoever collects the sixth piece is equipped with the Heavy Barrel.

Reception

In Japan, Game Machine listed Heavy Barrel on their January 15, 1988 issue as being the sixth most-successful table arcade unit of the month. Both Computer and Video Games's Clare Edgeley and ACE's Andy Smith gave an overall positive outlook to the arcade original.

Releases by platformdates and regions as published

PlatformReleasedRegions
Arcade1 February 1987Japan
Apple II31 December 1989North America
MS-DOS31 December 1989North America
Zeebo27 July 2010Brazil
Nintendo Switch31 December 2018Worldwide

Editions and related releases

Included in
Data East Co-op Pack #1Data East Arcade Collection #1Data East Arcade ClassicsPolymega Collection Vol. 6: Heavy Barrel
Ported as
Heavy BarrelJohnny Turbo's Arcade: Heavy Barrel
Built on it
Heavy Barrel

Games like this

Collections4 collections

Description adapted from its source, CC BY-SA 4.0.