Ali Baba and 40 Thieves

In Sega’s 1982 maze game, Ali Baba and 40 Thieves, two players control Ali Baba as he navigates a vertical playfield to protect his treasure. At the start of each round, Ali Baba retrieves seven bags of money from an upper chamber by uttering "Open Sesame." He must then descend and defeat all forty thieves before they can snatch the bags and return them to the top, costing him a life. Successfully eliminating the thieves advances players to the next level. Gameplay involves maneuvering Ali Baba through the maze using a four-way joystick, striking each thief as they appear. Certain thieves are worth more points than others, with a “Captain Thief” offering a higher reward. A large, red thief is immune to attack and simply moves across the screen, adding another layer of challenge. The game draws inspiration from the classic Arabian folk tale, providing a simple premise with escalating difficulty as players strive for a perfect score by defeating all enemies without losing any bags of money.