ASO - Armored Scrum Object

Pilots take to the skies in Armored Scrum Object, a cooperative vertical shooter from SNK released in 1985. Players control advanced spacecraft and face waves of enemies across scrolling levels, alternating between ground-based targets and aerial adversaries with distinct weapon systems—missiles for destroying structures and lasers for combating airborne threats. Each level culminates in a boss encounter, requiring skillful maneuvering and strategic use of available firepower to prevail. Throughout gameplay, players can enhance their craft’s capabilities by collecting power-ups that increase weapon strength. A loss results in the forfeiture of all weapons, though a checkpoint system allows for quick recovery near the point of defeat. Two players can join forces to tackle the challenges ahead, coordinating attacks and supporting each other against escalating enemy opposition. Armored Scrum Object laid the groundwork for a sequel, ASO II - Last Guardian, and was also known as "Alpha Mission" or "Arian Mission" in export releases. The game runs on Zilog Z80 processors and features sound driven by a Yamaha YM3526 chip.