Mag Max (set 1)

In Mag Max, players pilot the 'Maxcraft' hover-ship through an enemy installation in this horizontally scrolling shooter released by Nichibutsu in 1985. The objective is to locate and destroy the invading alien ‘Dragonia’ fleet, navigating both above and below ground environments connected by warp transporters. Throughout the game, players can collect robot components—a torso, legs, or plasma gun—to transform the Maxcraft into a powerful, towering robot with increased firepower. Taking damage while equipped with these components results in losing a component; however, a direct hit to the basic ship form costs a life. Enemies from Nichibutsu's earlier game "Seicross" also make appearances as adversaries. The game supports cooperative play for two players as they pursue the three-headed ‘Dragonship’ and strive for a high score among the top five rankings displayed on the leaderboard. Mag Max utilizes a Motorola 68000 processor for its graphics and a Zilog Z80 alongside General Instrument AY8910 sound chips to deliver its audio, controlled via an 8-way joystick and single button. Ports of this arcade title have been released on various platforms including the Nintendo Famicom, NES, and Sony PlayStation 4.