Ozma Wars (set 1)

The Ozma Wars began in 1979 with this two-player fixed shooter from SNK. Players pilot spacecraft through a series of space levels, battling waves of UFOs, spaceships, meteors, and comets. Instead of traditional lives, players manage an energy reserve that steadily decreases; contact with enemies drains a significant portion of this energy, temporarily halting gameplay. To replenish their power, players must dock with periodically appearing motherships. The game progresses through recognizable stages, introducing new enemy types as it continues. After completing these initial levels, the cycle repeats indefinitely until the player’s energy is depleted. Notably, Ozma Wars was SNK's debut title and introduced a distinctive gameplay element: an energy reserve mechanic that would become commonplace in later action games. A version of this game also exists under the name "Space Phantoms."