Palamedes (US)

Players take turns in Palamedes, a cooperative puzzle game released by Hot-B Co., Ltd. in 1990. Using eight-way joysticks and two buttons, each player controls a character who must skillfully toss balls to knock down formations of blocks at the top of the screen. Successfully clearing these block arrangements is essential for advancing through the game’s levels, but misjudged throws can lead to frustrating setbacks as the blocks descend. The gameplay centers around precision and teamwork; coordinating your tosses with another player is vital to overcome increasingly complex challenges. A tournament mode offers a unique visual treat, briefly displaying cameos from characters previously featured in Operation Wolf and Bubble Bobble. The game’s sound effects are produced by a YM2203 chip running at 3 Mhz, providing an auditory backdrop for the block-clearing action. Originally released in October of 1990, Palamedes spawned a sequel for the Nintendo Famicom and was also ported to other platforms including the Game Boy and MSX2. The game utilizes Taito L System hardware and features a Zilog Z80 processor at its core.