Pulstar

In the year 2248, humanity faces an alien invasion following a mysterious signal from Mars. Pulstar puts players in the cockpit of the Dino246 fighter piloted by Kaoru Yamazaki, tasked with defending the Solar System against overwhelming odds as planets are destroyed and Earth itself is threatened. This two-player shooter delivers intense horizontal scrolling action reminiscent of the R-Type series, but with a unique twist: your ship’s pod acts as an unremovable shield offering added protection during frantic battles. Gameplay centers around managing a dual weapon system—holding down the fire button charges a powerful beam attack, while rapid bursts unleash a volley of smaller projectiles. Eight challenging levels are available to begin from, each presenting increasingly difficult waves of alien forces and environmental hazards. The game’s visuals showcase early uses of advanced graphics technology for the Neo-Geo platform, bringing impressive detail to both enemy designs and destroyed landscapes. Pulstar runs on SNK's Neo-Geo MVS hardware and features straightforward controls: an 8-way joystick manages movement while two buttons handle attacks and restarting moves. A soundtrack album accompanied its original release and a high score record of 68,350 points has been achieved by Tracy Miller.