Sarge

Bally Midway’s Sarge, released in 1985, delivers fast-paced, two-player shooter action on the MCR 3 hardware platform. Players control military vehicles and engage both enemy forces and each other in a dynamic field setting. The game distinguishes itself by allowing players to deploy multiple vehicles simultaneously, offering an early example of real-time competitive vehicle combat within arcade games. Gameplay involves maneuvering these vehicles across the screen using dual two-way joysticks, aiming and firing at opponents while navigating obstacles and enemy attacks. Sarge features a palette of 64 colors displayed in a horizontal resolution of 512 x 480 pixels with a refresh rate of 30 Hz. A hidden feature, accessible by adjusting internal DIP switches, reveals a character variation—a female soldier depicted in altered attire—for players who reach the rank of Colonel. The collaboration between artist Brian Colin and programmer Jeff Nauman resulted in distinctive visuals and gameplay mechanics. While an Atari 7800 port was planned, it never materialized; however, a computer adaptation for DOS followed in 1989.