Us vs. Them

Piloting a starship against an alien invasion, Us vs. Them puts you in command defending Earth from above. This 1984 shooter challenges players as they navigate across familiar landscapes like San Francisco, Chicago, and Hollywood, interspersed with stretches of forest, mountain, and desert terrain. Throughout the game, brief glimpses of frightened citizens and military personnel provide context to the unfolding crisis. The single-player experience involves maneuvering your ship using an eight-way joystick, engaging enemy forces in a chase-view perspective. The game’s technical specifications boast a unique sound system utilizing multiple processors and chips, contributing to its audio presentation. A hidden feature allows players to view the entire gameplay sequence by holding down the trigger button while inserting coins. Developed by Mylstar Electronics, Us vs. Them features graphics rendered in a palette of sixteen colors across a resolution of 256x240 pixels. The game’s design team included Dennis Nordman and Warren Davis among others, with contributions from multiple artists and programmers involved in its creation.