Bad Lands

Released by Konami in 1984 for arcades, this title is a driving game set on the highways of a desolate, near-future world. Controlling an armed vehicle, players must race through courses while destroying oncoming enemy cars, offering an exhilarating experience that pushed the boundaries of action games at the time. With its fusion of a decadent world depicted in detailed pixel art and intense combat action, this challenging title is quintessential Konami, creating a lineage that would influence future competitive racing games.

The story is set in the American Old West. It follows a lone gunslinger whose wife and child were murdered, as he hunts down the ruthless Randolph gang responsible for his family's deaths. Players take on the role of the protagonist, tracking down the last of the outlaws while defeating the gangs and monsters that appear throughout the land.