Last Duel (US set 1)

In 1988, Capcom released *Last Duel* as a fresh entry in the vertical-scrolling shooter genre. Set in the Cosmic Era of 2012, the game follows the warriors of Mu as they rise up to rescue Queen Theta, who has been kidnapped by the Galden tribe. The defining feature of this title is its gameplay, which alternates between stages where you speed across the ground in a vehicle and stages where you take to the skies. Supporting two-player simultaneous play and inheriting the familiar power-up system seen in *1943*, the game consists of six stages that must be completed twice to reach the conclusion. The difficulty of this second loop is exceptionally high, truly putting a player's skills to the test.

The Galden tribe, having expanded their military power on the alien planet Bacula, invaded the neighboring planet Mu and abducted its ruler, Queen Theta. The Royal Guard of Mu rises up, piloting transformable combat vessels to rescue the Queen and crush the Galden forces. Players control these transforming vehicles, pushing through the Galden army to rescue the Queen.