Zero Wing

Developed by Toaplan and released by Namco in 1989, Zero Wing is the company's second side-scrolling shooting game. Players pilot the "ZIG-01" starfighter, utilizing both standard shots and the "Prisoner Beam" to capture enemies while working to clear all eight stages. Enemies captured with the Prisoner Beam can be repurposed as shields or offensive weapons, adding a distinctive layer of strategy to the gameplay. The game features an eight-stage loop; however, in true Toaplan fashion, the difficulty increases with each completion, continuing to intensify steadily until the 32nd loop.

To protect the galaxy from the threat of the space pirate CATS, the player pilots the super-dimensional fighter "ZIG-01." The player's mission is to reclaim eight defensive bases and defeat the enemy forces. While the details of the story were unknown at the time of the arcade version’s release, later home console ports depicted the conflict against CATS, who had betrayed the federal government, as the background of the story.