Bionic Commando (US set 1)

Released by Capcom in March 1987, this arcade action game is defined by its unique wire-based movement system. As a member of a special forces unit, the player infiltrates enemy territory threatened by a giant missile, setting out to uncover the "Top Secret" at the heart of the plot. Mastering the wire controls requires significant practice, but once you learn to maneuver with precision, the experience becomes deeply satisfying. Featuring a two-loop structure across five stages, the game is famously difficult and offers a rewarding challenge. Today, the slight discrepancy in the looping of the stage 2 background music—an idiosyncrasy of the original hardware—is remembered as a part of the game's history.

More than a decade after a massive global war, the former Federal Army organized a special forces unit and sent them into the heart of the enemy, which had resurfaced possessing giant missiles. The mission of the unit was to uncover the full extent of the enemy's international conspiracy and destroy the missiles. Upon infiltrating the enemy base, the soldiers found themselves confronting the truth behind a terrifying plan known as "Top Secret."