Skull & Crossbones (video game)
| Skull & Crossbones | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Atari Games (arcade) Tengen (C64, NES) |
| Publisher(s) | Atari Games (arcade) Domark Tengen (NES) |
| Designer(s) | Mike Hally |
| Programmer(s) | Bob Flanagan |
| Artist(s) | Sam Comstock Bridget Erdmann Deborah Short Nick Stern Susan G. McBride |
| Composer(s) | Hal Canon Don Diekneite Brad Fuller Byron Sheppard |
| Platform(s) | Arcade, Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, MS-DOS, NES, ZX Spectrum |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | Beat 'em up |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, two-player |
Skull & Crossbones is a pirate-themed beat 'em up developed by Atari Games and released as an arcade video game in 1989. Developer Tengen ported the game to the Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, MS-DOS, Nintendo Entertainment System, and ZX Spectrum.
The game is playable in single and co-op modes, where the objective of both players is to rescue their kidnapped princess from the antagonist, a wizard. Player one controls One-Eye, and player two controls Red Dog. Gameplay consists of players fighting through waves of enemies and level bosses, such as Medusa and Ship Captains, collecting weapons and booty to become increasingly powerful. Collectable items are centred around the pirate theme, such as the cutlass or flintlock pistol.
Reception of Skulls & Crossbones was mixed to positive, with magazines like The One praising the pirate atmosphere and innovative twist on the beat 'em up genre.