Hey Arcaders!
The mid 80s were a time of great change within Data East. To keep up with the likes of Nintendo and Konami- they would have to up their game. and as you will see in the next month- they were up to the task. Starting with this game- They would have a global arcade hit on their hands! And that game- was HEAVY BARREL!
The impossible and unthinkable has happened. Terrorists have seized the underground control complex of a nuclear missile site. It’s up to you to infiltrate the installation and eliminate the leader of the terrorist army. It won’t be easy. Powerful tanks, treacherous waterways and the bridges are all part of enemy territory now. The only weapon you’ll be able to defeat the terrorists with is HEAVY BARREL- but it’s been dismantled and is in pieces inside the installation itself. Find and collect the keys when shooting the red enemies- use them to collect power ups and Heavy Barrel parts in the lock boxes and reassemble the weapon. Brute force alone won’t defeat the terrorists. This isn’t a job for just anyone. That’s why you are here! Good luck team Heavy Barrel!
And this game wouldn’t have existed the same if it weren’t for the invention of this little puppy- the 360 degree ROTARY JOYSTICK! First used on the SNK hit- Ikari Warriors, the rotary joystick allowed for 8 way movement, AND 360 rotation in one unit! It changed the way run and gun games would play for half a decade!
Dynamo had made Data east’s previous cabinets- but this one is a beauty! I like to this one the “Half Moon Header”- and for good reason! just look at her!
Let’s get to the gameplay!
There were ports for the systems at the time. The NES version was wattered down a bit for the system, and the gun followed your D pad movements, but it had all the levels in tact, the great music, voice, and was a fun time on a Friday night !
What about modern systems? Data East had your back! It was a part of the amazing Data East Classics for the Wii, MyArcade did one of their micro arcade players with the NES version of the game, and there’s the great Johnny Turbo’s Arcade rom for the Switch! It works great with the dual stick controls!
Fast forward to this summer- Thunderstick Studios has recreated the 360 degree rotary joystick- right down to the yellow top- as a kit you can build into a great controller for your MAME setup!
So- have you played Heavy Barrel? I love this game! It was one of the better run and gun games at the time- Even after I would finish it- I go back again and again! And- as much as the Heavy Barrel weapon is good, I was a fan of the flame ball gun- it’s got great range and it doesn’t run out unless you get hit!
Let me know in the comments!
Keep Playin’ Like It’s 1981!
The Arcade Archives! 
My cousin used to babysit me and she’d bring over a pillow as full of nes games. Among them was heavy barrel and I loved playing through it! My sister and I got to the point where we could beat it pretty consistently. I remember playing it over and over!
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I’ve played a few top-down action games, and this one has definitely a good, solid gameplay feel from what I saw on the long plays . 🙂😀
Good coverage on this one Ray!
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