Skull & Crossbones (video game)

Atari Games

Industry	Video games
Headquarters	United States
Products	Skull & Crossbones

Skull & Crossbones is a pirate-themed beat 'em up title developed by Atari Games and initially launched as an arcade video game in 1989. The game was later adapted by Tengen for multiple platforms, including the Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, MS-DOS, Nintendo Entertainment System, and ZX Spectrum.

Offering both solo and cooperative gameplay, players assume the roles of One-Eye (player one) and Red Dog (player two) on a mission to rescue their princess, who has been abducted by a wizard. Throughout the journey, players combat numerous foes and bosses such as Medusa and various Pirate Captains, gathering pirate-themed weapons and treasure to boost their combat capabilities.

Critical response ranged from mixed to favorable, with publications like The One commending its immersive pirate setting and fresh approach to the beat 'em up genre.

Gameplay

Players take control of the pirate duo, One-Eye and Red Dog, as they strive to free their princess from a wizard’s captivity. Since the default punch is relatively weak, collecting weapons and treasure is crucial. At the conclusion of each level, accumulated booty can be traded for weapons, which affects both the type and amount of armaments available.

Among the essential weapons are the cutlass (effective at close range), knife (thrown directly forward), and flintlock pistol (shoots musket balls). Not every weapon is accessible in all levels.

To complete each of the seven stages, players must defeat 15 adversaries followed by a boss battle. In several home versions, the first six stages—One-Eye's Ship, Spanish Castle, Pirate's Ship #1, Ninja Camp, Pirate's Ship #2, Beach Cave, Pirate's Ship #3—can be tackled in any sequence before facing the final stage, Wizard's Lair.

The arcade original mandates a fixed progression through levels and allows players to adjust difficulty across three settings during play. When playing cooperatively, players compete in duels at the end of levels (excluding Pirate’s Ship stages) to win items granting temporary invulnerability.

Each credit inserted grants an additional 50 health points to the corresponding player. Levels are timed but can be extended by collecting hourglass icons dropped by defeated enemies; if time expires, health gradually depletes unless replenished through buying credits.

Controls enable blocking via the sword button and combining joystick inputs for varied attack moves. Players can unearth treasures by digging at white crosses; red X marks indicate spots for jumping or operating cranks. In the arcade version, a parrot companion continuously recites lines throughout gameplay.

Boss encounters differ depending on the stage: Pirate Captains serve as bosses at pirate ship levels alongside a female character; other stages feature unique bosses such as Executioner, Monk, and Medusa. Medusa’s attacks can be evaded on easier difficulties by back-stabbing or turning away. During Wizard's Lair, previously defeated bosses reappear sequentially with invulnerability items reactivated for those who had earned them. The final wizard boss teleports around while launching stun attacks; after sustaining enough hits, players decapitate him and collect final loot before concluding the game.

Reception

The One awarded the Amiga version of Skull & Crossbones a score of 77%, describing it as "a slight departure from typical beat 'em ups" due to its distinctive elements. The review highlighted the graphics and soundtrack for effectively establishing a pirate ambiance and noted that two-player mode adds excitement by fostering competition over resources. Although not considered the most refined beat 'em up available, Skull & Crossbones was regarded as "enjoyable and well-executed."

External links

• Instruction manual for the arcade version