Atomic Runner (Nihon Bussan/AV Japan) | Released in: 1988
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Chelnov: Atomic Runner is a game I didn't get the chance to play while I was a kid. This is because I've never seen the game in a single arcade, even though I've been to hundreds. I guess this is a game that was more popular in Japan than the US, which is sad, because it's an awesome game.

You control Chelnov, which for some odd reason is constantly running, but you can stop him by pulling the joystick backwards (to the left). He is running from Russia to New York in order to stop alien baddies from taking over the world (or something).

Well, as in most arcade games, the story isn't that important. What's important is gameplay and Chelnov has plenty of it! You kill enemies by firing or jumping on them and there are several power-ups which include different ammo and longer ranged weapons. This is a very difficult game. The first few seconds of gameplay starts pretty easy, but even before you encounter the first boss fight, the game isn't giving you any slack. One hit and you're dead, so pick yourself up and try again. This is a game which takes a while to master, but when you master it you will have so much fun jumping enemy-to-enemy and trying to beat levels without dieing.

The game features ultra-smooth horizontally scrolling graphics and fast/responsive gameplay. Actually, this is a game I use to test refresh rates etc., simply because I know it's playing so fast and so smoothly.

Definitely one of my favorite games and one of the few games that are played daily on my cabinet.

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