Shock Troopers

Shock Troopers is Saurus' run-and-gun for the Neo Geo, and it is the game that answered a question nobody had asked: what if a top-down shooter let you choose your own route through every stage?

The structure is the hook. Each stage offers a fork - Mountain, Valley or Jungle route in the first, and branching paths later - and the three routes have different enemies, different pickups and different bosses, which makes a run a genuine decision rather than a fixed sequence. You pick one of four commandos at the start, each with a different grenade and a different special, and the combat itself is a competent top-down affair with a dash, a roll and a weapon pickup system. It was released on the Neo Geo MVS in 1997 and got a direct sequel the following year that changed the camera entirely. If you know Contra or Metal Slug, this sits closer to the top-down half of that family than the side-scrolling half.

• ▸Branching routes through every stage, each with its own boss
• ▸Four commandos with different grenades and specials
• ▸Dash, roll and dodge built into the movement
• ▸Top-down and side-view sections in the same campaign