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Cover art of Life Force

5 / 5

12 votes

Platform
NES
Genres
Action · Shoot 'em Up
Player Perspective
Side view
Developers
Konami
Publishers
Playtronic · Konami
Release date
August 26, 1988

Summary

Life Force is a fast‑paced shooter that flips between side‑scrolling and vertical‑scrolling stages, six in total, each capped by a hefty guardian. The game rewards aggressive play: blasting specific foes drops power‑ups that boost your ship’s weapons, speed, or shields, and you can tackle the chaos solo or with a friend in simultaneous co‑op. The NES port mirrors its Japanese counterpart Salamander’s streamlined power‑up system, offering just two upgrade options instead of three, and it drops the multiple‑ending twist found overseas. A neat cheat—enter the Konami Code at the title screen—to start with thirty lives instead of the usual three. After its 1988 debut, Life Force resurfaced on the Wii, 3DS and Wii U Virtual Console libraries, and even appeared in early Nintendo Power spreads, cementing its place as a retro co‑op staple.

Storyline

Life Force drops you back into the Viper Pilot’s universe, but this time the battle takes place inside a massive alien organism that’s been infected by a bacterial strain. Your ship pierces the creature’s body, moving through zones labeled in‑game like “Enter stomach muscle zone” and “Bio‑mechanical brain attack,” replacing the star‑field backdrops of the arcade original. The enemy is Zelos, a planet‑eating alien plague, and you can call on a wing‑man from the planet Latis in his RoadBritish space destroyer to share power‑ups such as ripple lasers, plutonic missiles and force fields. Together you must navigate the alien’s guts, dodge death traps, and ultimately blast the creature’s heart to stop the infection.

Edited by Maya Carter

Game Videos

Game Screenshots

  • Screenshot 1 of Life Force
  • Screenshot 2 of Life Force
  • Screenshot 3 of Life Force
  • Screenshot 4 of Life Force

Game Artworks

  • Artwork 1 of Life Force
  • Artwork 2 of Life Force

Multiplayer

Game modes
Cooperative

Alternative Titles

  • Salamander Alternative