Raid 2020 (1989). Play online

Summary

Raid 2020 thrusts the player into a hyper‑charged 2020 A.D. cyber‑punk underworld where an insane drug lord named Pitbull runs a robot army. I’m impressed by the developers’ backstory: two California college friends, Dan Burke and Frank Waung, coded the whole title in assembly for Color Dreams, a studio that sold unlicensed cartridges by cracking the NES lock‑out chip.
The game was originally pitched as “Drug Czar” before the publisher renamed it to dodge parental complaints.
Gameplay is a classic side‑scroller – you control Shadow, a narcotics operative, shooting foes, jumping platform gaps, and hopping into a boat or spaceship for separate vehicle stages.
Power‑ups spray money and contraband, which you must collect to purchase gear, but the controls feel sloppy and the difficulty merciless, earning it a reputation as one of the worst NES releases.
Critics say it mirrors America’s war‑on‑drugs panic, turning street‑level hysteria into pixel‑filled chaos.

Storyline

In Raid 2020, the streets of America have been seized by drug cartels in the year 2020. Shadow, an elite operative of the narcotics division, is sent in to purge the cityscape of dealers. His mission is to stop the kingpin known as Pit Bull before the nation descends into chaos.

Shadow’s first strike takes him to Technopolis, a neon‑lit future city patrolled by cyborg drug mules. He battles through the mechanized gangs to dismantle their supply lines. The level showcases a blend of sci‑fi aesthetics and classic side‑scroll action.

The final chapter lands in New L.A., where Shadow confronts Pit Bull himself. After a brutal showdown, Pit Bull is defeated and the cartel’s grip loosens. The streets begin to recover, hinting at a fragile peace.