Risky Woods (1992). Play online

Summary

Risky Woods feels like a love‑child of Turrican and Contra, packing 12 levels across eight distinct landscapes and roughly 150 scrolling screens. I’m always chasing the gold coins that fall from slain skeletons, flying demons and other devious enemies, then heading to Ye Olde Shoppe to trade my infinite throwing knives for fireballs, axes, chains or even a boomerang – each upgrade can be bought three times for extra punch.

The game’s four worlds – from a snow‑capped Mountain Pass to lush Hanging Gardens, dank Catacombs and a secret Hidden World – each end on a memorable guardian. Precision jumps over rivers or onto moving platforms feel satisfying, and the occasional sky‑dropped chest can flip the tide with health, time or, mischievously, a warp back a few screens. Eleven professionally composed tracks keep the pace lively while you free the trapped monks and hunt eye‑key halves to unlock the mystical gates.

A rare two‑continue limit means every death matters; you lose most of your coin stash but can often scoop it up if it lands on solid ground, making strategic respawns a tiny thrill.

Storyline

Risky Woods follows the young warrior Rohan, who is called to the cursed forest to battle the evil hordes threatening the Lost Lands. Armed with his weapons, Rohan must navigate the treacherous woods and free the ancient monks who have been turned to stone by the dark sorcerer Draxos and his minions. The monks guard the wisdom of the Lost Lands, and their petrified state leaves the realm in darkness. By defeating Draxos and shattering the stone curse, Rohan restores the monks to life and returns the lost wisdom to the world. Only then does peace return to the forest and the surrounding lands.