Cyborg Hunter (1988). Play online

Summary

In Cyborg Hunter you play a bounty hunter stranded in the year 2242, forced to claw through the tangled levels of a cybernetic fortress. The screen splits into a first‑person radar where red dots mark low‑rank cyborgs and white dots signal elite units, while below you control Paladin in classic side‑scroll action. Each of the seven zones boasts multiple elevator‑linked floors, hidden weapons – from a psycho punch to a ray gun and jet‑pack – and power‑ups that drain a finite psycho‑energy meter you must keep refilling. Defeating bosses drops ID cards that unlock shortcuts, and the equipment menu can be summoned with a second controller for quick swaps.

The game sprouted from the 1980s anime “Chōon Senshi Borgman” and bears the fingerprints of Hirohiko Yoneda (later of Shenmue) and Yasushi Yamaguchi (Sonic 2). Though contemporary critics found it unoriginal, its blend of map‑based scanning, tight platforming, and Metroid‑style exploration has kept it oddly addictive for retro fans today.

Storyline

Cyborg Hunter drops you into the year 2242, where you assume the role of Paladin, the galaxy’s toughest bounty hunter. A ruthless legion of cyborgs, led by the evil Vipron, is on the brink of seizing total control of the universe. Your mission is to infiltrate the massive cyborg fortress and eliminate the chief cyborg in each of the seven distinct zones. You aren’t alone; Adina, your contact back at headquarters, feeds you vital instructions throughout the campaign. Follow her guidance carefully, or the cyborg threat will overwhelm the galaxy.