Ajax

A-Jax (sometimes spelled Ajax) is a vertical scrolling shooter that Konami released for arcades in 1987. At the time it was only available in Japanese arcades, though European home computer ports later appeared under the name Typhoon. This is the original arcade version, a straightforward but polished example of the genre. In A-Jax the player pilots a helicopter through a series of vertically scrolling stages, shooting at enemy aircraft and ground targets. The game mixes standard aerial combat with brief top-down sections where you attack naval vessels. Power-ups like speed boosts and spread shots appear along the way, and the difficulty ramps up steadily through the five stages. A-Jax is a solid but not revolutionary entry in Konami's shooter lineup. It doesn't have the fame of Gradius or Twin Bee, but its clean visuals and satisfying arcade action make it worth a quick playthrough. For fans of 80s arcade shooters, it's a neat historical piece that shows what Konami was doing outside its biggest franchises.