Beast Busters (US, Version 3)

Getting Started

First thing you do is insert a credit (or press Start if you're playing on an emulator with free play enabled). You can choose between one, two, or three players. In the arcade, each player aimed with a light gun; here in emulation, you'll use the mouse or a light gun peripheral if you have one. The game moves along a fixed path, so you just aim and shoot at zombies, mutants, and other horrors that pop up on screen.

The core loop is straightforward: clear each wave of enemies, watch for off-screen threats that jump into view, and try not to waste ammo. There are occasional bonus stages where you shoot at targets for extra points. If you get hit too many times, you lose a life, and when all lives are gone it's game over unless you insert more credits. There's no continue system, so you need to stay sharp.

One thing to note: the game is designed for a light gun, so on a keyboard or gamepad you'll have to move a crosshair with the D-pad or mouse. It's a bit clunkier than the real arcade experience but still playable. Stick with two or three players if you can, because the mayhem of multiple shooters is what makes Beast Busters memorable.