Forgotten Worlds (World)
Forgotten Worlds (World) on Genesis
Forgotten Worlds started life as an arcade side-scrolling shooter from Capcom before making the jump to home consoles like the SEGA Genesis. The arcade original hit in 1988, and the Genesis port followed in 1989, bringing its distinctive blend of run-and-gun action to living rooms. Capcom handled development and publishing for the Japanese release, while Sega distributed the cartridge in North America and Europe. This version faithfully recreates the two-player co-op experience of the coin-op, though you can also play solo.
The game drops you into a post-apocalyptic world where you control a soldier armed with a rapid-fire gun. Your character can rotate the gun around a full 360 degrees using the D-pad, letting you aim at enemies coming from any direction. Power-ups appear frequently, allowing you to upgrade your weapon or buy new gear at shops found between stages. The levels scroll horizontally, throwing waves of mutants, robots, and giant bosses at you. You can also charge up a screen-clearing bomb attack by holding down the fire button.
What makes Forgotten Worlds worth revisiting today is its satisfying rotation-based aiming, a mechanic that was unique at the time and still feels fresh. The Genesis version holds up well with solid controls and a soundtrack that captures the arcade energy. It's a straightforward shooter without much depth, but if you enjoy classic run-and-gun games like Contra or Gunstar Heroes, this one deserves a look. The co-op mode is particularly fun, since both players can combine their firepower and share power-ups.
How to Play Forgotten Worlds (World) Online
Getting Started
When you start Forgotten Worlds, you are dropped into the first stage with a basic gun. The controls take a moment to get used to because moving with the D-pad also changes your aim direction. The default control scheme maps attack to the X key (A button) and bomb to the Z key (Y button). Experiment with holding the attack button to charge a more powerful shot.
The core loop is simple: shoot everything that moves, collect money and power-up orbs, and survive until the end of the level. Between stages, a shop appears where you can spend collected coins on weapon upgrades, health refills, or extra lives. Prioritize weapon upgrades early because enemy difficulty ramps up quickly. Keep an eye on your health bar; it depletes fast when you get hit. There are no continues, so mastering the patterns of each boss is essential to reach the final levels.
If you are playing in two-player co-op, each player controls their own character. Friendly fire is off, so you can shoot through each other freely. Coordinate your movements so one player watches the top half of the screen and the other watches the bottom. Sharing power-ups is also important - if one player gets a weapon upgrade, the other can grab a different one to diversify your firepower.
Forgotten Worlds (World) Keyboard Controls
Controls
- Arrow Keys: D-Pad / Movement
- X: A button
- S: B button
- Z: C button
- A: X button (6-button pad)
- Q: Y button (6-button pad)
- E: Z button (6-button pad)
- Enter: Start / Mode
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