Play Black Tiger online

Black Tiger was the cabinet for players who wanted more than run-and-shoot. You guide a barbarian warrior down through dungeons crawling with skeletons, snakes, and dragons, cracking open chests, rescuing trapped old men, and buying better armor with whatever loot you pick up.

It had a little RPG hiding inside an action game, and in 1987 that felt like a revelation. The guy who had it down cold walked through every stage knowing exactly where the treasure was, while the rest of us watched over his shoulder taking notes.

History

Capcom released Black Tiger in 1987, right in the middle of the company's hot streak in arcades. It shares Ghosts 'n Goblins' taste for dark fantasy, but adds a money-and-shops system you rarely saw in a coin-op back then.

The story keeps it short and sweet: dragons have plunged the kingdom into darkness, and a lone hero heads into the depths to take them down.

How to play

Move with the joystick, jump with one button, and attack with the other. Your main weapon is a flail on a chain that hits at mid range, and you toss knives as well. You can attack in several directions, including straight up and on the diagonal, which is huge against flying enemies.

Along the way you scoop up coins (zenny) and find old men turned to stone. Free them and they'll give you hints or items, or open up shop so you can buy better armor, stronger weapons, keys, and potions. Keys matter: some chests hold big rewards, others are traps.

Fun facts

• It mixes platform action with shops and gear upgrades, which was rare for a 1987 arcade game.
• The in-game currency is zenny, which Capcom went on to use in plenty of other games.
• Rescued old men can hand you items or sell you gear.

In the arcade

Black Tiger was a take-turns game, and that's how it plays on UsuArcade, just online: invite your friend to your cabinet once they're in the lobby and trade turns, each on your own phone or PC. While one plays, the other watches live.

Nothing to install: it runs in your browser, gamepad supported, and every game starts with INSERT COIN, free. Everyone else in the lobby can watch and chat, and scores go up on the arcade's high score board.

FAQ