Metro-Cross

1985 · Action · Arcade

Overview

Metro-Cross (1985) is Namco's obstacle-course race against the clock, in which a runner dodges pitfalls and tyres, rides skateboards and kicks drink cans across 32 rounds.

Deep Dive

Runner sprints automatically through 32 timed rounds while the player steers him and controls his speed. Slip zones, pitfalls and crackers appear early, followed by giant tyres, walls, cubes, mice and chess pieces. Springboards launch him forward, skateboards speed him up and make him immune to slip zones, and drink cans can be kicked for up to 5,000 points or jumped on to pause the timer. Time left over becomes bonus points, every fourth round runs on the time saved from the three before it, and running out of time electrocutes him.

Developer Story

Tatsuro Okamoto designed the game and Nobuyuki Ohnogi composed the music. Namco released it in Japan in May 1985, and home versions followed for the Famicom, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC and Atari ST.