pow: prisoner of war

ARCADE, 1988

SNK didn’t really make many scrolling fighters during its pre-neo-geo games, which is a shame as POW proved it certainly had a knack for them. Whereas games like Final Fight and Double Dragon featured combatants punching their way through gritty city streets, POW transported the action to deep jungles and other exotic settings. A three-button system lets you pull off a number of aggressive moves, while machine guns and knives can be picked up to cause further mayhem.