Publisher: Acclaim.  Developer: Rare, Platform Shooter, 1 Player 1990

Based on Williams’ 1988 arcade game, NARC for the NES was approved by Just Say No International, which was a product of the Reagan-era War on Drugs.  Players, as Max Force, must battle their way through nine side-scrolling levels, using a machine gun and rocket launcher to blow away thugs, dealers, pushers, gangsters, terrorists, and other minions in drug kingpin Mr. Big’s employ.  In addition, players must dodge land mines, destroy helicopters, battle pit bulls and mutant bugs, confiscate cash, open locked doors (with color-coded safe cards), destroy vats of drugs, and drive a Porche 911 Turbo Carrera NarcMobile.  There are nine seedy sectors to battle through, including Junkyard, K.W.A.K. Street (called K.R.A.K. street in the arcade version), Sunset Strip and Skyhigh’s Nursery.  The arcade original, which benefited from digitized graphics and sound effects, unlimited continues, and faster, more intense gameplay, was designed by Eugene “Defender” Jarvis

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