Graeme Mason
Oct 4, 20233 min
To celebrate the arrival of Antstream Arcade on the Microsoft Xbox, we are currently showing off seven of the most terrifying and brutally tough challenges on the service. Think you’ve got what it takes to break into the top ten? Here’s Graeme Mason with details of each challenge, trivia, tips, and more! Good luck… you’ll need it!
Game: Mortal Kombat
Challenge: Prince Goro
Aim: Take down the four-armed Goro as quickly as possible
Tips: Goro loves a spine-crushing cuddle, so you certainly don’t want to get too close, or it’ll be challenge over. As a result, any ranged attack is preferable, as is the jumping kick. Usually, we’d also advise patience – but that’s not really an option with this challenge!
Trivia: In the original 1995 Mortal Kombat movie, TV and videogame voiceover legend Kevin Michael Richardson voiced Goro. Richardson’s other credits include The Simpsons, American Dad!, Family Guy, and The Super Mario Bros Movie.
Do you want to know more?
This feature is a fascinating glimpse at how they created the animatronic Goro for
the Mortal Kombat movie.
Game: Metal Slug X
Challenge: Marco’s Metal Mettle
Aim: Get the highest score possible with just one life
Tips: This challenge begins on level one of the Metal Slug sequel, so expect an easy ride early on. Subsequently, it’s a matter of endurance and maximizing your score before things get hectic. Grab the Heavy Machine Gun and Enemy Chaser (homing missile launcher) whenever available, and don’t forget to free the prisoners to guarantee that high score bonus at the end of the level.
Trivia: The Metal Slug series is not renowned for its subtlety. Metal Slug X’s top boss bears an uncanny resemblance to Saddam Hussein, and his symbol also echoes the Nazi Swastika, leaving you no doubt who the bad guys are!
Do you want to know more?
For more help, check out this expert play of Metal Slug’s first mission.
Game: Double Dragon
Challenge: Kill Will
Aim: Defeat Willy without taking a hit
Tips: Besides his machine gun, Willy kicks out at the player, so the best tactic is to continually circle him, landing blows where you can. It’s a challenge of patience – but the quickest wins!
Trivia: The films of Bruce Lee heavily influenced Double Dragon. Many names from his most famous movie, Enter The Dragon, also feature in the game, such as Williams, Roper, and, of course, the Lee Brothers.
Do you want to know more?
While it last received an update in 2016, The Double Dragon Dojo is an excellent resource for fans of the series.
Game: Space Invaders
Challenge: Alien Ambush
Aim: Score as many points as you can with just one life
Tips: This challenge is another test of your endurance and sniping the flying saucer whenever it appears. To maximize your score, use the saucer trick: shoot it with your 23rd shot (and every 15th after) to get a sweet 300 points.
Trivia: Space Invaders inspired renowned author Martin Amis to write a book, Invasion Of The Space Invaders, about his arcade experiences.
Do you want to know more?
Martin Amis’s book was out of print for many years; however, a recent reprint is available and well worth the money.
Game: Smash TV
Challenge: Host With The Most
Aim: Destroy the final boss as quickly as possible
Tips: Like The Mutoid Man, the final boss is immune to the player’s regular shots. This makes picking up the power-ups a priority, and don’t worry if you lose a life – they’re infinite!
Trivia: The MC boss frequently exclaims ‘Total Carnage… I love it!’. While unrelated in terms of plot, designers Eugene Jarvis and Mark Turmell called their next game Total Carnage.
Do you want to know more?
Antstream Arcade interviewed Eugene Jarvis for this look back at the making of Smash TV:
Game: Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
Challenge: Jedi Knight
Aim: Survive for as long as possible on one life
Tips: Use the blaster instead of the lightsabre and watch out for the chasms, which often lead to life-sapping crystal needles.
Trivia: The team behind this game incorporated Red Stormtroopers to save memory. It didn’t go down well with Lucasfilm, who insisted on stricter rules following the incident.
Do you want to know more?
This YouTube video stitches together the game’s cutscenes to recreate the movie in Super Nintendo Vision.
Game: Continental Circus
Challenge: Pole Position
Aim: Gain as many points as you can before time runs out.
Tips: Don’t forget to shift back to LOW gear when you have a prang or leave the pits. For each position above the required qualifying, you gain an extra 10,000 points, so keep an eye on the opposition positions.
Trivia: Continental Circus’s actual title is Continental Circuit. Taito sometimes changed the arcade machine’s artwork to reflect this, but the title screen remained, hence the name today.
Do you want to know more?
Like many Eighties arcade games, Continental Circus was ported to the home computers of the time. In this video, C64 expert Witchfinder1976 compares the arcade original with the Commodore version.