Stop the Express (Game)

Stop the Express

GAME » on 1983

Commodore 64 (Platform)Hitachi S1 (Platform)MSX (Platform)Sharp X1 (Platform)ZX Spectrum (Platform)

Make your way across a runaway train in this early platformer from Hudson Soft. Congraturation! You Sucsess!

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Overview

Stop the Express, known in Japan as Bōsō Tokkyū SOS ("Runaway Express SOS"), Bousou Tokkyuu SOS, or simply Bōsō Tokkyū, is a side-scrolling platformer developed by Itagaki Fumihiko (or "Itasan") and published by Hudson Soft for the Sharp X1 (Platform) in Japan in 1983. It received ports for the MSX (Platform), Commodore 64 (Platform), and ZX Spectrum (Platform) the same year, with these ports also released overseas in 1984.

In Stop the Express, players control the hero Nonta as he makes his way through the runaway train Ita Express (first on top of the train, then inside the cars) while dealing with delinquents and other obstacles.

It is one of the earliest side-scrolling platformers, as well as one of the earliest to have the player character lay flat to duck under obstacles. It is widely believed that Hudson Soft's 1985 Famicom game Challenger (Game) originated as a port of this game due to a similar premise in that game's first stage.

Gameplay

The game is split into two stages: one along the top of the train and one inside the train. Most of the game involves moving left on the screen while jumping over (and otherwise avoiding) obstacles.

The former stage is set on top of the train cars, with Nonta having to jump between the cars while taking care to avoid jumping onto poles. Gang members also pursue him, throwing knives at him (which must also be ducked). Along the way, he can collect winged "snake birds", which he can drop to take care of gang members behind him.
The latter stage is set inside the train cars, with Nonta having to deal with gang members approaching from the left (through well-timed jumps, with the possibility to jump kick them), as well as ghost-like monsters. He can grab onto hanging straps to keep himself "floating". At the final car, he must collect a key to reach the driver's car, while avoiding a large bolt bouncing in the car.

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