Released in 1986, Ikari Warriors came out at a time when one-man-against-the-world stories were proving very popular, both in movies (Rambo: First Blood Part II, Commando) and video games (Who Dares Wins, a different Commando). Despite the crowded arena, Ikari Warriors managed to stand out, thanks to two-player cooperative play and innovative controllers.
Known simply as Ikari in its native Japan, the game tells the story of Ralf Jones and Clark Steel, tasked with fighting a one-man or two-man war against an army of Neo-Nazis as they make their way to the city of Ikari, where kidnapped leader General Kawasaki waits for rescue. Or, if you play the game outside of Japan, it's Paul and Vince on a mission to reclaim Colonel Cook. Whatever their names and whatever their story, the characters and their game proved very successful for game company SNK. Not only did Ikari Warriors spawn two direct sequels, the two warriors later turned up in another popular SNK series, King of Fighters, and even made appearances in Metal Slug 6. There is a good chance we haven't seen the last of Ralf or Clark... or Paul or Vince.