Arbalester is a vertical shooter developed by UPL in 1988, notable for including a jump button that lets the player's ship dodge obstacles and ground attacks, an uncommon idea for the genre at that time. The rest of the formula — enemy waves, power-ups, bosses — follows the classic shmup mold of the era. It's remembered as a rarity within UPL's catalog, a company better known for Ninja Gaiden (the arcade game) and Mutant Night. Worth checking out today precisely for that jump mechanic, which gives a genre often too homogeneous a distinct texture.
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