Zarlor Mercenary was with the Lynx from its 1990 launch, developed and published by Epyx: the player pilots a mercenary ship through vertically scrolling shooting levels, stockpiling money that can then be spent on weapon and armor upgrades before facing the next mission. That layer of between-level progression, uncommon in pure shooters of the time, gave players extra reason to clear each stage with as many resources intact as possible. It's one of the best-regarded shooters in the Lynx's launch lineup, thanks to a design that blends direct action with a dash of resource-management strategy.
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