Brain

About

Brain is a side-scrolling shooter where you start piloting a helicopter gunship before switching to an 8-directional shooting spaceman. The screen moves steadily right but allows manual up and down adjustments, letting you navigate vertical challenges without backtracking. Enemies drop power-ups to boost firepower, smart-bombs that explode on pickup, and floppy disks you must collect to win. Each stage ends with a boss battle, while an oxygen meter forces you to balance survival with progress. The manual scrolling mechanic adds a layer of control rare in 1980s shooters, letting you peek around obstacles without breaking momentum. Smart-bombs offer welcome respites during tough waves, but the real twist is the floppy disk objective, a quirky, memorable goal for its time. Its simple systems and punishing pace make it a niche but rewarding arcade throwback. Released by Sega in 1986, it holds up as a brisk, no-frills challenge for fans of old-school run-and-gun action.