The Classic Arcade and Console Era (1972-1989) - Super Stingray
A unique tank-based overhead shooter where you conquer vertical maps and utilize a base at the bottom of the screen for power-ups and repairs.
RELEASE DATE: 1986
DEVELOPER / PUBLISHER: Alpha Denshi
BEST VERSIONS: Arcade
PLAYABILITY TODAY: Fairly playable
Every now and then, you stumble across a game that’s offers such a uniquely compelling experience that it’s a wonder that it hasn’t been rediscovered and either copied or remade in some way. Super Stingray is the very definition of a hidden gem – it’s a game that I’ve seen almost no discussion about online, and yet it’s such a wonderfully interesting overhead shooter that it really deserves to be discovered by more players. I’m really hopeful that my inclusion of the game in this series will get it a little more attention, and I’m really grateful to whomever uploaded the ROM for the MAME emulator in the first place, because the game is so rare among collectors it might have otherwise been lost and forgotten.
One of the reasons Super Stingray is so unknown is because developer and publisher Alpha Denshi Corporation didn’t really become a prominent name until it began publishing through SNK in the late 1980s and early 90s, eventually changing its name to ADK and becoming a frequent contributor to the Neo Geo library. Prior to that, Alpha Denshi was better known for its relationship to Sega, and throughout the early to mid 1980s, the publisher churned out a number of games that were definitely interesting, like 1981’s Jump Bug and Crush Roller, but which weren’t major hits. Many of its titles also weren’t widely ported outside of Japan, despite several, Super Stingray among them, being almost entirely playable in English.
The basic idea behind Super Stingray is that you’re playing an overhead vertically-scrolling shooter where you ascend from your base up to the enemy’s fortress and try to destroy it, but the gimmick is that you can travel back down to your base at any time and use it to power up your tank. The gameplay is fast-moving and involves a lot of explosions as you plow through enemy tank forces of all shapes and sizes. But there’s also some strategy to the game as you try to optimize your weapon loadout and travel path to expedite the process of blowing a hole in the wall of the enemy fortress and advancing to the next stage. As you ascend, you can take out both infinitely respawning and moving tank enemies as well as persistent turrets, vehicles, walls and guns which only have to be destroyed once. If you take too much damage, you can head back to your base for immediate repairs and perhaps a different weapon. One of the most effective tactics (particularly in the early levels) is to blitz your way to the top of the screen, unleash an airstrike to clear out enemies and then annihilate the base before you get overwhelmed by a resurgence of enemy forces. But if blitzkrieging isn’t your style, there are many different ways to achieve your objective, and there are plenty of enemies to destroy along the way.
One reason Super Stingray works so well is that the controls are no-nonsense. It’s very easy to maneuver your tank across both land and water, and while you can’t rotate your turret as you’re moving, it’s quite easy to turn your tank and start blasting in whichever direction you’d like. The items, too, are easy to understand because they’re represented by simple icons that let you know if you’re picking up a spreadshot, rockets, a double-barreled attack, an air strike, a mine layer or some smokescreen to enhance your tank’s power and survivability.
But what’s also really different about Super Stingray is that the game doesn’t feel as oppressive as many other overhead shooters of the era and it actually seems to want you to be able to win. Enemies frequently drop helpful power-ups that clear the screen or replenish your armor. Your health bar is generous enough to allow you to take some hits, and if you get too close to death, the game even urges you (with a digitized voice and flashing words) to return to base for repairs. In many shoot ‘em ups, the learning curve is part of the price of admission, and you really have to memorize patterns to progress. In Super Stingray, you can fight much more capably by strategy and instinct with a real risk and reward mentality driving your play. Since the screens are relatively short and the action is always intense, the end result of each mission is thrilling as you watch the enemy base explode and proceed on to the next area.
In my research, I haven’t found anyone who’s reached a killscreen for the game; one Japanese livestreamer made it to Area 26 before being vanquished, and another made it to Area 31. The level layouts seem to loop after awhile, but the enemies grow much tougher and there’s a far greater need to conduct runs to take out stationary targets before returning to base to gather different weapons. Enemies also eventually grow much more capable at destroying the power-up pads at your base, limiting your options if you don’t keep enemies clear until you’re ready for your final offensive.
The first dozen missions, however, are fairly easy and a lot of fun, and by the time things get challenging, you’ll have already had time to master the mechanics. And honestly, if you get a chance to play Super Stingray (MAME is pretty much your only option, provided you can find a ROM), you’ll appreciate that gentle ramp-up because it allows you to enjoy the action before it really starts pushing you. It’s rare to play an arcade game that seems more concerned about allowing you to have a good time than seeing how many quarters is can get you to spend. But compared to the likes of popular late ‘80s tank games like Vindicators, Xenon and Assault, it’s a generous game with some of the best overhead tank action of the era.
As Our Series Continues…
It’s time to move on to console and arcade gaming in the 1970s and 80s, and we’re going to cover it all with an exploration into hundreds more games you’ve probably never played but definitely ought to check out. Come for amazingly great early 1980s games like Warlords, Super Locomotive, Shark! Shark!, Acrobatic Dog-Fight, Mysterious Stones: Dr. John’s Adventure and Intrepid and stick around for mid-to-late 1980s greats like Peter Pack-Rat, Penguin-kun Wars, Momoko 120%, UFO Robot Dangar, Wonder Momo, Raimais, Last Alert, The Legend of Valkyrie and the arcade version of Twin Eagle: Revenge Joe’s Brother, complete with a rockin’ soundtrack with wonderfully inscrutable lyrics.
If you’ve never heard of any of those games, you’re in for a treat as we explore them one by one. And If those games are all old hat to you, don’t worry; they’re just the tip of the iceberg for what we’ll be discussing!
If you missed my series on the hundreds of 1980s PC games you probably never played, you can find the entire archive at https://greatestgames.substack.com.
Anything I don’t share here will be in my upcoming book, tentatively titled The Greatest Games You (Probably) Never Played Vol. 2. Subscribe to this newsletter so you won’t miss it!