Crossbow

In Crossbow, the player takes on the role of a protector who helps a band of adventurers cross the screen safely by shooting various threats. The adventurers enter from the left side and make their way across the screen, trying to reach the opposite side unharmed. If the player successfully defends them, the adventurers survive to the next scenario. Between scenarios, new adventurers may be introduced. However, the adventurers are also vulnerable to the player’s shots. The first time an adventurer is shot, they are unharmed, and a warning message appears on-screen. Subsequent shots slow the adventurer down, and a second shot will kill them. Scenarios are chosen by shooting a destination on a map screen, which includes various settings such as the town, desert, volcano, cave, bridge, jungle, and castle. The ultimate goal is to reach the final scenario beyond the castle, where the player confronts the Master of Darkness, the entity responsible for the dangers in the game. To defeat the Master, the player must shoot him in the eyes when they turn red and deadly. Afterward, the player is congratulated and challenged to face the Master of Darkness again, “IF YOU DARE.” The game then restarts, with the player continuing based on how many adventurers survived the encounter. In the arcade version, when a player inserted a quarter, the game would play a chilling sound clip that ominously said, “You will die!”