Time Soldiers

Time Soldiers is a 1987 video arcade game of the run and gun genre, developed by Alpha Denshi, and publisher by SNK and manufactured by Romstar. In Japan it was known as Battle Field.

Gameplay
Time Soldiers can be played by either a single player, or by two players simultaneously. Players move their characters with an eight-way rotary joystick, shooting enemies along a scrolling backdrop. The rotary joystick allows to walk in one direction while shooting in another (like in another popular SNK game, Ikari Warriors).

The plot involves the protagonists traveling through time to rescue their comrades. Each of the five levels is set in a different time period; The Primitive Age, The Age of Rome, The World Wars, The Age of War and Future World. Unlimited continues are available on all levels except the last.

Critical reaction
The Games Machine magazine praised Time Soldiers for its rich graphics and difficulty curve, comparing it favourably against the similar SNK game, Ikari Warriors.