Ikari Warriors Cheats & Cheat Codes

The video game industry would not be what it is today without arcade cabinets. Ikari Warriors, a 1986 run and gun arcade game, is a strong example of the success of these old machines. With popular features like two-player co-op, Ikari Warriors stood out from the crowd of similar arcade shooters. This success earned it ports to several home computers, and today it’s available on the SNK 40th Anniversary Collection, an anthology of vintage titles released to modern consoles in 2018. Here’s a closer look at this classic arcade game and what makes it such an enduring and popular title to this day.

Ikari Warriors Premise

In terms of plot, Ikari Warriors is a pretty generic military shooter. The protagonists must reach the village of Ikari, contending with enemy troops along the way. Some levels require the players to commandeer vehicles like tanks and helicopters. These special vehicles have distinct controls and playstyles. For instance, the tank does not take damage until it runs out of fuel, at which point it’s liable to explode and take the player inside with it. The arcade cabinet’s special rotary joysticks allow the player characters to independently control which direction they’re facing and which way they move, allowing for more strategy in the midst of combat. The soldiers have a rifle and grenades at their disposal, and must bring the full brunt of their arsenal to bear against enemy forces.

Ikari Warriors Main Characters

The game really just has two main characters to speak of, and there’s not much story behind them. Players control either Colonel Ralf Jones or Second Lieutenant Clark Still, who are color coded red and blue respectively. The protagonists of Ikari Warriors are pretty generic soldier types, without much depth of character or story to them. That said, they have endured since the game’s release. They would go on to reappear in developer SNK’s Metal Slug series, as well as King of Fighters. When Super Smash Bros. Ultimate introduced King of Fighters character Terry Bogart, Ralf and Clark earned spots as cameo characters in the background of his stage. The enduring presence of Ralf and Clark demonstrates how beloved Ikari Warriors is, even several decades after its release.

Ikari Warriors Titles in the Series

While Ikari Warriors started as a standalone arcade game, albeit one that was originally intended as a licensed Rambo game, it has since developed. The game inspired two direct sequels, as well as a clone called Guerrilla Warriors which replaces the protagonist with real-life revolutionaries Fidel Castro and Che Guevara. All of these games are listed below, as well as the two Metal Slug games where Colonel Jones and Second Lieutenant Still featured as playable characters. Since the characters also feature as playable combatants in the King of Fighters franchise, that series is listed below as well.

• Ikari Warriors (1986)
• Victory Road (1986)
• Guerrilla Warriors (1987)
• Ikari III: The Rescue (1989)
• The King of Fighters ‘94 (1994)
• The King of Fighters ‘95 (1995)
• The King of Fighters ‘96 (1996)
• The King of Fighters ‘97 (1997)
• The King of Fighters ‘98 (1998)
• The King of Fighters R-1 (1998)
• The King of Fighters ‘99 (1999)
• The King of Fighters R-2 (1999)
• The King of Fighters 2000 (2000)
• The King of Fighters 2001 (2001)
• The King of Fighters 2002 (2002)
• The King of Fighters 2003 (2003)
• The King of Fighters: Maximum Impact (2004)
• The King of Fighters ‘94 Re-Bout (2004)
• The King of Fighters Neowave (2004)
• The King of Fighters XI (2005)
• The King of Fighters: Maximum Impact 2 (2006)
• The King of Fighters: Maximum Impact Regulation A (2007)
• Metal Slug 6 (2007)
• The King of Fighters ‘98 Ultimate Match (2008)
• Metal Slug 7 (2008)
• The King of Fighters XII (2009)
• The King of Fighters 2002 Ultimate Match (2009)
• The King of Fighters XIII (2010)
• The King of Fighters XIV (2016)
• The King of Fighters XV (2022)

Ikari Warriors Cheat Codes

Luckily for the aspiring warriors out there, there are a few cheat codes available for Ikari Warriors. Like many arcade games of the time, this one does not skimp on the difficulty, so having these codes at your disposal can make all the difference. This list comes courtesy of GameFAQs.

• Continue Game: Press A, B, B, A when you get a game over.
• Player Two in a One Player Game: Press A, B, B, A on the second controller mid-game.
• Level Select: Press up, down, A, A, B, left, right, A, B, up, A, down, right, right, left, B, up, left, A, right, B, left, right, A, left, up, A, down, A, right, left, B, then Start at the title screen. While the plane is landing, use A and B to choose a level.
• Invincibility: Enter FREERIDE at the high score screen.
• Two Vehicles Instead of One: When you encounter a vehicle in a two-player game, have both players stand next to it and press A at once. If executed correctly, this should give both players a vehicle.

Ikari Warriors FAQ

Where can I play Ikari Warriors? As mentioned before, Ikari Warriors was repackaged in the SNK 40th Anniversary Collection anthology, which is currently available for PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC. You can also get the game as a standalone product on Switch and PlayStation as part of the Arcade Archives series. Failing these methods, emulation is available for Ikari Warriors, just as it is for all classic games. If you really want the true vintage arcade experience, emulation might be the way to go, so long as you trust your source. 

How long is Ikari Warriors? The question of length is a difficult one with vintage arcade games. There is about one to two hours’ worth of content in Ikari Warriors, meaning theoretically it can be beaten handily in one sitting. However, arcade games do have a pretty strong reputation for excessive difficulty. If you’re not up to the challenge, you could find yourself spending a lot more time with Ikari Warriors than you expect. Cheat codes like the ones listed above can help turn the tide if you’re hitting a wall.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Ikari Warriors Screenshot.