Cabal: The Explosive Arcade Shooter That Started It All
1🕹 Game Name: Cabal
📛 Alternate Names: N/A
📅 Release Date: 1988
🔫 Genre: Third-Person Shooter
👨 🏻 💻 Developers: Tad Corporation
👨 🏻 💻 Publishers: Fabtek, TAD Corporation
🔢 Max Players: 2
⁉ Cooperative: Yes
🕹 Game Introduction:
Cabal brought a fresh twist to the arcade shooter formula by mixing cover-based action with frantic shooting mechanics in a third-person view. You weren’t just blasting forward—you were rolling, ducking, and blowing up everything in sight!
🕹 Game Description:
You play as elite commandos dropped into warzones to eliminate terrorist strongholds. Instead of scrolling like traditional shooters, you fight from a stationary third-person perspective with destructible environments and chaotic, screen-filling mayhem.
🎴 Game Play:
👉 🏻 Control a commando who can roll, duck, and shoot using a fixed cursor.
👉 🏻 Destroy everything on-screen, including buildings and vehicles.
👉 🏻 Avoid bullets and explosions by using evasive maneuvers.
👉 🏻 Co-op mode allows for double the firepower and split responsibilities.
👉 🏻 Weapon upgrades include machine guns, grenades, and more.
👉 🏻 Progress through five stages, each divided into four sections with bosses.
📕 Background & History:
Released by TAD Corporation, Cabal introduced a novel take on shooter mechanics by placing the camera behind the character. It’s seen by many as the foundation for later “over-the-shoulder” shooters and was popular enough to inspire spiritual successors like Blood Bros.
🐣 Cheats, Tricks, Bugs, and Easter Eggs:
👉 🏻 Rolling constantly can help dodge most bullets with the right rhythm.
👉 🏻 Some enemy spawn points can be pre-fired to eliminate threats faster.
👉 🏻 Destroying all structures quickly sometimes triggers bonus score events.
🐱 💻 Hacks:
👉 🏻 Some MAME versions include infinite grenades or invulnerability toggles.
👉 🏻 Bootleg versions may allow infinite continues or weapon swaps.
🎉 Trivia:
👉 🏻 Cabal is one of the earliest games to popularize the “move-and-shoot” cursor system.
👉 🏻 The game’s control style was later used in spiritual sequel Blood Bros.
👉 🏻 Co-op mode requires real communication and timing to master.
👓 Lonster's Review:
Cabal is a straight-up adrenaline trip! You feel like you’re in an '80s action flick with endless explosions and chaos. That roll mechanic? Slick as heck. When two players get in sync, it’s pure arcade magic.
🌟 Legacy:
Cabal laid the groundwork for the modern cover-shooter genre. It was bold, unique, and proved that arcade shooters could innovate in presentation and mechanics.
✨ Cultural Impact:
The game stood out during a sea of side-scrollers by introducing a camera perspective that made players feel more grounded in the action. It influenced games that came much later with similar mechanics in console and PC shooters.
💭 Lonster's Final Thoughts:
From its intense pacing to the bombastic destruction, Cabal feels like holding an '80s action movie in your hands. It’s challenging, strategic, and unforgettable—just how I like my arcade shooters!
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