Ajax

Ajax is a vertically scrolling shoot-'em-up originally developed and published by Konami in arcades in 1987. Set in a futuristic battle against mechanoid invaders, you pilot a remote-controlled drone ship. The drone can transform between two modes: a jet fighter viewed from behind and a helicopter gunship viewed from a top-down perspective. Your mission spans six levels, each ending with a powerful boss. You have unlimited bullets and bombs, plus limited smart bombs. A unique feature is the intelligent target crosshair that lights up when a bomb is in range of an enemy. Enemies follow pre-defined flight paths, while floating clouds obscure threats.

DOS

Released in 1989 by Konami for IBM PC compatibles, this DOS version is a solid conversion of the arcade original. The DOS port introduces two innovations: smooth mouse-based controls and the intelligent targeting crosshair, making it one of the few PC shooters of its era to fully support mouse input for precise aiming. You control the helicopter with eight-way movement, firing bullets with one mouse button and bombs with another. Keyboard controls are also available. Up to two players can compete for high scores, taking turns. The game supports CGA and EGA graphics modes. For DOS gamers in 1989, Ajax offered a challenging vertical shooter with inventive boss designs and remains a worthy title in Konami's arcade conversion library.