Cave Fighter

Cave Fighter is a platform action game set within a hazardous network of underground caverns. Developed by Richard Clark and published by UK-based Bubble Bus Software, the game casts the player as a diminutive cave explorer armed with a gun. The objective is to navigate through a series of caves, avoiding deadly obstacles and hostile creatures while contending with a strict time limit for each level. The hero can walk, climb ropes, and jump between platforms; the jump height is determined by how long the fire button is held down, allowing for precise traversal. The caverns are populated by a variety of enemies, ranging from simple caterpillars to flying pterodactyls and spitting flowers, all of which must be shot to progress. The game is known for its challenging gameplay and features 31 distinct caverns to explore.

VIC-20

The VIC-20 conversion was released in 1985, following the original Commodore 64 version. As the game runs on an unexpanded VIC-20, several technical compromises were necessary. This version uses a flick-screen system where the cave is displayed in sections, loading new areas from tape as the player moves off screen. The graphics are considered impressive for the system, utilizing software sprites with background priorities. A key gameplay difference from its 64-bit sibling is that once an enemy is shot, it immediately respawns at its initial position, altering the strategy and increasing the challenge. Furthermore, the controls can feel unusual, as the character can walk in mid-air, leading to a distinct feel from the original. While praised for its visual ambition on the VIC-20, the adaptation was noted as being less effective than the original and somewhat expensive compared to budget titles available at the time.