Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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A playthrough of Data East's 1988 shooter for the NES, Cobra Command.

Cobra Command was one of three distinct Data East games to share the same name. The first was a 1984 LaserDisc-based arcade game (later ported to various home platforms, including the Sega CD youtu.be/WFi5KSY-y6Q), and the second was a horizontally-scrolling helicopter-themed shoot 'em up that hit arcades in September of 1988. Finally, the NES cart appeared two months after the second arcade game, and though it borrows a few superficial elements from its coin-op cousin, it's not a port or conversion. There's a brand new experience lurking beneath its familiar coat of paint.

The NES game is a free-scrolling shooter that incorporates some light adventure elements. You play as a pilot who has to fly across southeast Asia, rescuing American POWs as you lay waste to the enemy forces.

The controls are inspired by Choplifter's - moving forward points the nose of your chopper down, you can freely move left or right, the screen doesn't auto-scroll, and you save the hostages by lowering a rope or a ladder down to them - but it adds a few wrinkles of its own. Rescued POWs give you hints about how to progress, destroying buildings will reveal subterranean caverns that hide enemy bases, and you can raid enemy depots to upgrade your helicopter's engines, armor, and weapons.

A stage ends once you've rescued all of the POWs in the area, and after clearing the five main stages, you l'll have to infiltrate the enemy's main base and bring it down from the inside.

For as simple as the action tends to be, Cobra Command's gameplay elements are woven together in a way that I found plenty engaging. The controls feel good once you've got a handle on how movement influences your aim, your equipment choices meaningfully impact how you approach each situation, and every area has something to make it stand out from the rest. In one stage, a volcano erupts and floods with the area with flame, while in another, you'll have to punch a hole through the hull of a carrier in order to enter and save the hostages. There's lots of cool stuff to see and do.

It all works surprisingly well for a game of this vintage, but since this is a Data East joint, there is some jank to wade through. The way the screen scrolls relative to your helicopter's movement can be incredibly frustrating, but once I figured out how to use its quirks to my advantage, it was smooth sailing. It's a fun game, but it's not an immediately intuitive one to come to grips with.

From the little I've seen about it online, Cobra Command doesn't seem to be a well-liked game. I can see why people would bounce off of it, but I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it. The graphics are sharp, the soundtrack bumps, and it offers a decent challenge that won't make you want to break your controller. If you're curious, I'd suggest giving it a shot. Doubly so if you're a Data East fan!
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No cheats were used during the recording of this video.

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