Express Raider (1987)

Express Raider is an arcade action game released in 1987 by U.S. Gold. The development team included Pal Zsadanyi, Pal Zsadanyi Jr., Attila Kertesz, and Zoltan Farkas. The title serves as an adaptation of the original Data East coin-op.

The game supports a single player on the ZX Spectrum 48K. It features horizontal scrolling, flip-screen mechanics, and a crosshair system. Players can control the action using a Kempston joystick or redefine the keys to their preference. The release also includes a custom screen loader.

The game retailed at 8.99 pounds on cassette. Versions for other platforms, including the Amstrad CPC and Commodore 64, were also made available.

The title holds an average magazine score of 59 percent. Reviewers gave it mixed results: Crash awarded it 47 percent, Sinclair User gave it 3 out of 5, and Your Sinclair rated it 7 out of 10.

In the Soviet Union, the game gained recognition through POKE codes published in the magazine Emulate. There are several TR-DOS versions available, including releases by Phantom Ltd, Andrew Sckachek, and The Boss. The game also circulated via cracked cassette versions from crackers like Rudy and Darek.