With a backdrop featuring such majestic international locales as Mt. Fuji, the Taj Mahal, Leningrad, Athens, New York City and even Antartica, Buster Bros. pitted players against an attack of bouncing balloons hell-bent on destroying these famed landmarks and cities. And the only thing standing in their way was some quick decision-making and a trusty harpoon gun.

Released by Capcom in 1989, players assumed the identity of the Buster Bros. Dressed in safari apparel, they waged war against a barrage of colorful balloons, throwing their harpoons in the air in an attempt to catch the balloons in mid-bounce. If they were successful, the balloon would split into two smaller balloons, which would each turn into a pair of smaller balloons when hit. Hit the smallest ones and they disappeared before they could wreak their destructive havoc. Eliminate all of them, and you were transported to the next exotic locale to try and save it from destruction.

As if that weren’t difficult enough, they were plenty of other dangers to keep an eye on. All sorts of obstacles presented themselves in the form of walls, ladders, and even ornery little animals that would temporarily rob you of your ability to throw the harpoon. And if you couldn’t shoot, all you could do was run for your life and hope not to get hit by falling objects. Luckily, there were some advanced weapons that you could earn to make the battle a little more even. A Double Harpoon allowed you to throw two projectiles at once, a Power Wire would affix itself to objects, destroying anything that touched it, and a Vulcan Gun allowed you to rapid fire your weapons.

Lucky players might also earn such conveniences as an hourglass that slowed balloon descent or a clock that temporarily stopped time. Even a little dynamite could be acquired from time to time, although it was risky to use – it reduced all balloons to their smallest size, which could mean an overwhelming barrage of small enemy orbs to the unsuspecting user.

With its nonstop action and a requirement for thinking quickly under pressure, Buster Bros. (and its alternately-named version - Pang) was an immediate hit in arcades all around the globe. A sequel called Super Buster Bros. followed in 1990 and scored another hit with the fans, whose fond memories persist to this day. Traversing the globe and making the world safe from killer balloons is an experience one doesn’t soon forget.