Metal Storm

Metal Storm (重力装甲メタルストーム, Jūryoku Sōkō Metaru Sutōmu, "Gravity Armor Metal Storm") is a side-scrolling Platform Game for the NES, developed by Irem. It was released in North America in February 1991 and later in Japan in April 1992.

Battle Station Cyberg's massive computer that keeps peace throughout the solar system is no longer user friendly. It's gone wildly out of control. The Laser Gun it operates has already destroyed Neptune. Earth is its next target. As a high-tech hotshot, the player must enter Cyberg's core and activate the system's self-destruct mechanism. But time is running out... Oh yes, one more thing. The powers of the "Gravity Flip" Suit are essential for a successful outcome to this mission. The Suit empowers the player to proceed both upside down and rightside up as they dash to put this computer permanently "on the blink!"

Metal Storm provides examples of:

 * AI Is a Crapshoot: The background story is about a solar system AI going rogue and attempting to destroy Earth.
 * Anticlimax Boss: The final boss has you shoot out four locks that cannot attack the player. You do, however, have 30 seconds to do this or it's an instant Game Over!
 * Auto-Scrolling Level: Sort of, in stage 4. You are in a boxed area while the background and Mooks scroll through it.
 * Boss Rush: The final stage has you face off the first six bosses in a row, before the final boss.
 * Cores and Turrets Boss: The second boss, a column of laser turrets.
 * Cranium Ride: The sixth boss. They are three weird machines that circle the screen and open up (attack them when they do so). However, it's inadvisable to focus on one- both the ceiling and the floor are covered in lasers, so you have to hop on them as platforms while taking care not to touch the ceiling or floor.
 * Directionally Solid Platforms: Present. Some of them are upwards-solid, others are downwards-solid (the arrows on the platform show)
 * Gravity Screw: The main gimmick of the entire game. Your character is able to switch gravity for the entire area and walk on the ceilings and such.
 * Harder Than Hard: Expert mode.
 * Humongous Mecha: The player character, as well as some enemies.
 * Nintendo Hard: Several instances. Stage 2 has unbelievably fast smashing traps, Stage 5 has those laser traps. And then there's the stage 6 boss...
 * And then there's expert Mode, where everything goes to heck. Somebody has completed it here, though.
 * One-Hit-Point Wonder: Averted, there are power-ups that allow you to take an extra hit.
 * Platform Hell: Expert Mode. Every level get filled with enemies, all the traps get twice as fast, stage 6's bosses open their weakpoints for about a second, etc. You'll need to exploit some glitches and bugs in the game for this one.
 * Puzzle Boss: The sixth boss. They are three weird machines that circle the screen and open up (attack them when they do so). However, it's inadvisable to focus on one- both the ceiling and the floor are covered in lasers, so you have to hop on them as platforms while taking care not to touch the ceiling or floor.
 * Reflecting Laser: Used by the stage 5 boss.
 * Smashing Hallway Traps of Doom: Stage 2 has plenty of them, and they're very fast.
 * Timed Mission: The regular levels have a timer that counts down. If it reaches zero, you lose a life. Unless it's against the final boss, in which case, Game Over!
 * Wrap Around: Vertically present. Stage 6 requires that you use your gravity warping skills wisely.