Target: Renegade

Streets full of gangs, fists flying and a thirst for revenge - Target: Renegade brought the raw energy of the street beat 'em up to the ZX Spectrum and became one of those games that make you break a real sweat on the rubber keyboard.

The premise is straightforward and satisfying: you advance through the levels, fighting your way through crowds of enemies using punches, kicks and grapples. The game offers a solid repertoire of moves - from jabs to back kicks to attacks that let you deal with several opponents at once. Enemies come in waves, often from both sides, so you have to watch your position, time your blows and avoid being surrounded. There are also weapons you can grab from your foes and turn against them.

Target: Renegade stood out among Spectrum brawlers thanks to its energy and its variety of environments. You move through different locations, encounter a colorful array of enemies - from ordinary thugs to bikers to distinctive bosses - and it all keeps a brisk pace that pulls you forward. For eight-bit hardware, it was a genuinely action-packed experience.

The charm of the beat 'em up genre lies in its immediate accessibility and in the sense of growing skill. Over time you learn how best to react to specific enemy types, how to use space and how not to panic when you are outnumbered. That is exactly what made games of this kind a favorite choice for short, intense gaming sessions.

In the Spectrum context, Target: Renegade belongs among the respected titles of its category and recalls an era when street brawlers enjoyed enormous popularity across platforms. For genre fans, it is a nostalgic piece of British gaming history.

Why play it: For a raw, action-packed street brawler that brought a hefty dose of scrapping energy to the Spectrum - simple, brisk and satisfyingly brutal.