Bonanza Bros.

Bonanza Bros. began life as a Sega arcade machine in 1990 before spreading to home systems including the Mega Drive, Master System and various computers. It casts you as Robo and Mobo, a pair of stout, cartoonish burglars sent to break into a series of buildings, grab the marked loot and reach the getaway point before time runs out. It is one of Sega's early experiments with a semi-3D look: the buildings are shown as cutaway structures with distinct foreground and background planes, and you slip between the two layers as you dodge patrolling guards.

What made it stand out at the time was its two-player cooperative design. The brothers are colour-coded, and much of the fun comes from coordinating with a partner, splitting up to cover more ground or ganging up on troublesome guards. Your only weapon is a stun gun that temporarily flattens enemies rather than killing them, keeping the tone light and slapstick. Doors, elevators and hiding spots turn each level into a small puzzle of timing and movement.

Today Bonanza Bros. holds up as a charming, approachable arcade curio rather than a deep game. The pace is deliberate and the loop repetitive over a long session, but the bright presentation, catchy music and the simple joy of robbing a building with a friend give it a durable appeal that many flashier titles of the era have lost.