Cyber Core

Cyber Core is a 1990 vertically scrolling shooter video game developed by Alfa System and published in Japan by Information Global Service (IGS) and in North America by NEC for the TurboGrafx-16. Set in the year 2269 where Earth has been overrun by an alien race known as Hyper Insects, the player controls a Chimera bio-fighter craft, piloted by the enforcer Rad Ralph (Kato Melange in the Japanese version) in order to fend off the invaders and reclaim the planet. Similar to Dragon Spirit, Ralph has a projectile weapon for destroying air-based enemies and a bomb for destroying ground-based enemies.

Co-headed by director Kenji Hisatomi and producer Kotoshi Yokoyama, Cyber Core was the first shoot 'em up title created by Alfa System, who would later work on future projects such as Down Load and the Shikigami no Shiro series. First released on the TurboGrafx-16, the game was ported to the X68000 by SPS, featuring improved visuals and audio, as well as a rebalanced difficulty. The X68000 conversion has since been re-released only in Japan for Microsoft Windows through D4 Enterprise's Project EGG download service.

Cyber Core on the TurboGrafx-16 received mostly positive reception from critics, but the X68000 conversion was met with mixed reception; reviewers drew comparisons with Dragon Spirit due to its gameplay system but praise was given to its technical performance, visual presentation, sound, and fast-paced gameplay, but criticism was geared towards the repetitive action and enemy attack patterns, while many were divided in regards to its difficulty.