Play Artelius Online

Artelius was a game released for the Nintendo Entertainment System, though it never saw a wide commercial release. It was developed by SOFEL, a company that also published it in Japan. This places it among the many action platformers that defined the NES library, a straightforward attempt at a sci-fi adventure during the console's active years.

You control a cyborg created by Dr. Rado, navigating screen by screen through asteroid fields and enemy-filled corridors. Your main objective is to defeat the evil king Sarbelor, who has fractured the universe with his machine. Signature mechanics include a multi-directional firing weapon for clearing paths and a life system where you collect power-ups to extend your energy. The pacing is methodical, requiring you to learn enemy patterns and environmental layouts, and the difficulty can be punishing with precise jumps and relentless foes. It feels like a deliberate, sometimes grueling, trek through a hostile alien landscape.