Play Metro-cross Online

Metro-Cross came out for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1985, a Namco release from a time when platformers were defining the console. It was part of that wave of games built around a single, clear idea, without the sprawling worlds or complex stories of later titles.

You control a runner who automatically speeds forward through a series of futuristic obstacle courses. Your job is to guide him left and right to avoid hazards like breaking glass panels and steam jets, while also kicking or jumping on colored cans for bonuses. The main goal is simply to reach the end of each course before the timer hits zero, with every fourth stage using your accumulated leftover time for a longer challenge. The pacing is relentless; you are constantly reacting, using springboards for sudden bursts of speed or carefully timing jumps to avoid bouncing balls and frogs that slow you down. It feels like a frantic, forward-rushing scramble where a single mistake can cost you the race.