Knightmare

Knightmare is a 1986 vertically scrolling shooter video game developed and published by Konami for the MSX home computer. It was included in compilations for the MSX, PlayStation and Sega Saturn, followed by a port for mobile phones, and digital re-releases for the Virtual Console and Microsoft Windows via Project EGG. It is the first entry in the Knightmare trilogy. The game stars Popolon, a warrior who embarks on a quest to rescue Princess Aphrodite from the evil priest Hudnos. The player must fight waves of enemies while avoiding collision with their projectiles and obstacles along the way, and facing against bosses.

Knightmare was created by the MSX division at Konami under management of Shigeru Fukutake. The character of Popolon was conceived by a staffer who later became the project's lead designer and writer, as the process of making original titles for the platform revolved around the person who came up with the characters. Development proceeded with a team of four or five members, lasting somewhere between four and six months. The music was scored by Miki Higashino, best known for her work in the Gradius and Suikoden series, and Yoshinori Sasaki.