Sword Master

Developed by Athena and published by Activision in 1990, Sword Master is a side-scrolling action game for the NES. Players take the role of a knight dispatched to the fantasy kingdom of Eledar, armed with sword and shield to confront a dark sorcerer who has summoned a demon god. The goal is to defeat the powerful demon Vishok and rescue Princess Aelia. The game unfolds across seven stages — moving from forests and a cursed town through to the demon lord's castle — with gameplay centered on one-on-one boss duels. The use of parallax scrolling gives the visuals a sense of depth that was notably impressive for an NES title of its time.