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Heavy Metal
重金属
Heavy Metal is an action arcade game developed by Sega in 1985. Players control a spaceship navigating through horizontally scrolling stages filled with enemy formations and obstacles. The game features rapid-fire shooting mechanics where players must destroy incoming threats while avoiding collisions. Controls are responsive, allowing for smooth movement across the screen. The level structure progresses through multiple stages with increasing difficulty, introducing new enemy patterns and environmental hazards. Defeating waves of enemies and bosses advances the player through the game's campaign. The action remains constant, requiring quick reflexes and positioning to survive each encounter.
- Developer
- Sega
- Released
- 1985
- Platform
- Arcade
- Genre
- Action
- Rating
- 4.5 / 5 (3.7K)
- Last updated
Heavy Metal Controls — Arcade Keyboard Keys
Default keyboard bindings for Heavy Metal on our in-browser Arcade emulator. Plug in a USB or Bluetooth gamepad to auto-detect mappings, or rebind any key from the emulator settings menu.
| Keyboard | Console button | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| ↑ | Joystick Up | Move up |
| ↓ | Joystick Down | Move down |
| ← | Joystick Left | Move left |
| → | Joystick Right | Move right |
| X | Button 1 | Primary action (jump / confirm) |
| Z | Button 2 | Secondary action (attack / cancel) |
| S | Button 3 | Tertiary action |
| A | Button 4 | Quaternary action |
| Q | Button 5 | Fifth button |
| W | Button 6 | Sixth button |
| 5 | Insert Coin | Insert coin |
| 1 | 1P Start | Start / Pause |
Coin and Start are convention "Insert Coin: 5" and "1P Start: 1". Some arcade boards expect specific button mappings — check the in-game prompts on coin-up.
Rebind any key from the EmulatorJS in-game settings menu (gear icon → Controls). A connected gamepad auto-maps to the same buttons.
Heavy Metal Longplay & Gameplay Videos
Watch a full playthrough of Heavy Metal on Arcade before you dive in — recommended for getting a feel for the game's pacing, story beats, and difficulty curve.
Watch longplay on YouTube
"Heavy Metal" Arcade longplay 1985
External references
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Heavy Metal released?
Heavy Metal was released in 1985 for the Arcade.
Who developed Heavy Metal?
Heavy Metal was developed by Sega, available to play in your browser on RetroGameSpace.
What type of game is Heavy Metal?
Heavy Metal is a Action game for the Arcade, playable instantly in your browser — no downloads, no installs.
How can I play Heavy Metal for free?
Open this page and click "Play Now" — Heavy Metal runs free in your browser via WebAssembly emulation. No account, no payment, no installer.
Do I need to download anything to play Heavy Metal in the browser?
No. Heavy Metal streams from a public archive into a browser-side Arcade emulator. Nothing is installed on your computer.
Can I save my progress in Heavy Metal?
Yes. Save states are stored in your browser (IndexedDB) per game, and you can also use any in-game save the original Arcade cartridge supported.
Does Heavy Metal work on mobile devices?
Yes — the Arcade emulator runs on iOS Safari and Android Chrome. Touch controls overlay the game; landscape mode is recommended.
Is it legal to play Heavy Metal this way?
RetroGameSpace is a transient caching reverse-proxy and does not host first-party copies of Heavy Metal. Game files are fetched on demand from publicly-accessible archives. You are responsible for compliance with your local laws and the bring-your-own-ROM principle.
