The Warners people obviously had big plans for Marion “Cobra” Cobretti in summer of ’86 . Thinking the kiddies would take Cobretti to heart as they had with Rocky and Rambo, they struck a licensing deal with the good folks at Manchester, England-based Ocean Software Ltd.
This wasn’t the first time Sly was digitized, he had previously appeared in Rocky Super Action Boxing (1983, ColecoVision) and Rambo (1985, MSX). If the quality of those offerings is any indicator, well, you should know what you’re in for with Cobra.


Marion begins his high-octane Commodore 64 adventure in the mean, pixelated streets of LA where he’s in hot pursuit of his main chick, Ingrid. Frustration sets in early as we realize Cobra is not the finely-tuned killing machine he was in the film...

Our boy’s got a four-pronged arsenal of grenades, a knife, a pistol, and his signature laser-sighted machine-gun. Problem is, when the dude steers like an Edsel stuck in Mississippi mud, the entire Fort Bragg weapons locker couldn’t help you out. Hence, a lot of the game consists of watching your “Burgometer” dissipate into crumbs as you're continually bested by even the lowliest New World thugs.


What’s a Burgometer you ask? Well, Marion’s health is represented by a cheeseburger, yes, a cheeseburger which slowly fragments as he takes damage. When your cheeseburger’s all gone, so are you. That’s probably the most unique element of this vessel-bursting Rush'n Attack knock-off.

If you have the patience to endure Cobra’s three frustrating levels, you’ll come face-to-face with the dreaded Night Slasher himself. If you’re like most, I’d advise you consult your manual: