<s>
Skull	B-Application
&	I-Application
Crossbones	I-Application
is	O
a	O
pirate-themed	O
beat	B-Application
'	I-Application
em	I-Application
up	I-Application
developed	O
by	O
Atari	O
Games	O
and	O
released	O
as	O
an	O
arcade	B-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
in	O
1989	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Developer	O
Tengen	O
ported	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
the	O
Amiga	B-Device
,	O
Amstrad	B-Device
CPC	I-Device
,	O
Atari	B-Device
ST	I-Device
,	O
Commodore	O
64	O
,	O
MS-DOS	B-Application
,	O
Nintendo	O
Entertainment	O
System	O
,	O
and	O
ZX	B-Operating_System
Spectrum	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Collectable	O
items	O
are	O
centred	O
around	O
the	O
pirate	B-Application
theme	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
cutlass	O
or	O
flintlock	O
pistol	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reception	O
of	O
Skulls	O
&	O
Crossbones	O
was	O
mixed	O
to	O
positive	O
,	O
with	O
magazines	O
like	O
The	O
One	O
praising	O
the	O
pirate	B-Application
atmosphere	O
and	O
innovative	O
twist	O
on	O
the	O
beat	B-Application
'	I-Application
em	I-Application
up	I-Application
genre	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
player	O
characters	O
are	O
One-Eye	O
(	O
player	O
one	O
)	O
and	O
Red	O
Dog	O
(	O
player	O
two	O
)	O
,	O
pirates	B-Application
on	O
an	O
adventure	O
to	O
find	O
a	O
wizard	O
who	O
kidnapped	O
their	O
princess	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
knife	O
is	O
the	O
mid-level	O
weapon	O
and	O
is	O
similar	O
to	O
the	O
knife	O
weapon	O
in	O
Castlevania	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Skull	B-Application
&	I-Application
Crossbones	I-Application
has	O
seven	O
game	O
levels	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
some	O
ports	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
the	O
first	O
six	O
levels	O
may	O
be	O
played	O
in	O
any	O
sequence	O
:	O
One-Eye	O
'	O
s	O
Ship	O
,	O
Spanish	O
Castle	O
,	O
Pirate	B-Application
's	O
Ship	O
#1	O
,	O
Ninja	O
Camp	O
,	O
Pirate	B-Application
's	O
Ship	O
#2	O
,	O
Beach	O
Cave	O
,	O
and	O
Pirate	B-Application
's	O
Ship	O
#3	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
arcade	O
version	O
the	O
players	O
are	O
also	O
given	O
three	O
opportunities	O
to	O
change	O
the	O
difficulty	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
at	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
One-Eye	O
'	O
s	O
Ship	O
level	O
and	O
after	O
the	O
first	O
two	O
Pirate	B-Application
's	O
Ship	O
levels	O
,	O
and	O
have	O
a	O
chance	O
to	O
get	O
an	O
opportunity	O
item	O
in	O
the	O
Castle	O
,	O
Ninja	O
Lair	O
,	O
and	O
Beach	O
Cave	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
two-player	O
mode	O
,	O
there	O
are	O
a	O
few	O
specific	O
changes	O
to	O
how	O
the	O
game	O
plays	O
:	O
except	O
in	O
the	O
Pirate	B-Application
's	O
Ship	O
levels	O
,	O
players	O
must	O
duel	O
at	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
each	O
level	O
to	O
see	O
which	O
gets	O
an	O
invulnerability	O
item	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Each	O
of	O
the	O
two	O
player	O
pirates	B-Application
behaves	O
the	O
same	O
and	O
face	O
either	O
left	O
or	O
right	O
but	O
can	O
turn	O
with	O
the	O
appropriate	O
button	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
parrot	O
belonging	O
to	O
the	O
pirate	B-Application
constantly	O
flies	O
with	O
the	O
players	O
and	O
recites	O
roughly	O
twelve	O
different	O
lines	O
nonstop	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Each	O
of	O
the	O
three	O
pirate	B-Application
ship	O
levels	O
has	O
a	O
Pirate	B-Application
Captain	O
boss	O
at	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
the	O
level	O
and	O
a	O
woman	O
referred	O
to	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
as	O
a	O
wench	O
,	O
while	O
the	O
other	O
three	O
levels	O
have	O
an	O
Executioner	O
(	O
a	O
heavy	O
hitter	O
)	O
,	O
Monk	O
(	O
a	O
fast	O
attacker	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
Medusa	O
(	O
a	O
turret	O
)	O
boss	O
for	O
their	O
respective	O
stages	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
One	O
gave	O
the	O
Amiga	B-Device
version	O
of	O
Skull	B-Application
&	I-Application
Crossbones	I-Application
an	O
overall	O
score	O
of	O
77%	O
,	O
noting	O
it	O
as	O
"	O
a	O
slight	O
deviation	O
from	O
the	O
usual	O
beat	B-Application
'	I-Application
em	I-Application
up	I-Application
fare	O
,	O
and	O
it	O
gives	O
the	O
genre	O
a	O
couple	O
of	O
unusual	O
twists.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
One	O
praises	O
Skull	B-Application
&	I-Application
Crossbones	I-Application
 '	O
graphics	O
and	O
music	O
,	O
stating	O
that	O
the	O
graphics	O
"	O
convey	O
the	O
action	O
well	O
enough	O
and	O
,	O
together	O
with	O
a	O
brace	O
of	O
catchy	O
tunes	O
,	O
they	O
help	O
create	O
the	O
perfect	O
pirate	B-Application
atmosphere	O
"	O
and	O
express	O
that	O
the	O
two-player	O
mode	O
adds	O
"	O
a	O
lot	O
more	O
fun	O
,	O
since	O
you	O
've	O
got	O
the	O
added	O
element	O
of	O
fighting	O
over	O
who	O
gets	O
the	O
extra	O
energy	O
and	O
money.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
One	O
concludes	O
that	O
"	O
[	O
Skull	O
&	O
Crossbones ]	O
is	O
n't	O
the	O
greatest	O
or	O
most	O
polished	O
beat	B-Application
'	I-Application
em	I-Application
up	I-Application
in	O
existence	O
"	O
but	O
is	O
'	O
good	O
and	O
entertaining	O
 '	O
.	O
</s>
