Blood Money (video game)

Blood Money
Cover art, designed by Peter Andrew Jones
Developer(s)	DMA Design
Publisher(s)	Psygnosis
Designer(s)	Tony Smith
Programmer(s)	David Jones
Composer(s)	Ray Norrish Fredrik Segergalk
Platform(s)	Amiga Atari ST Commodore 64 PC (MS-DOS)
Release	Amiga, Atari ST May 1989 DOS 1989 Commodore 64 1990
Genre(s)	Scrolling shooter
Mode(s)	Single player

Review scores
Publication	Score
CVG	(AMI, PC) 85% (ST) 84% (C64) 79%
ACE	(ST) 740/1000 (PC) 700/1000
CU Amiga	76%
The Games Machine	(AMI) 90%
The One
ST Format	(ST)
ST/Amiga Format	(AMI) 92%
Zzap!64	(AMI) 94%

Blood Money is a side-scrolling shooter video game developed by DMA Design. It was published by Psygnosis in 1989 for the Amiga, Atari ST and DOS, and in 1990 for the Commodore 64. The game is set in four different locations on a planet, where players are tasked with attacking the enemies and defeating the bosses.

The game began development immediately after Menace, and borrowed similar gameplay elements. The development team used advanced hardware to develop Blood Money, utilising improved graphical and technological processes. The game was inspired by the presentation of Mr. Heli, and the animations of Blood Money would later inspire the development of Lemmings. The game was released to positive reviews; praise was given to the game's graphics and gameplay. The game was also commercially successful, selling over 40,000 copies.

Blood Money is a horizontal side-scrolling shooter that uses 2D computer graphics. Players move through four stages on the planet, taking control of a different vehicle in each level: a helicopter in the metal world, a submarine in a water world, a spacesuit in an ice world, and a fighter jet in a fire world. Each vehicle features unique weaponry, which players use to attack all advancing enemies. Players can upgrade their vehicle with power-ups, which grant them additional weapons and upgrades, such as support missiles and neutron bombs. The vehicles' energy acts as players' health, and is depleted when the vehicle makes contact with enemies and walls. When all energy is lost, players lose a life; three lives are provided at the beginning of the game, and additional lives can be collected as players progress through the levels. When all three lives are lost, the game ends and players are sent to the title screen. The first two levels may be selected from the beginning of the game; after one level is complete, players can select any remaining world without restrictions. At the end of each level, players must defeat a boss.