After the hypnotic bullet hell of Mushihime-sama Futari 1.5, we’re switching things up completely for One Credit Challenge #16. Time for a lesser-known but charming arcade platformer, released by NMK in January 1987: Psychic 5.

A low-profile game with solid roots

The third title developed by Nihon Maicom Kaihatsu (NMK) for publisher Jaleco—following Argus and Valtric—Psychic 5 hit Japanese arcades in January 1987. The cabinet runs on relatively simple hardware: two Zilog Z80 CPUs clocked at 6 MHz, a pair of Yamaha YM2203 sound chips, and an 8-direction joystick with two buttons. The game never received a faithful official port; only a Famicom title, Esper Boukentai, reused its core ideas a few months later. It wasn’t until 2023 that a proper remake, Psychic 5 Eternal, was finally released on Nintendo Switch.

Five espers, one hammer, and lots of floaty jumps

You play as one of five characters with psychic powers—children with stereotypical profiles straight out of 1970s Japanese cartoons. Two are available from the start; the other three are unlocked by breaking hidden flasks in the levels. Each esper has unique attributes: strength, speed, jumping ability, or hovering. That last mechanic is central to the gameplay: holding upward slows your fall, turning every jump into a precise aerial maneuver. Across eight maze-like levels, your goal is to reach the central boss using your hammer—but beneath this accessible surface lies a deeper scoring system that only the most meticulous players will fully exploit.

The One Credit Challenge

Psychic 5 is a game that seasoned players can clear fairly easily in a straightforward run. But finishing it on a single credit while mastering character management and exploring every corner of each maze is a different story. Grab your hammers.

For more technical information about Psychic 5, check out its Recalbox MAME DB page.

🏆 Challenge rules

Your goal is to achieve the highest score on a single credit.
The challenge runs from April 16 to April 30 at 11:59 PM. You can try as many times as you like.

📢 How to participate?

• Launch the game (ROM: psychic5.zip)
• Play and try to beat the high score
• Take a screenshot or photo of your final score
• Share your score on the #challenges Discord channel, including your username and score

⚖️ Rules to follow

To ensure fairness: Your score must be achieved on a single credit, without save states, rewind, cheats, or auto-fire (unless built into the game).
Gentlemen’s agreement: using glitches that artificially inflate the score is also forbidden.

🎁 Rewards and fair play

The challenge is прежде all about discovering games, sharing tips, and, of course, having fun—all in a spirit of friendly competition!

The winner will receive a game key (GOG, Steam, etc.) to choose from a list of around 100 titles.
If you’ve won a challenge in the past three months, the reward will go to the next player.

Your ranking will be added to the One Credit Challenge leaderboard.
The Season 1 champion will receive either an RGB Dual 2 or a one-year Recalbox Patreon subscription.

Good luck to everyone, and may the best score win!