Barbarian – the Spinning Head Chop

Barbarian caused a bit of a palaver with the comically gory Spinning Head Chop move. They added to this, when Palace Software got Wolf from Gladiators (Michael van Wijk) and Maria Whittaker from page 3 of the Sun to model for this exotic cover art & poster in 1987.

No doubt the racy artwork and exposure (pun intended) helped, but the game stood up for itself. It featured several levels of 1 player fighting action in a quest to free your girlfriend, who’s been kidnapped by mean Emperor Drax – or 2 player fighting against a friend/enemy.

With classy moves like the ‘web of death’ and of course the Spinning Head Chop, where you decapitate your opponent, whose head then gets kicked along like a football by the little body dragging beast, it remains etched in 8-bit (and 16-bit) fans’ memories.

This moment of decapitation, along with the game’s detailed (for the time) animations and surprising violence, contributed to Barbarian’s popularity and controversy. In an era where most games featured relatively mild content, Barbarian pushed the boundaries of what was expected in video game violence. The Spinning Head Chop became a legendary gaming moment, cementing the game’s status as a cult classic.

Even decades later, the decapitation scene remains one of the most iconic moments in retro gaming history, representing a bold step forward in the evolution of combat-based video games. For fans of the ZX Spectrum era, Barbarian and its deadly Spinning Head Chop are fondly remembered as a symbol of the creativity and edginess of 80s video games.

This design pays tribute to the game, providing various products to inspire you feel like you’re winning, in a similar way to successfully performing the Spinning Head Chop!