Crossbow

During the 1990s, the weapon transitioned from traditional 2D side-scrollers to early 3D action-adventure titles. In the 1994 movie tie-in No Escape, players utilize the tool to survive a hostile island penal colony. Within the broader Capcom franchise, the weapon's inclusion in Super Ghouls 'N Ghosts altered traditional horizontal firing lines, forcing players to adapt to verticality. For the MediEvil and MediEvil II releases, the weapon introduces resource management, as players must replenish limited bolt ammunition from merchants or green chests, unlike default infinite throwing daggers.

The weapon's appearance in Duke Nukem: Time to Kill aligns with the game's time-travel mechanics, specifically during the Ancient Rome eras where it serves as a silent alternative to firearms. In the Game Boy action-RPG Ultima: Runes of Virtue II, it acts as a tool for hitting distant switches to progress through dungeons. For Kingsley's Adventure, the weapon is earned during training under Captain Gallagher, representing the protagonist's progression toward knighthood. In Army Men: Sarge's Heroes 2, the weapon adapts to the toy-soldier aesthetic, firing plastic bolts to melt or shatter enemy units.