Okay, this is going to be the most lame description of an arcade game EVER! So, if any can identify this game, you win a gold star.
1. Game is from the 1980's
2. Top down style reminds me of "Commando" or "Ikari Warriors" (pretty sure it isn't either of these).
3. Instead of a top down scroller, the world scrolled left and right also. I never got any good at the game so the following gameplay would have happend pretty early in the game: After advancing forward (top of screen), you have to scroll to the right, then forward again, then back to the left. This is usually where I died. Also, I think this part of the game was on cobblestone street.
My memory is WEAK on this one, but it seems like it was a shoot em up.
Wow! That was even more lame than I thought!
Ring any bells?