I discovered this game during the summer of 2006. Its Bomberman-esque look immediately grabbed my attention and I had high hopes for it. You know the feeling you get when you see screenshots of a game for the very first time and you go “Oh damn, this game looks like it could be a REAL hidden gem!” Yeah, that was me 10 years ago. It took me several months to secure a copy but I finally did and couldn’t wait to play it. For the most part, it delivered. I probably had way too high expectations. It’s a fun little (party) game for sure, but definitely doesn’t topple Super Bomberman. Still, it makes for a solid alternative. Let’s take a closer look.
Super Tekkyu Fight! features four heroes:
At a cursory glance it appears to be a Bomberman clone. But it puts an interesting spin on things. Instead of dropping bombs of one variety or the other, you simply bash the others to oblivion with your chain ball. You begin with a short chain. But power-ups soon come into play, and these include:
This power-up rips through consecutive blocks in one hit. Very powerful.
Get this baby and you’re sure to rule the match. As you can see with Ultraman and Fighter Roar, players can nullify each other’s chain attack. Note that the GOLD chain does 2 health bars of damage when up-close.
NO BOMBS, OK, WHAT ELSE IS DIFFERENT?
Each player has 8 health bars. So battles here tend to be lengthier than your regular Bomberman match. When hit, you’re invulnerable for a few seconds, eliminating cheap consecutive hits. “A” jumps. If you jump on their head, it stuns ‘em for a few seconds. “Y” sees your guy flipping the tiles, stunning anyone caught in its path. This certainly makes your life easier, but it’s not mandatory.
When hit, you lose the last power-up you had — the icon goes flying back on the field waiting to be claimed by anyone. This is great since it prevents a potential “Ah crap, he got Boardwalk and now we’re all screwed” type of deal.
THAT *IS* KINDA DIFFERENT
You betcha, and beware where you jump! Each player can jump past 1 square. Each stage has plenty of holes to be weary of. In the heat of the battle it’s very easy to misplace a jump and plummet to the bloody rocks below. However, it doesn’t ALWAYS spell instant doom. The price is 4 precious health bars.
And don’t you hate when you’re alone playing 3 computer-controlled opponents and you die first, having to sit there waiting 2 minutes for them to kill each other? The programmers have sympathized with our plight as anytime you die, the tiles fall off one by one until one computer rival is standing. BLOODY SWEET. Give those chaps at METRO a hand *golf clap* A rather underrated feature that more Bomberman-esque games should employ.
HOW’S THE ONE PLAYER STORY MODE?
If you must know, there are 6 worlds with 8 levels each (the 8th being the boss). You’re free to pick from any of the 6 worlds. It’s not bad. It sorta reminds me of an updated version of TRAMPOLINE TERROR.
Enemies from each of the four protagonists’ world appear, which is very cool.
The bosses are huge and pretty tough. Exclusive to the Story mode (1 or 2 player by the way) are bombs (hidden in blocks). If you don’t have at least 1 for the bosses, it’s going to be far more difficult.
Here are four of the six:
Juggling the act of avoiding the falling rocks and slipping through the cracks requires great concentration.
This demon fellow here is my personal favorite. Look at how badass he is. Resting one hand on his cheek he uses the other to pound the tiles while emitting laser beams from his demonic eyes. I love how he flashes when you hit him, too!
FOUR PLAYER MAYHEM
The meat of these games are the 4 player battles. Here’s a look at the 8 arenas.
ZONE ONE
Standard first stage except for the arrows which can effect the direction of tile flipping. Enjoy the friendly jumping layout while you can…
ZONE TWO
The silver blocks are unbreakable. Jumping on blocks will break ‘em, but it takes two leaps. Make sure you have a space to land back on!
ZONE THREE
Arrows act as they do in the first battle arena. Hmm. Kind of lazy, no?
ZONE FOUR
The middle part sends you sliding across.
ZONE FIVE
More arrows in a sort of X-shaped field.
ZONE SIX
Forces each player to jump from the get-go… who will be on the attack and who will be on the defensive?
ZONE SEVEN
Lots of solid ground in the middle, and the many blocks are home to numerous power-ups.
ZONE EIGHT
Ice with arrows. Note the slippery sections. Like a combination of zones one and four.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Super Tekkyu Fight! appears to be another Bomberman clone but play it for a few minutes and you’ll quickly realize it really isn’t. The battle system is refreshingly different. The combination of jumping, avoiding pitfalls and being able to take up to 8 hits makes the 4-player mode its own unique animal.
On the downside, the battle zones seem a little too similar to one another and don’t have enough gimmicks to differentiate them TOO much. Especially when you compare it to the variety of Bomberman‘s battle arenas. But all in all, this is a fun little game. And particularly a blast for anyone who can gather three other like-minded buds to play with.