It’s rare in video gaming that an enemy will receive his or her own spin-off series. Yet that’s exactly what happened to Firebrand from Ghosts ‘n Goblins. You may remember him as that red little flying devil that terrorized you back in the ’80s on your 8-bit NES. Capcom saw dollar signs because they released Gargoyle’s Quest on the Game Boy in 1990. It was followed up with a sequel, Gargoyle’s Quest II, on the NES in 1992. Finally, in late 1994, Capcom released the final game in the trilogy, Demon’s Crest. It flew a bit under the radar during that holiday season of ’94 despite receiving more than its fair share of press. It was considered an underrated SNES action title for many years until it made so many underrated lists that it’s probably no longer that today (thank goodness too since it’s finally received its due props). Demon’s Crest is, in my humble opinion, Capcom’s finest hour on the SNES not named Street Fighter. It’s a tough call between this and Mega Man X, but I give the slight edge to Firebrand’s trilogy finale. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
IN THE BEGINNING…
He’s known as Red Arremer in JapanCapcom gave him his own game in 1990
Then came the sequel on the NES in 1992
These games were well received and thought of rather fondly. Not only did Capcom take an antagonist and give him his own spin-off series but it’s also the only one (that I know of) to ever start out on the Game Boy, followed by a sequel on the NES and finally the SNES. I can’t think of another trilogy that can claim that. Speaking of the SNES, we come to the star of the show…
I got back into all things SNES on January 17, 2006. Demon’s Crest marked my 100th SNES game purchase and I did that on February 8, 2006. I know, crazy, huh? It took me just three weeks to accumulate 100 SNES games. But this was back when most of them were going for $5-$10. I had a want list in the hundreds and it was open season.
I’m a bit of a document whore as you can see…
NOTHING BUT COLD HARD FACTS
Yup, we all owe it to Sir Arthur. Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts is awesome but Demon’s Crest is even better. Just my opinion, of course.
THE STORY GOES…
Uhhh… don’t quote me on it…I got five bucks on the demon *cough*
Ahem, as I was saying
Hmmm…Ah but of courseAlso see the Infinity Gems…DUN DUN DUN!
EPIC PROLOGUE
Right away you know it’s going to be specialShame ya didn’t see the warning until it was too late
Apparently some cursed prisoner was here before you and left a final note scrawled on the wall. You can even see the tally marks he scribbled against the wall. Looks like whatever terrible beast captured him got hungry after just four days… and guess who’s next…
Such a dramatic opening!Long lost brothersHe’s a big pussycat though
NOT SO FAST! Somulo rises again for one last go…He should have stayed down instead
[SHEEEEET, why didn’t you warn me earlier? -Ed.]Your initial firepower consists of a single fireball shot. While somewhat slow and weak, it serves its purpose well for this opening level.
Looks like he’s got Firebrand in his grasp! NeatLife Lesson #87: Never mock the deadTold ‘cha soNow you’re playing with super power. ObviouslyExtend your health bars? Ah, one of THOSE games
WHERE TO NEXT?
After the introductory stage you’re taken to a lovely giant overhead map screen where you swoop to your next location. Rather than holding your hand and forcing you to progress in a certain order, Demon’s Crest is nonlinear and allows you some creative freedom. I love games that do this. It really plays a bit like Super Metroid-lite. Be sure to search everywhere! Never know what you may find. Not all areas are filled with enemies but rather helpful denizens and other peculiar oddities…
INVENTORY
Pressing start takes you here. Select wisely. All of these are to be found throughout the game. Some are well-hidden while others are simply well-guarded!
HELPERS
He even flips the pages. Nice
This is the wise man known as Malwous. He runs the Talisman Shop in town. No, you can’t coax the geezer to sell them to you. His sole purpose is to disclose their special powers… or is it… ?
“Yeah? Well we’ll see about that, old-timer!”So far, so good…
Soul energy recovers lost health. After finding the Skull Talisman and equipping it, it increases the percentage that slain enemies will drop soul energy. Only one Talisman can be equipped at a time so you’ll want to switch accordingly as each unique situation deems it so. Therein lies the strategy, options and customization of Demon’s Crest that put it (severed) heads and shoulders above the rest.
“OH NO! MY BOOK!”
But just in case the geezer planted the soul energy in those jars and is trying to hoodwink me — a reminder that no one messes with Firebrand!
MWAHAHAHA!
[There goes all the vital info. Smart… -Ed.]
Morack deals in the black arts
And this git here runs the Spell shop. For the price of some bills with dead demons on them, Morack will sell you whatever your heart desires most… or at least what Capcom has prearranged, anyhow. You’ll also need to find the spell vellum in order to carry spells. Up to five can be found. Make sure you explore every last hooker and nanny [That’s “nook” and “cranny” ya fool! -Ed.]
“Yes, let’s measure the circumference of your head…”
At the spooky Black Lotus shop you can stock up on various potions. For a fee, of course. Sometimes a finger, sometimes a toe, or even a whole leg. Hey, he’s gotta keep his hungry hounds well fed…
“OW! MY EYE!”
Hey, it’s an eye for an eye…
“Well if it isn’t my drug dealer…”
Trio the Pago runs various set-ups around town that specializes in “game for demons.” For a small fee, skulls will appear against the wall and it’s your job to smash as many as you can before the torches flicker off. Gold is your prize. There’s beginning, intermediate and expert to challenge players of all skill levels.
A head banging good time
The high ones are the toughest. You can gain some invaluable practice by smashing the windows in town. You may also find some gold in the process too. Double whammy!
This makes for good practice
For each torch that remains lit you’ll earn five gold pieces for. Er, they look silvery but you get the picture, no pun intended [Har har -Ed.]
“Word on the street is Phalanx wants your head!”
This denizen is something of a gossiping demon hobo. He even asks you a yes/no question. It’s little touches like this that help to give Demon’s Crest its own pulse and universe that very few 16-bit games managed to achieve.
Say hello to Phalanx… *gulp*Were you expecting this guy instead?“I also hear Sally is seeing Dan…”“Damn Trump and his walls!”
This barrier can’t be flown over with your standard form, nor shot down. Hmmm, what could be behind that door? Valuable treasures locked up, or perhaps a vile beast fenced off from the rest of society? This creates a level of intrigue and anticipation. Jot it down as a place to revisit later…
Unlimited flight comes in handy
Ah, a potion bottle, hurrah! Only four more lie in waiting. Firebrand can fly and hover in this form as much as you want, instantly separating Demon’s Crest from your typical SNES action platformer. Perks of controlling a winged demon, eh?
A spell vellum! I wonder where the other four are…He’s a stage five clinger…
[Reminds me of an ex… -Ed.]In addition to hovering, clinging is another useful skill that the first form allows. Just because it’s Firebrand’s first form doesn’t necessarily make it the least significant. You can also headbutt objects in the background to possibly reveal goodies, so each form has its specific use throughout the game. You’ll find yourself switching back and forth rather than discarding a form. Forms don’t get “better” — they just serve different purposes. Pretty smart of Capcom as it increases the versatility of gameplay.
The night life’s a bit dead, I reckon
Firebrand is such a kind, gregarious lad.
Or not!
I love when a game has small quirky amusing details like such. You can actually smash in the skulls of these lifeless skeletons draping from bedroom windows. It reminds me of killing the chained innocent prisoners from Blackthorne. Always good for a laugh.
Some shit just never gets oldLooks familiar, Capcom…
The game expands as you gain more powers. The Tornado allows you to create temporary platforms, acting much like the Magnet Beam from the original Mega Man game on the NES.
Magnet Beam from Mega ManBacktrack lovers unite!
Whatever’s hiding behind this wall you won’t be able to access until much later in the game after you’ve acquired a certain weapon. I’m a sucker for these type of games, yes I am.
It’ll be well worth your timeYou can’t move that statue in your current formBut the Ground Gargoyle can!
I can’t stress enough the importance of exploring. The game can be beaten without finishing all the areas, but you won’t get the best ending nor the complete satisfaction knowing you’ve conquered this fantastic game.
Let’s take a look at some of the stages.
THE GRAVEYARD
“COME ONE, COME ALL!”Ah indeed, this all wouldn’t be possible prior to 1994
Around the middle of 1994 was when Nintendo revamped their violence policy. It started with Mortal Kombat II being uncensored, and allowed for games like Demon’s Crest to be released unaltered. Its dark and gruesome imagery probably would have been severely toned down prior to mid ’94.
Even the Game Boy got hit with some of that ‘tude
OH SHIT…What a way to go
THE FOREST
How to get that bottle there…Ahhh…Firebrand the Forest Ranger
Strangeness abounds in this deranged woodland area. Keep your eyes peeled as there are secrets waiting to be found!
The visuals are classic Capcom
Smokey Bear’s words (“Only YOU can prevent forest fires”) goes up in flames as the whole place goes ablaze. Tentacles awaken from a long slumber, rising up from the ground searching for its next meal.
Um, what’s Capcom’s deal with forest fires? O_oCapcom makes Smokey a sad bearHmmm, where might this lead?Meet the boss, Flame Lord
Flame Lord is fairly tough. He has tricky offensive patterns so make sure you’ve got some herbs packed before taking him on.
His second form is a bitch
THE CAVE
It must be poisoned water…
The water actually hurts Firebrand until you acquire the Crest of Water and equip it. Then, and only then, may you explore what lies beneath.
Scula is quite the menacing monster.
Heads will roll [My eyes are -Ed.]
Absolutely nothing like a two for one special!
Wickedly fun
THE CAVERN
Shout out to LL Cool J
Maximizing your gains by selecting the right form at the right time is all part of the fun. Ground Gargoyle is perfect for taking out enemies down below.
This enemy explodes into fragments when killed, so stay vigilant during the aftermath.
Afraid of the dark? HA! It pays to keep the lights on…
Hang on a second there, playaYou’ll need something stronger for this[Just like my in-laws -Ed.]Such a memorable entrance!I don’t want to know what that goo consists of…
Best not linger around! One of the game’s most dramatic moments is about to happen.
Not really. It’s just your death spell in action Eye of the ti — demonYou thought you had eye boogers
THE RUINS
When in doubt, break thingsCapcom and SNK play date![Steve did it. It was Steve -Ed.]A sweet sound plays when you get one, á la Metroid
Crawler comes slithering after you relentlessly. Better not pussyfoot around! Statues block the way just to add a little extra drama. Nice touch there, Capcom.
At the end of the hallway you’re trapped and forced to do battle with this giant mass of tissue. It’s the kind of monstrosity that does the Contra franchise proud.
He gets more red… as he weakens
THE MURKY WATERS
Blast the blocks to oblivion
Tough to go damage-free here
Carefully blast the blocks so that you leave just the upper and bottom one intact. Recklessly destroy all the blocks and you’re likely to get badly punctured.
He’s a nasty bugger!
THE ICY BARRENS
Gotta have an ice stage, eh?
What terror lies beyond that door?More doors of terror, I suppose
Should have kept your cocky trap shut. Now you’ll face the true terror that is this mid-boss.
Remember the rule: keep the lights on.
Arma is a recurring challengeBetter not poop on my head!
Grewon is a very agile and powerful wolf. Good luck.
You’ll need it!
THE TOWERS
Control is super smoothErrors are usually human based
Should you? I don’t know about this…Play it to find out for yourself Surely it couldn’t be Fortunato… right?
PHALANX’S CASTLE
Nearly a religious experienceHey, I’ve seen you before!!Yup, back in the first stageC’mon Capcom. Don’t be lazy Perfect game to play in OctoberIts atmosphere suits HalloweenBehold, the Legendary Gargoyle!Not you againAt last we meet, Phalanx
Phalanx has three forms. Yup, it’s going to be one of those final boss battles.
The water will damage you unless you stay over it or unless you morph into the Tidal Gargoyle. It’s your call.
Uh oh…Best of luck, playa
ULTIMATE GARGOYLE
Meet your ultimate form
The Ultimate Gargoyle can only be unlocked by beating Phalanx with 100% of your inventory slots filled. This then grants you the Crest of Heaven. And it’s only in this form that you can tackle the game’s true final boss.
Ultimate Gargoyle is Firebrand at the zenith of his power. It’s a combination of all previous forms, plus it gives Firebrand a charge shot similar to the Blue Bomber. So Capcom rewards the persistent player who fully explores the game. Otherwise, you can’t use this form. It’s a nice bonus for the dedicated completionist.
Say hello to the Dark DemonThe game’s TRUE final boss!
DEMON-VANIA
Similar to Super Metroid, certain areas are playable but not until you’ve discovered weapon or power-up X. Only then can you backtrack to access these previously blocked off areas, opening up the game tenfold. There weren’t many games cut from this cloth in the 16-bit era. You can’t help but fall in love with Demon’s Crest. It really is kind of like a Super Metroid-lite.
Even a demon has his limits…
Another example: Firebrand will actually get damaged if he falls into the water there. That is, UNLESS you use the Water Crest. After which, you’re feel to explore the water regions of the game fully unhindered. This of course opens up the game even more, unlocking new goodies and power-ups. Keeping a journal to jot down some notes is not a bad idea.
I dare call it a can’t miss experience for SNES ownersIt has shades of Super Metroid
WHAT THE CRITICS SAID
This game is lit, fam [Stop it -Ed.]
Demon’s Crest did extremely well with the critics. Not only was the game well previewed within the pages of EGM and GameFan Magazine during the holiday season of 1994, but it was well reviewed, too. EGM gave it scores of 8, 8, 8 and 9. GameFan gave it ratings of 97, 97and 98%. Super Play rated it 80%. Yet despite the praise from the press, it’s been a well-documented fact that this game sold very poorly. According to Nintendo Power Magazine, the game flopped at the box office. Capcom did very little to hype this release. True, Demon’s Crest did come out around the same time as Donkey Kong Country (which sold off-the-chart numbers), but did you know during one week Demon’s Crest generated NEGATIVE sales?! Preposterous! It’s a gaming tragedy that more people returned the game than bought it for that one particular week!
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Moments like this add to the game’s overall brilliance
While Demon’s Crest performed poorly in 1994 based on sales (despite critical acclaim), it’s made its mark ever since. Over the past 15 years or so, many people have had the pleasure of playing it and it’s been on many “Underrated SNES Games” lists. So much so, in fact, that it’s probably ratedjust right nowadays. I’m happy to see this game get the kind of respect that it deserved from day one. Magazines did their part to extol the virtues of Demon’s Crest but the buying public did not bite, and they missed out on a true gem as a result. Thankfully, one of the many luxuries of being a retro gamer is the ability to revisit these titles from yesteryear. And after playing through Demon’s Crest back in 2007, there is no doubt in my mind that it stands as one of Super Nintendo’s very finest action adventures.
No wonder he likes hanging around Arthur’s boxers!
Playing through this game reminded me of the early SNES days where the games came packed with a true sense of awe and wonder. Titles like F-Zero, Contra III, Super Castlevania IV, Super Mario World and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Remember the sense of magic you felt playing such games early on in the SNES lifespan? Somewhere along the lines, the magic got a little lost in a wave of countless decent but ultimately forgettable “me too” titles. Demon’s Crest, however, was a mighty return to the fold; it recaptured the spellbinding wonderment of early SNES masterpieces that you remember fondly even to this day.
“We’ve got to stop meeting like this”
Graphically, almost every trick in the book is used: transparency, umpteen layers of parallax, soft eerie swirling mist, some excellent Mode 7 and so on. It fares even better with regards to the sound and music. At times it feels like a slice of Castlevania! You can’t ever go wrong when you can rightfully claim that. The music runs circles around other games which try desperately to summon a foreboding atmosphere but fail to do so. Demon’s Crest is packed with authentic sounding church organ, haunting horns and jiggling flute effects. It’s very orchestral and that boss theme is unforgettable! It’s tense and dramatic which perfectly fits the mood as the behemoth boss reveals itself to you. Classic Capcom quality. Even the little sound effect that plays each time you add another life unit to your health is spot-on perfect.
“SAY CHEESE!”
Gameplay? It’s the best part of all! The nonlinear, open-ended aspect of the game made it extremely fun to play. I love how gaining new powers would open up new parts of a world you’ve previously conquered. It’s quite similar to Super Metroid in that regard. There’s also an “RPG quest” flair to it, thanks to its various side games, shops, interesting NPCs and so forth. And let’s face it, Firebrand is an awesome anti-hero to control. Discovering and properly utilizing your various spells and forms add much strategic quality to a stellar product. However, for as much as I have raved about this game, it isn’t without a few imperfections. Namely, Capcom failed to make use of the shoulder buttons. Unlike Mega Man X where you could switch weapons on the fly using L or R, you cannot do that here. Thus, there’s quite a bit of menu toggling and it can interrupt the flow of the action. When you consider Demon’s Crest came out nearly a year AFTERMega Man X, you can’t help but feel Capcom dropped the ball a bit here. It’s no deal breaker by any means, but would have made for a smoother playing experience.
Bottom line, Demon’s Crest just sucks you in with its macabre and dark nature. It’s definitely not another me-too platform action game from the mid ’90s! And yes, there are multiple endings depending on what you do or don’t do. The game is pretty short, and you’ll feel bad when it ends all too soon, but you’ll have an absolute blast while it lasts. Not only is it one of the best action games on the Super Nintendo but, in my book, it’s one of the best, PERIOD. I recommend it highly. Sans the Street Fighter II games, Capcom’s finest hour on the Super Nintendo — the best of the rest — is easily…
One of the earliest titles to hit the SNES, Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts is also often referred to as one of the top classics of its era. Its difficulty is well documented; in fact, rumors swirled back in the early ’90s that even Chuck Norris had trouble finishing it twice. As Sir Arthur, you must clear eight savage lands ranging from dark haunted graveyards to an icy forest in order to save your main squeeze. Easier said than done, especially back to back!
IN THE BEGINNING…
Capcom’s original horror franchise! Sorry, Resident Evil
Ghosts ‘n Goblins originated in the arcades in 1985. It later received a couple home ports, most notably on the 8-bit Nintendo. I remember seeing this game for the first time at my friend’s house in the late ’80s. Being a lover of monsters big and small, the stunning cover art immediately grabbed me by the ghoulies. Just look at those vile creatures! Now there goes a law-abiding group of good Samaritans if I ever saw one. I watched my friend Tommy fumble through the first level. The zombies were relentless. Arthur not exactly being a ballerina didn’t help matters any, either. But there was something compelling about it. I loved the ghoulish atmosphere.
NES version was so hard!
Capcom released a superb sequel, Ghouls ‘n Ghosts, in the arcades at the tail end of 1988. A Sega Genesis version was pumped out in 1989 to much critical acclaim. Then in November 1991, Capcom treated brand new SNES owners with an exclusive sequel, Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts. This franchise has certainly developed a loyal fanbase since the first game hit the scene in 1985. To this very day, fans still love playing through these classics and fans still clamor for a proper return. It’s a shame Sir Arthur’s future is up in the air. But hey, at least we’ll always have these great games to keep us warm.
RAINING GHOULS ‘N GHOSTS
Several months following my SNES rebirth in January of 2006, I decided to reinvest in another old childhood favorite… the Sega Genesis. Those were some fun and reckless days, I tells ya. I was scouring eBay nonstop, checking the forums for people unloading games and surfing Craigslist daily. It was on a crazy rainy Friday afternoon that I met ex-gamer Kevin outside a local grocery store to cut the deal. It was my $20 for his five Genesis games. Among them, of course, was Ghouls ‘n Ghosts. Kevin must have felt nostalgic that rainy late afternoon, because before he handed me the game, he looked me dead in the eye and he said, “This is one of the best video games I have ever played.”
The arcade original. Such a classic!
I stood outside his red truck holding an umbrella as he sat inside all warm and toasty. A small cute looking beagle stood on the passenger seat, tilting its head as it stared at me. Kevin went on to tell me that these games were all purchased from him back in the day and that they had been resting unused in his attic for a good number of years now. But it was time to let them go to a new home that would play them rather than have them sit on a shelf collecting dust. He cut me a great deal, 20 for all five as I said, and I couldn’t have been a happier camper that rainy Friday afternoon. It was one of my most favorite experiences off Craigslist and a very fond game memory from that crazy year of 2006 — the year where I set out to reclaim bits and pieces of my childhood. As the gray afternoon skies continued raining Ghouls ‘n Ghosts, I drove home on that wet freeway with a grin plastered across my face as wide as the Mississippi River. What a bargain, sure, but it was the human element that made it such a memorable transaction.
Genesis port admirably held its own
I had briefly seen and played Ghouls ‘n Ghosts, coincidentally, once again at Tommy’s place in the late ’80s. It had amazing visuals for its time. Who could ever forget that first gigantic boss who rips his own freakin’ head off? Arthur wasn’t much more athletic here than his NES outing but at least now he could shoot up. And like the NES game before it, Ghouls ‘n Ghosts was damn tough. Let’s see how Sir Arthur fared in his next adventure, Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts…
THE STORY GOES…
“Look everyone! Our hero, Sir Arthur, is back! Hip hip hooray!”
“YEEEEAH, BOY! GO ON IN AND GET YOUR WOMAN!”“OH Arthur! Welcome back home!”
“Thank you, Princess Guinevere. I’ve come back to check up on you. While journeying all over the world seeking more knowledge, I had a very strange premonition. So, how are things? Anything peculiar? Sick guards, dying crops, red demons, perhaps?”
I always feel like somebody’s watchin’ me!
“Oh Sir Arthur, I too have felt an uneasy premonition as of late. I feel that someone… or something… is watching me… waiting in the shadows…”
“Not to worry, Princess. I’m here now. I won’t let anything bad happen to you ever again.”
“Thank you, Arthur. Your words comfort me but still, I can’t shake that horrible feeling that we’re being watched as we speak…”
Meanwhile… somewhere in the distance just beyond the castle…
“HEE HEE HEE!”“AWWWW! We NEVER get to have any fun!”
“I sense something wicked watching us now!”
“Relax, Princess! You’re safe with me.”
“Oh you mean just like the last time, huh?”
“Don’t start that with me, woman!”
“SHHH! You hear that?”
“Hear WHAT?!”
*FLAP FLAP FLAP*
*WHOOSH, WHOOSH, WHOOSH*“AW CRAP, not this shit again!”
ARM YOURSELF
A welcomed change: he’s not so unathletic anymore!Find these inside treasure chests
You start out with the steel armor. Next upgrade is the Bronze Armor (middle), then finally the Golden Armor (right). The Bronze Armor grants Arthur power to use the Weapons of Enchantment while the Golden Armor allows him to cast magical spells. The shields are also invaluable.
Torch is eh, but the crossbow is my favoriteThese only become available with the Bronze Armor
Here’s the Flaming Lance in action. Not only does it leave a nice trail but it’s twice as effective as the normal Lance shot.
Whether you’re using the regular weapons or their powered-up versions, you can release a stronger shot at the peak of your double jump. A successful attempt is highlighted via a red-ish glow. It’s a neat technique that adds a bit more strategy to the game, particularly during those boss battles.
Here’s the Magic Dagger in action. Discover the rest for yourself!
WELCOME TO THE MAGIC SHOW
Magic is yours to use once the Golden Armor is worn
Check out the Thunder Magic — this is when you’re wielding the Flaming Lance and rocking the Golden Armor.
Have the Magic Dagger on ya while wearing the Golden Armor? Then you have the power to call forth some Fire Dragon Magic! The weapon you’re currently in possession of determines what kind of magic you can unleash. They range in terms of effectiveness so it’s fun to figure out which ones work best when and where. One magic power doesn’t harm enemies; rather, it searches for hidden treasure troves! Acquiring AND maintaining the Golden Armor is key to success.
MAPQUEST
Thanks bogleech.com for this map
Trek through eight deadly worlds to save the blasted Princess. Er, actually 16 but uh, let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet…
LEVEL 1: THE DEAD PLACE
The original Capcom zombie right there, folks!
Ah, such a classic first stage — take a ghoulish romp through a haunted graveyard! From this forgotten cemetery, zombies arise to attack the living. Only the bravest and strongest will survive a journey through this cursed land.
So cool how the landscape shifts and changesThank you for that one, Nick Adams. Rest In Peace“YOU STINKIN’ RATS!”Love having choices: do you go above or through?Danger lurks at every turn. Beware of savage wolvesWhew! That was a damn close one…“Who needs a lousy key?!”
Occasionally, treasure chests will pop up out of the ground. Inside lies a random item. Perhaps a different weapon choice or even precious armor…
… and other times the evil Conjurer!Better kill him fast or else he could…… turn you into a baby!UH OH! U-turn!Yikes!
Thank goodness it’s only temporary. You can also be turned into a little girl or even a bee. Capcom sure had fun making this one…
It’s not very potent but I love its range and speed
Pillars provide safe harbor from the crashing waves, which will carry you ruthlessly away to an early, murky grave.
(Double) jump at random points — you never know when doing so may trigger a hidden treasure chest to reveal itself from its hiding place. It’s fun to find them and feels a bit like an Easter egg hunt at times. It’s all a bit weird and cool at the same time.
NOW we’re talking!
You just found the Bronze (even though it’s green) Armor! With this bad boy you can now employ the almighty Weapons of Enchantment. Unfortunately, one hit strips Arthur straight to his boxers rather than back down to his regular steel armor. That’s a bit of a bitch but it sums up the toughness of this game. Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts separates the men from the boys.
Kill the wretched bubbly masses before detonation
Now equipped with the Bronze Armor, the crossbow becomes a homing weapon of destruction! Too bad though you can only fire one triple shot at a time. Should one shot linger searching for a target, you are left defenseless and are forced to wait until that last shot dissipates. This, as you can imagine, can prove costly in the heat of battle.
Leap over these fiery skeleton carts
Be sure to look back for a nifty surprise!
Too bad just one hit reduces Arthur to his boxers
Congrats, it’s the almighty Golden Armor. So now not only do you have the powerful Weapons of Enchantment at your disposal but also magic! Charge up Arthur to unleash these magic powers.
Have the Crossbow? It seeks out hidden treasures“Ah I’m safe now… TOTALLY in the clear…”
Remember how I said make sure you look over your shoulder after leaping over these fiery skeleton carts? Here’s why…
The ground shifts, sending ‘em your wayDouble jump straight up in the air to be safeThis is amusing to you, isn’t it, Capcom?Plus the dramatic boss music hits. Gotta love it“GIVE ME BACK MY PRINCESS, BITCH!”“KEEP HER, KEEP HER, KEEP HER!!”Nothing hits me in the feels like big bosses that flashDéjà vu…
[Get this fake 1998 Godzilla bull crap outta here! -Ed.]“Hey pal, don’t get any funny ideas now!”What an amazing sight the Cockatrice was and still is!
The Cockatrice, like all the bosses in this game, is easy to beat. In addition to laying its eggs, it’ll stretch that horrible long neck out in hopes of pecking you to a bloody death. This is a great example of a simple but effective boss design. Large, menacing and all-around badass. Few did it better than Capcom back in the early ’90s.
LEVEL 2: THE ROTTING SEA
This level is quite atmospheric. For starters, Arthur leaves this decrepit dock. No sooner then does it crumble into the sea, and you have the makings of yet another memorable level to come.
“OPEN WIDE!”
You find yourself trapped on the Graveyard of Ships. Long ago, this thriving harbor was home to hundreds of sea-faring men. But now the entire port is laid to waste, and only the restless and wicked ghouls remain.
Hurry, ascend before the sea swallows you whole!Prepare yourself for a bumpy ride…You’ll encounter man-eating mutant fishAs well as this horrible squid-plant hybrid[HAR HAR -Ed.]Like the Cockatrice, he’s easy enoughYeah, what’s the Princess ever done for you anyway?Ah, I see the mandatory fire and ice worlds up ahead
LEVEL 3: VERMILION HORROR
The mini Firebrands are a nice touch
Brave adventurers must first make it through the Crucible of Flame. Deep within the earth, the flames of evil burns brightly. Its glow drips with despair and darkness to all who venture forth.
Capcom having another laughDouble jump, if ya dare, to nab the money
Visually, this level is pretty stunning. I love all the fire pits and how they turn different shades of red and orange. Nice. And you know what those demon head fire-spewing statues remind me of?
These guys from Genesis Ghouls ‘n GhostsSomeone could use a Tic-Tac
I just love this guy. He’s like the Andore of Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts. He’s bigger than most other normal bad guys and takes several shots before tapping out. I have a thing for regular enemies who are extra tough and a little bigger than the rest of the non-boss cast.
The green glow up top makes this part VERY cool
Capcom was so damn good at adding in these little details to make their levels even more interesting than they already were. Gotta appreciate the craftsmanship.
Evil eyes from the darkness track your every move…
The pillars move up and down. Be patient but don’t take your sweet ass time, either! Used properly, the double jump comes in extra handy here. Sometimes you need to head back to the drawing board so save that precious second jump for any last second change. It could determine the difference between winning and losing, yes sir.
Safely past the Crucible of Flame, it’s on to the Towers of Molten Steel. The mere sight of the twin towers strikes terror into the hearts of men. Within these demented walls, the ghouls of the Phantom Zone practice their darkest and most unspeakable acts of evil.
Who needs fancy 3D graphics when you got this
Slightly reminiscent of Nebulus (Commodore 64), this is a rather impressive bit. The twisting and turning of the tower while those gargoyle statues slowly reveal themselves is splendid stuff, especially by 1991 standards.
Nebulus (Commodore 64)Kirby’s Adventure (NES)Sky Blazer (SNES)Foreboding skies greet you on the way to Tower #2Nasty spear-wielding one-eyed demons give chase
I don’t think he’s friendly…
Talk about a monstrosity! He’s easier than he looks, though. I find it best to stay right there where Arthur is positioned in the pic and fire away.
LEVEL 4: THE GHOUL’S STOMACH
To enter the frozen lands of the Emperor of Evil, you must first pass through the foul Ghoul’s Stomach. It won’t be easy, and it sure as hell won’t smell pleasant, either. Those axe-wielding goblins are annoying bastards. Deal with them quickly — you don’t want a pack of them coming after you.
Hope you’ve mastered your double jumping…
Every so often the landscape changes from bad to worse and players must hotfoot it to safety via these platforms, or else.
Witness the amazing rotating prowess of the SNESSay HELLO to HYDRA!Shades of Godzilla’s nemesis, King Ghidorah
LEVEL 5: THE DEEP CHILL
BRRR! Good to have that armor… for now anyhow
First up is the Ice Forest. The blizzards constantly blow in this frozen world of ice and snow. Many have tried to conquer this land over the years but none have yet to return. Hope you don’t run across their decayed remains…
Ah, my favorite guy’s back, but in icy form this time“Nice boy… nice boy…”
Beyond the Ice Forest lies the Ice Wall. A wall of sheer ice surrounds the palace. If the freezing cold doesn’t kill you, surely the savage wolves will.
Hang onto a ladder during avalanches to stay safeI guess you haven’t found your better half yet…
At the end of this icy prison you come face to face with this terrible ice demon — the one they call Freon. He looks quite tough but he’s really not. The design isn’t bad but I would prefer if he was whole and not broken before you could lay a finger on him. Would have been much more satisfying if you could damage him bit by bit until nothing remained but his frozen head. But perhaps that’s just my sadistic side speaking. Also, it would have been more dramatic if he came bursting out of those frozen prison bars, but now I’m just nit-picking!
Come on Arthur, you know NO girl is worth all this
LEVEL 6: THE CASTLE OF THE EMPEROR
“One day I’ll star in my own SNES game… you’ll see!”
At the beginning of this level, you’re once again greeted by the double tough Red Arremer, Firebrand.
The castle possesses a strikingly sinister designThat’s… not disturbing at all…
A version of the Cockatrice stuck within the castle walls?! What kind of foul play is this?! It’s all twisted and PLAIN WRONG like a nightmare come to life.
“Whadaya think, does this coat color suit my eyes?”
It’s the mighty demon, Astaroth! Love the design. He’s the right-hand monster to Sardius (AKA Demon Emperor Samael). Astaroth sports two faces so hideous not even a mother could love. The bottom one looks like an evil tree.
LEVEL 7: HALLWAY OF GHOULS
Looks slightly familiar…Red Falcon from Contra IIIYou again?!
Once more you must duel with Astaroth. He spews fire from his bottom mouth and fires lasers up top. Be patient and don’t double jump unless absolutely necessary; otherwise, his laser beam might slice you in half.
This doesn’t look too promising
After defeating Astaroth, you face a superior demon in the form of one, Nebiroth. Watch out for his laser shot which cuts a huge swath. He’s a tough cookie but you should be fine if you play it smart.
LEVEL 8: THE THRONE ROOM
WHOA
Welcome to the Throne Room, home to the one and only Sardius! Talk about a menacing and imposing final boss. Towering over Arthur with his golden armor, it sure looks like a tall task ahead. To set the mood proper, lightning strikes the dark night sky, sending waves of white blinding flashes across the throne room. It’s a modern day David and Goliath. On paper at least. But in reality Sardius is pretty easy. You can kill him without even getting hit.
Positioning yourself properly is the key
A set of laser beams fly out of his mouth. Position yourself roughly around here. His right or left leg works fine. Oddly enough, just for your convenience, Sardius also sends out two icy platforms. Double jump on to one of them but not when he sends the lasers late, which he does a time or two.
His face is his only vulnerable point
The platform takes you up to his head level. You’ll be able to land a couple shots in before the ice gives way.
SAYONARA SARDIUS!
Regrettably, he’s all bark and no bite. Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts is a challenging game but that comes mostly in the levels themselves. The bosses are surprisingly easy to dispatch. It’s too bad too, because they’re wonderful designs and you expect them to put up more of a tough fight.
Speaking of challenging, you must beat this game TWICE but more on that later. For now, let us enjoy our victory and bask in the glow of a job well done.
“OH ARTHUR! Calm down will ya — NOT RIGHT HERE!”Somebody’s getting SOME tonightThey lived happily ever after, right? Right…[Sucker -Ed.]
OH C’MON YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING!
“You know… I’ve had JUST about enough of you…”
You must beat the game twice and kill Sardius with the Bracelet to get the true ending. The Bracelet isn’t exactly the best weapon, either. The difficulty of the game also rises in the second round. To find the Bracelet, you must have the final power-up item, the Sun Shield. The next treasure chest you uncover will contain the weapon required to properly kill Sardius. Don’t lose the Bracelet either or you’re screwed. Talk about tough love.
SUPER CODES ‘N CHEATS
God bless this option to jump anywhere in the gameContinue off where you please… sweet
How nice of Capcom to even let you to pick the area in the stage you want to go to! With no save or password option, this cheat does well to increase the game’s longevity. Level select code is my favorite type of cheat, especially when the game is lacking a password or save option.
HOW FIREBRAND GOT HIS OWN GAME
Demon’s Crest, released in November of 1994, continued the high quality Capcom tradition on the SNES with gnarly visuals, amazing sound, addicting gameplay (Super Metroid fans will instantly eat it up), huge bosses and a totally badass protagonist. What’s not to love? It’s actually my favorite Capcom SNES game not named Street Fighter. Sorry, Mega Man X, but I give the slight edge to Demon’s Crest.
It’s a lovely masterpiece
Firebrand is so fun to control. Who knew back in the mid ’80s when we first faced the red demon that he’d get his line of awesome video games? Be sure to also check out Gargoyle’s Quest on Game Boy (1990) and the 8-bit NES sequel, Gargoyle’s Quest II (1992).
Let’s eavesdrop…
“Hey Arthur… remember that time long ago where I failed miserably to kill you by dropping you high from the sky?”
“Sure… kinda hard to forget stuff like that, you know?”
“Well I just want to thank you for making me see the light. I turned the other cheek and got my own Super Nintendo game, and it’s even better than yours.”
“WHOA! Slow your role, playa. Jeez, some things never change, I guess.”
They dance off to prove whose got the better game
Firebrand also appeared in Brandish… [Stop it -Ed.]
WHAT THE CRITICS SAID
Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts was well received by critics and fans alike. It’s universally considered as a classic Super Nintendo game, and its inclusion in the upcoming SNES Classic Edition speaks to that. Super Play rated it 85% and EGM ranked it #22 in their Top 100 Games List in issuer #100 (November 1997). Below is an excerpt from RETRO GAMER Magazine.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts is simply a classic. I’ve had a lot of fun playing through this one and discovering all the little nuances, from perfecting the double jump to finding out the secret locations of hidden treasure chests. This game kicked my ass, too. But never in a cheap way. Not because of faulty controls or anything like that. The level design is brutal, especially the first 20 times through. Some video games are frustrating in a cheap way but this isn’t one of them. It’s tough in a “Oooh, I’ll get you next time!” sort of manner, reeling you back in for another go and before you know it, an hour’s flown by. And if you’re good, maybe the level too. I never found myself blaming my losses on account of the game. It always came back to human error. And there’s something compelling and addictive about Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts that pushes me to say, “Alright Capcom, one more try…”
“Ever thought of getting a pedicure, mate?”
The game has a great atmosphere and truly lives up to the name of the title. Rotting zombies litter the Haunted Cemetery, the swirling mist in the Graveyard of Ships soon turns itself into ghastly apparitions, and what can you say about those vile monstrous bosses? Their incredible size and grand detail is awe-inspiring. From the sight of the very first boss, the abominable Cockatrice, you knew you were in for one hell of a ride. The monsters steal the show. Arthur is nothing special to look at, but his enemies sure are. The levels have a great deal of detail to them and though there are two areas per level, they’re actually fairly short. I was expecting the game to be a bit longer than what it is, but no matter, it’s a blast to work your way through them bit by bit. From undertaking tumultuous raft rides of death to scaling demon-infested towers, Arthur has plenty to do in his quest to save the day.
Not only are the visuals and sound right on the money and exactly what you’d expect from Capcom of that era, but the game is simply a sheer joy to play. From its varied locales to tricky predicaments, multiple tools of destruction and even magical spells, it’s got the lot, this one. Capcom was also nice enough to give us four difficulty options. On Beginner, it is actually very manageable. So is the default Normal difficulty in my humble opinion. Personally, I don’t think this game is as hard as many tend to say. With grit, patience and the right equipment, that is. But don’t get me wrong, it IS a very challenging game, especially on the second loop where it automatically gets more difficult. I don’t consider myself an expert player by any stretch of the imagination, but even I was able to get through the game on Beginner and Normal (the first loop, anyhow). As I said, the key is having a good deal of persistence and the having the right weapon in tow. It’s too bad you can only carry one weapon at a time (I hope you don’t get stuck accidentally with the torch) and it’s even worse that Arthur can only withstand two hits — regardless of whether you have the highest armor or lowest. But it’s a fun challenge. And that’s the big fundamental difference between games like this and games that are flat out impossible. The fun keeps you plugging away until at long last you break through, and it’s a great high when you finally do.
Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts: it’s a scream!
The more I played Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts the more I came to appreciate it in all facets. Initially, I didn’t really like Arthur’s “stiffness” but it slowly grew on me. Mastering the double jump is crucial. Arthur can no longer shoot up but oddly, it somehow works for this game. This is thanks, of course, to the level design. Yeah, there is some slowdown during the more hectic parts, but does it adversely affect the gameplay? Not really. Bottom line, this game delivers in all the areas where it counts. There’s a reason why Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts is considered as one of the many “essential must-have” games on the Super Nintendo. No truly great SNES collection is complete without a copy of Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts.
Graphics: 9
Sound: 9
Gameplay: 9
Longevity: 7
Overall: 9.0 Gold Award
Come on, you know it isn’t…This game is lit, fam [Stop it -Ed.]
If there was one thing I loved as much as video games when I was a kid, it was monsters. I was obsessed with Godzilla growing up. Any giant rubber suited monster movie was right up my alley. So combining the two — video games and monsters — was a grand slam for a kid like me. At least, in theory. Execution is entirely another matter. I remember being excited to play Ultraman: Towards The Future. After playing it, Towards The Garbage Bin seems like a more appropriate subtitle. Then came the SNES version of King of the Monsters. I loved the arcade version especially for its tag team bedlam mode. Not only was that gutted from the SNES port but they also scrapped two of the six monsters. 0 for 2 now. Would King of the Monsters 2 be the third strike, or would SNES owners finally get a decent monster game?
MY GREAT WHITE WHALE
My local arcades didn’t carry King of the Monsters 2. I was never able to play it, sadly.
I saw screenshots of it in magazines and it looked awesome.
The new monsters looked great, making me want to play it even more.
Alas, it wasn’t meant to be. I searched high, I searched low. Nada. It wasn’t until a fateful Saturday afternoon back in June of 1994 that my best friend Nelson and I ran across the Super Famicom import version of King of the Monsters 2.
Nelson and I nearly crapped our pants
We couldn’t believe that standing before us were the import versions of Fighter’s History, King of the Monsters 2 and Muscle Bomber (Saturday Night Slam Masters). The North American versions were either weeks or even months away from release. Nelson grabbed Fighter’s History and so I had to make a choice between King of the Monsters 2 or Saturday Night Slam Masters. I loved Slam Masters but this was a clear no-brainer to me…
Time to put my great white whale to rest at long last!You can read the rest of the story right here
THE STORY GOES…
… an evil alien race crashed the party! Winner takes ALL
On the original site, anyhow
THE GOAL
DESTROY ALL MONSTERS! King Famardy awaits…
THE GOOD GUYS
Atomic GuyCyber WooSuper Geon
The roster stands at just three. It’s a little disappointing, considering the original gave you double the choice. Hope you aren’t too attached to the likes of Poison Ghost, Beetlemania and Rocky…
THE BAD GUYS
Before you square off with King Famardy, you must first travel to six different parts of the world to romp and raid. At the end of each short level, there awaits a big and ugly monster for you to fight. Trust me, none of these guys will ever win a beauty contest! I like the cryptic touch of only being shown their silhouettes.
“BAR”-BARIC
There are a couple bars to pay attention to. Your own, the boss bar and your power bar. When your power bar is fully charged, you can unleash a vicious special attack.
As seen here, each boss gets progressively tougher and tougher. Some of the bars get so long that they can be a little bit intimidating!
CREATURE FEATURES
Trying to go #2…
Charge your power bar by holding L. You cannot move or attack when charging, so you leave yourself wide open to enemy attack. With two players, it’s a lot easier to have your buddy entertain the boss while you charge, or vice versa. On your own though, you better pick your spots. As the old saying goes, charge wisely.
Just like the first game, grappling is still the main point of attack. Toggle back and forth like a mad man all while cursing and hollering like a raving mad lunatic. Trust me, it’s a lot more fun that way. Unlike the first game, however, here it seems the victor of a grapple isn’t random but actually awarded to the one who toggles faster. Imagine that — what a concept…
New is the ability to block. By simply pressing R, you can thwart the opposition’s blows. It’s a welcomed feature and adds some strategy to the fold, particularly in the 2 player game.
Formerly a (mad) scientist, he transformed into Astro Guy during an experiment gone wrong (or right…) when the Monsters first appeared in 1996. The ambitious scientist was looking to discover a way to make the human body immune to radiation. Well shit, look at him now. Surviving the ruckus of the original war, Astro Guy evolved into Atomic Guy. He’s now stronger and faster than ever. Master of lightning, fireballs and fashion!
The Megaton Thunder is my personal favorite
Electrocute them like there’s no tomorrow!
Suplex City, Bitch
SUPER GEON
Height: 367 feet tall Weight: 132,000 tons Advantage: Power
Ahh, everyone’s favorite Godzilla knockoff, or at least, mine anyhow. Super Geon doesn’t move as fast as the others but his immense strength more than makes up for his lack of speed. Equipped with sharp spikes, fangs, claws and one very nasty disposition, Super Geon is ready to tear down any obstacle in his way. Looking more like FIN FANG FOOM here than Godzilla, this dragon beast makes the earth quiver with one of his mighty Earthquake leaps.
The Geo Sword is pretty wildBut nothing can compare to a little summer BBQ
Woo underwent the most drastic transformation of all the monsters. An overgrown gorilla in the first game, he is now a lean, mean, fighting machine. No one knows for sure how he came to be in this state, but rumor has it he was assembled by the government as a top secret weapon. Some say the original Woo is dead and that this is something new altogether. Whatever IT is, the very hope of mankind may very well lie in Cyber Woo’s cold, steel hands!
He has the best balance of power and speed
Launching missiles into their ugly faces? Sign me up!
Love the simplicity of the Ray GunHuge Frogger: OH SHITCyber Woo: Eat your heart out, MEGATRON!
ALIEN BOSSES AND STAGES
HUGE FROGGER|American City
The entry soldier of King Famardy’s line of defense. Huge Frogger looks like a nasty bugger that might give you fits, but he’s a bit of a wimp. Don’t overlook him though. He can still be slightly formidable thanks to his abilities. These include teleportation, laser beams and razor sharp elbow horns. He’s also got humongous feet and he’s more than happy to use them to smash your face in! He’s far too cocky for his own good, though. Occasionally, he’ll stop to just laugh at you. Be sure to make him regret that foolish decision! After you see his face, you’ll understand why he hides it behind that huge mask.
Good pep talkExcuse me, are we in Green Bay?
Apparently, Huge Frogger isn’t a huge fan of Brett Favre. He appears for a brief skirmish. However, the wimp will eventually teleport and meet you again at level’s end.
Weirdest name for an enemy I’ve seen in a while!WATCHING MEEEE… AND I HAVE NO PRIVACY!
Y’kno what they say about big feet…A face only a blind mother could loveNo frog legs for me EIFFLELYTE | French City
Great original city names so far, eh? This guy is quite a piece of work. His face is a disgusting tissue-y mass that has a parasitic alien brain sucking on it. He’s gifted with freaky strength. He’ll lift you high and pound you into the ground several times over before you can scream GODZELLER. Thanks to his ability of being able to stretch his limbs, he can strike from almost any distance. Once defeated, his blob-like brain will detach from the body for a desperate final battle!
YOU AGAIN!Someone didn’t learn from last time…Godzilla 1985 AKA Return of GodzillaGotta love the Super X cloneKing of the Monsters 2 brings you right back!Godzilla: Don’t even try it, palWe all know how this turns out…And I thought Gen-An was ugly!
[It was Steve. Yup, totally Steve. All Steve -Ed.]
Gotta love the Eiffel Tower in the back thereLove the cheesiness of this gameHe’s the Dhalsim of monstersWhat a freaky abomination
Dhalsim but with the strength of Zangief… on steroids!
I don’t even want to imagine the smellSuper Geon, YOU FREAK!Damn, I guess we’re all just freaks in the end
It ain’t over yet…*shivers*CLAWHEAD | Grand Canyon
Bogun. Freaking Bogun from Ultraman. That’s the first thought I had when I saw Clawhead. What a grotesque creature. Hands for feet, creepy eyes tucked inside the mouth (which is bizarrely placed at the bottom), a pair of killer horns and two faces that could give Freddy Krueger nightmres! This two-headed menace guards the Grand Canyon with malice. What exactly is lurking in that hideous mouth beyond those eyes? Pray that you won’t have to find out…
Uncanny resemblance…This excellent artwork comes from Hawanja
Shake it looseNow you can chuck it
LINCOLN HATERS!
So this stage is called Grand Canyon, but Mount Rushmore is in South Dakota. Last I checked, I’m pretty sure the Grand Canyon is still located in Arizona. WTF were y’all doing, SNK? Or rather, what were y’all smoking…
THIS IS FOR LINCOLN!“GET OVER HERE!”Someone’s been hitting the gym
It’s really not TOO far off…BEETLE MASTER | Desert
Let’s see… American City, French City… yup, by stage four they clearly said “f*ck it.” That’s why we now come to… DESERT. Remember the messenger from earlier? The brain that spewed all those threatening messages but then always scurried away? It now takes a stand. And to help it take that stand, it employs the hideous body of one, Beetle Master. Krang from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles would like a word with you, good sir. Oh, and whatever you do, DON’T say his name at night three times. Or else he’ll appear out of thin air to eat you whole. You’ve been warned…
Tap the A button madly to recover in timeOr else…I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore
This pic was made around the 2008 Olympics Oh yeah? Well, we shall see about that, Krang!
Screw Bacon! I’m the one that stuck around!Just when you thought it was safe to go to the desertYou gonna kiss me or fight me, huh?
Beetle’s got some tricksTalk about using your headAlways makes me winceWhat goes down…… must come back up
[Uh, I don’t think that’s how it goes -Ed.]
Shades of Hwa JaiFatal Fury (SNK, 1991)Fighting until the bitter endSACK EYES | Sea Bed
While none of the monsters will be winning any sort of beauty contest, Sack Eyes truly takes the cake. He is one repulsive bastard. He’s also tougher than a two dollar steak. If his looks don’t kill you, his deadly repertoire will. His squalid face is the stuff nightmares are made of, and that throbbing red blob-like substance around his neck is every bit as dangerous as it is unnerving…
Um, pal…CheckmateI hope Super Geon can swim like Michael Phelps!Rip the base apart to find goodiesHmmm, I wonder what’s under that rock…What a shockerOUCH! No more baby Geons…Nope, never seen this beforeOh yeah, Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (Toho, 1995)King of the Monsters 2 came out in 1992, mind youLAVICUS | Lava Zone
Meet King Famardy’s right-hand man, er, monster. Lavicus is tougher than nails. As the last line of defense, anything less would be disappointing. He’s not so bad with two players. But by your lonesome? Good luck. Just how tough is he? There is NOstage. You just fight him right away. The developers must have thought, “Why delay the inevitable ass-whupping? Let’s just feed them to Lavicus.” Best to get it over with, then.
Lavicus’ Lava Zone is rather lovely. It’s simple but therein lies its wicked effectiveness. The lava flows as the monsters duke it out. Jump up on the hill if that’s your thing, or settle the score right there in the bright scorching molten lava.
More great art from Hawanja
The fire hurts but not the lava. Only in video games!KING FAMARDY | Hide-Out
Congrats! You’ve made it to the last stage. Fatter than Santa but not nearly as jolly, King Famardy is a sight for sore eyes. He moves a lot faster than one might anticipate, and he comes equipped with a host of tools from which he can use to decimate you. Kill him and the world is yours to rule as King of the Monsters.
[What, no dig at Beijing this time? -Ed.]Famardy after this? HA! You wish, sonAW CRAP…DON’T TELL ME…THIS IS A…GAWD DAMN…MOTHER F*CKING…GAUNTLET! GAAAH!!Thank goodness for small favors
Thankfully, in-between each victory you’re given a supply of power-ups and such. Little L’s are for small health gain, large L’s for moderate health gain, P’s for leveling up, and if you’re lucky enough, the odd 1-UP will crop up here and there. However, one small catch. There’s only enough time to grab two, so pick the best ones. With two players, each player nabs two.
Here comes the kingWhat great detail on the back there
If you thought his front side was fugly, you ought to see his back side! I love the intricate details here, especially the scales. Check out the feet protruding from Famardy’s back. That should warrant a visit to his local alien doctor, one would think.
Someone could use a Tic-TacAw, is the “king” scared of a little, wittle roar?He got hit with the ugly stick long before thisGet a room, you two!Actually, this doesn’t look all that consensual…If this happens, it’s nighty night
They look like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade!
If successful, you’re blown sky high
THE BAD ENDING
On the other hand, IF you lose…
[Shoot, imagine if Trump is ever President. Oh… -Ed.]
GAME OVER, MAN!
It’s a gooey mess when you die
THE GOOD ENDING
First, if you’re browsing this on a desktop or laptop, click on the music video and follow along with the text-embedded pictures below.
It’s always times like these When I think of you And I wonder If you ever Think of meeee Cause everything’s so wrong And I don’t belon –
Um, ahem. The real ending, then…
Still waiting on King of the Monsters 3
TWO TIMES THE FUN
R.I.P.
While I still miss the tornado tag team feature from the first game, I have to say it’s still a blast to team up with a buddy to take out the computer alien bosses one at a time. It’s a 2-on-1 handicap match essentially, and I cannot think of another SNES game that operates like such. Even beat ‘em up bosses tend to throw lesser henchmen at you, while this is strictly a 2-on-1 affair. It really makes playing King of the Monsters 2 unlike any other SNES experience.
It’s all about that 2 player mode
Playing with a buddy also lends a certain strategy you don’t get when playing alone. It’s a short game but it’s pretty damn fun with two while it lasts. My favorite strategy is charging my power bar and then having my friend block while I attack from behind with my charged up special move. All is fair in love and war! Too bad though there isn’t an option for you and a friend to take on two alien bosses at a time. The three options are: 1P vs. CPU, 1P and 2P vs. CPU or the ho-hum 1P vs. 2P mode, where it’s just you and a buddy trying to win 3 out of 5. Unfortunately, you can’t control the alien boss monsters in this mode, which was a wasted opportunity.
Show ‘em who’s boss!
GENESIS VERSION
A completely different change in gameplay!
The Sega Genesis version of King of the Monsters 2 is radically different from the SNES version. While the SNES port mimics the arcade game, the Genesis version opted to go the Street Fighter II route. It is strictly a 1-on-1 fighting game, but instead of a single plane, players are allowed to use the entire screen. It’s actually what I envisioned my own childhood game, MONSTER FIGHTER, to be back in the early ’90s. A blend of King of the Monsters meets Street Fighter II. The Genesis version received pretty solid reviews. Some people liked the fact that it cut out the side-scrolling beat ‘em up sections and got straight down to the action. If nothing else, it’s an interesting footnote in the history of the King of the Monsters series.
Best of all, you can use the bad guys
CAN I GET SOME CHEESE, PLEASE?
The ad was SO cheesy
GET YOUR KEY CHAINS!
I remember doing this and getting my free King of the Monsters 2 key chain back in the day. Too bad I lost it. But yeah, these freebie give away prizes Takara used to do back in the ’90s was awesome.
WHO IS THE ROBOT MONKEY?
Throughout the annals of history, there have been some great philosophical questions posed.
“What came first: the chicken or the egg?”
“To BE, or NOT to be?”
“How much wood can a woodchuck chuck…
if a woodchuck could chuck wood?”
And then, on July 7, 2008, a five year old student of mine asked me one of life’s greatest questions:
But let me back up the DeLorean a bit here. In college I studied to become a teacher, with a minor in Theatre Arts. Wherever I could, I implemented drama into my presentations and public speeches. I was in a Humanities class in 2006 and after one of my dramatic presentations this is what my professor wrote on our class’ online message board:
I didn’t know about print screen back then
In the summer of 2008, I found myself teaching a public speaking camp to a group of five and six years old. On my first day of class, I began by introducing myself and asking my students to share some basic info about themselves. I’ll never forget these two twin boys. They were five and when their turn to speak came, they said they loved video games.
“And what is your favorite game?” I asked.
“KING OF THE MONSTERS!”
I almost fell over. The next day was Show and Tell. Guess what the twin boys brought to the party?
HOLY SHIT (yes, this is the actual shot from 2008)
During break time, they were telling me all about their favorite monsters from the game. One of the twins was describing Cyber Woo to me and at one point he stopped. “Mr. Steve, who is the robot monkey?” I couldn’t help but laugh as I answered his thought-provoking question. Damn, it’s hard to believe it’s almost been 10 years since I taught that summer camp. Jeez, those twins are now 14 and in high school! I feel old now.
You could say I was shocked
Later that day, I asked one of the twins who his least favorite monster was. He said Atomic Guy because “he’s weak and this little kick is all he can do.” Then the kid actually replicated the kick to a tee right in front of me, TWICE. It scared me how flawless his form was! It just goes to show you how genuine and real their passion for King of the Monsters 2 was. They restored my faith in humanity!
He demonstrated the weak kick on cue
WHAT THE CRITICS SAID
The SNES translation didn’t win any awards or anything, but critics agreed it was a great port considering the hardware limitations of the 16-bit SNES compared to the mega arcade power that was the Neo Geo. EGM gave it scores of 7, 7, 7and 8. Super Play rated it 74%. It’s definitely one of the better arcade to SNES translations ever made.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
That Saturday June afternoon of 1994 saw a dream of mine realized when I finally got to play King of the Monsters 2. I’m not quite sure if I liked it more than the first one but I know I had a blast playing it with my best friend, Nelson. And that’s what video games are all about. King of the Monsters 2 is filled to the brim with bright and bold colors. At times it is a visual feast. One look at the game and you know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it’s a Super Nintendo game circa 1994. The monsters animate well, look terrifying and the special moves are a treat to behold. Atomic Guy’s Megaton Thunder, for instance, really lights up the screen. The giant monsters are intricately detailed as are the stages you wreck. It is this believability of the behemoths that makes the game work and also makes it fun.
Of course, there’s more to a good game than great visuals. As for the sound, King of the Monsters 2 has some solid rocking tunes which really help add to the whole B-Movie feel of the game. Sound effects are a bit hit and miss, though. Some are out of place or oddly missing altogether. Where’s the sound when my guy is crushing small buildings? What’s up with the fact that jumping on water sounds the same as when I’m jumping on the ground? So with the good comes some bad.
As for the gameplay, it’s a lot more sound than the original. This time, it really feels like the person who toggles the D-Pad faster actually wins. I do miss the tornado tag team mode, but I welcome the ability to block as well as the mode where you and a buddy tackle the alien bosses one at a time. Having only three monsters to select from is kind of lame, but on the bright side, unlike the original, their grapple moves are exclusively theirs. Only Atomic Guy can perform a front suplex while Super Geon makes good use of the spikes on his back like only he can. He heaves his foe five hundred feet in the air before the poor victim comes crashing down on a bed of nails. Ouch! Or Atomic Guy shocking the shit out of fools.
More beautiful artwork by Hawanja
I also like how you have to march through each unique stage before fighting the boss. These little beat ‘em up sections range from cities to Grand Canyons to even an underwater sea bed where a mutated aqua slug resides. The stages are kept short too because the main focus here of course is on the seven boss monsters. The minor enemies you deal with as you romp through each level present minimal threat, but it’s still a blast to strike down foul land sharks, wretched one-eyed freekazoids and what have you. And of course, along the way there are various power-ups as well as bad ones, like the BOMB icon (to keep you on your toes), the Power Down icon, and the Roulette where you’re taking a chance with whatever icon the game decides to give you.
Let the wild rumpus start!
No one will ever mistake King of the Monsters 2 as one of Super Nintendo’s very best, but it serves its niche well as a creature feature. SNES fans got the shaft with the original but here is a bit of redemption. Yeah, the game is incredibly short, and there’s only a scant three monsters from which to use, but man is it fun playing with a like-minded friend. It’s hard to believe it’s now been 23 summers since that fateful June day that Nelson and I shitted our pants seeing the import version of this game sitting high and pretty on the top shelf over at Game Hunter. The exuberance surging through our ten year old bodies and the sheer thrill of finding this unexpected gem before us was the perfect way to kick off one of the last great summers of my childhood. I guess I’ll always remember King of the Monsters 2 most of all for that innocent summer day in June of 1994. I’m also happy to say that it’s a pretty solid little 2 player romp. If you love your wanton monster mayhem, then don’t miss out on King of the Monsters 2.
Today marks the first day of August. Can you believe we’re already more than halfway through 2017? Time seems to fly the older you get. Speaking of time, I remember a time when fighting games ruled the scene. Some like to refer to that period as “The Fighting Game Golden Age.” Capcom’s Street Fighter II took the nation by storm in 1991 and a slew of copycats came out of the woodwork in the next several years to come. Everyone was kung fu fighting and seemingly every company wanted a piece of the pie. Hell, even Konami had their own representatives (Martial Champion and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters). Data East joined the fray with their release of Fighter’s History in March of 1993. And it turned out to be one of the most infamous Street Fighter II clones of all time. Capcom even tried to sue Data East for copyright infringement. But more on that later. When I think of Fighter’s History, what I remember most was that very special time in my life. Being that today is the first of August, that means it’s been 23 years since Fighter’s History came home on the SNES. Damn, were the ’90s a special time…
A GOLDEN AGE
What a time to be alive
I caught the fighting game boom at just the right time, having been born in 1983. By the time the early ’90s rolled around and leading up to the mid ’90s, I was old enough to appreciate it yet still young enough to take it all in with a sense of wonder that only comes with being seven to 11 years old.
Remember when arcades were THE place to be?
The arcade scene was on fire in 1993, the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis waged war for 16-bit supremacy, and I was just a carefree kid enjoying the tail end of my childhood. Duties included going to school everyday, getting good grades, watching Saturday morning cartoons, and of course, playing a crap load of video games.
Power Instinct (Atlus, 1993)
In my book, 1993 (along with ’94) marked the peak of the 2D fighting game in terms of clones appearing left and right. It seemed as if a new fighting game popped up every other week in those days. From Atlus’ Power Instinct to Konami’s Martial Champion, every company and their brothers, or so it seemed, threw their name into the mix hoping to strike the next big thing. Of course, like any other genre, not all of these clones were great. And very few could even sniff the jock of Street Fighter II, much less its enhanced sequels. Still, some served as amusing diversions.
Martial Champion (Konami, 1993)
But not everyone was happy about it. Although a lot of people loved fighting games in those days, not everyone was a fan. To these folks it was hardly a golden age. The market became saturated seemingly overnight. From arcades to game stores to magazine covers — you name it — a fighting game was probably there. Luckily for me, it was my favorite genre. I greeted every new fighting game with arms wide open. And I’ll never forget that day I first came across Fighter’s History…
CYBERSTATIONwas my jam back in the early-mid ’90s
If you were lucky like I was, then growing up you had a close-knit gaming group. I had my best friend Nelson and all, but then I had my boys — an out of town group of family friends whom I grew up playing games with. We had sleepovers every month back in the late ’80s to mid ’90s. One Saturday in early 1993, we made our usual trek to the local mall and headed straight for the arcade hall on the upstairs wing. I’ll never forget that place, CYBERSTATION.
The moment I saw this it was hook, line and sinker
A brand new cab caught my eye with its colorful and cheesy art work proudly adorning all sides of the machine. It was love at first sight you could say. Like a moth to a flame, I dashed to the game, fumbled around in my pocket, fished out a quarter and plopped it in. The rest is (Fighter’s) history!
Wait, is that Karnov?! Yes, it is
Looking up at the colorful marquee, I saw what resembled Guile on crack, Ken and He-Man’s love child, Zangief’s second cousin (neverminding the fact that Data East’s version is Italian) and wait, was that? Yes! The fat bald Russian himself, Karnov! My uncle bought Karnov for me on the NES back in the late ’80s and I loved it.
Karnov (Data East, 1988)
I was instantly sold. I selected discount Guile (Matlok) and never looked back. The ONLY thing I could think about the rest of that day was… not IF but WHEN would Fighter’s History come home to the Super Nintendo…
EGM MADNESS
EGM’s annual April Fools edition (issue #57, April ’94)
Roughly a year later, my prayers were answered. In March 1994, EGM’s issue #57 arrived in the mail, featuring Fighter’s History on the cover. I was so excited as I knew that had to be referring to an impending SNES release. The moment I had been waiting an entire year for! I flipped through the magazine excitedly hoping for a blow-out two page preview or something. But all I got was a half page preview of the import version with a few grainy shots. But I didn’t care — I was too happy to finally receive confirmation of a home release.
Like seeing a big box under the Christmas tree!
EGM issue #58 came in the mail the very next month. Back in the day this was TRULYlike seeing a gift with your name on it tucked under the Christmas tree. We had no internet back then so EGM (and other magazines like GameFan) were our major source for gaming news and upcoming releases. It was a magical time of seeing so many games that you knew you could never all play but wanted to anyway. Yup, there was nothing quite like seeing the latest EGM issue wrapped all pretty and ready to go sitting in your mailbox after a long day at school!
Another Fighter’s History tease! Be still my heart…
I’ll never forget grabbing the issue like it were a drop of water in the Sahara Desert and making a beeline straight for my bedroom. Before tearing the wrapper, I took a moment to gawk at the front cover. The fighting game rage carried into 1994 without blinking an eye and EGM was there every step of the way. What a gorgeous cover! Super Street Fighter II Turbo, Mortal Kombat II… whoa wait a second. Fighter’s History?! YES! The month prior saw a half-page preview so I was expecting a BLOW-OUT special. It turned out to be an AMAZINGtwo page mini-feature with a blurb that the SNES port would be coming out later that summer. I was so hyped that I admired and reread those two pages until my brother came home about 10 minutes later. I didn’t even bother to glance over the rest of the magazine! It was only a matter of three or four months now…
I was in heaven studying this page for 10 minutesFighter’s History held its own against the big boys!What a glorious day that Saturday in June of 1994
The North American version was set for an August 1994 release, but as Lady Luck would have it, my best friend Nelson and I came across the import Super Famicom version one fateful Saturday in June. I’ve told this story many times already so feel free to check out The Summer of Imports for more details. But yes, I would be remiss if I didn’t include a blurb about that awesome experience in this Fighter’s History review. Nelson rented Fighter’s History and I rented King of the Monsters 2. These games weren’t out in America yet and needless to say, it was one epic weekend for the ages.
Leaving the gym after a strenuous workout, you spot a towering and sharply dressed man stepping out of a nearby parked luxury Sedan. His stoic expression and formal attire conveys that he is all business. You brace yourself as he lurches up to you, handing you a small sealed envelope. His only words as you grasp the note, “For you.” Then the mysterious man left as quickly as he came. The tires screeched as he peeled out of town as fast as a bat in hell.
There’s a strange scent to the envelope — incense? Your name is scrawled on the outside. Inside, you discover an invitation…
Who is this mysterious K person? What are these so-called untold treasures? There’s only one way to find out for sure…
THE FIGHTERS
That’s not Ken and Ryu…
Fighter’s History featured an odd nine characters. Back in ’93, most fighting games opened with eight fighters. I always found it cool how Data East “sneaked in” one extra fighter. The cast had its share of “serious” fighters and more wacky looking ones. The roster instantly appealed to me.
A boss code ups the count to 11
It was all the rage back in the day for home ports to include a boss code. Most arcade fighting games didn’t let you control the bosses back in the early-mid ’90s but many home ports did. It was one of the cool things that made these home ports so memorable.
OMG, 20 fighters! Not really…
The 2 Player mode displays 20 portraits. This always cracked me up as a kid. It was a fun visual, giving you a sense of what a fighting game would look like if you could pick from 20 characters back in 1994. It was just another one of many quirks that inhabited Fighter’s History.
Let’s meet the wacky cast
MIZOGUCHI 27 years old
6’2″ 209 lbs
A survivor on the streets of Tokyo for years, Mizoguchi learned the importance of self-defense after being beaten by the Yakuza as a youth. Ever since that life-changing day, he has been rigorously training to ensure that it never happens again. What started out as a means for mere survival slowly morphed into a thirst for painful vengeance. Finally, that vengeance evolved into honing his incredibly disciplined and unadulterated power. The Yakuza, having seen one too many Taken and John Wick movies, now stay the f*ck away from him.
Mizoguchi fine tunes his body, mind and spirit on this bridge of tranquility. A peaceful (yet raging) waterfall flows on both sides of the stage. Tassels flap as a cool breeze passes through. The sun is just breaking over the horizon as Mizoguchi continues his quest to be the very best.
Mizoguchi is the resident Ryu. Except he doesn’t have a traditional Dragon Punch. Instead, he charges with his elbow. His Hurricane Kick variant can connect multiple times, dishing out tremendous damage. Love the way you can break objects in the background! A nod to Street Fighter II, for sure. Mizoguchi channels the power of the tiger spirit to unleash his infamous Tiger Bazooka. Word on the street is… he wiped out five Yakuza members with a single Tiger Bazooka blow. Ever since then, the Yakuza have spoke only in hushed tones whenever talking about him. He’s become something of a “boogeyman” to them…
RAY 26 years old 6’1″ 198 lbs
Ray began studying martial arts as a young boy after being inspired by his childhood hero, the legendary Chuck Norris. When Ray was five, he witnessed his idol’s crushing on-screen defeat at the hands of the iconic Bruce Lee in Way of the Dragon (1972). Ever since then, Ray has vowed to one day become the greatest martial artist the world has ever seen. He’s now considered as one of the best fighters at just 26 years old and spends his days traveling the globe in search of true competition. Ray entered this mysterious tournament after hearing the rumors about an unstoppable boogeyman that supposedly even the Yakuza fears…
Ever the patriotic lad, Ray McDougal likes to entertain the Commander in Chief by showing off his skills in front of the iconic White House in Washington, D.C.
Looks like Ken but plays like Terry Bogard. Ray’s Big Tornado is infamous for sounding more like “BAKED POTATO!” His Wheel Kick is a decent anti-air attack and his Dynamite Tackle makes good use out of Ray’s high school varsity football background.
Speaking of background, it’s fun breaking the trash can
Wrestling legend Jake “The Snake” Roberts would be proud. A multi-sport athlete in high school, Ray shows off his wrestling chops with this deadly mid-air DDT.
“Oh shit I think I killed him…”
FEI-LIN 28 years old
5’7″ ??? lbs
Adored by her fans in Asia and renowned the world over for her fighting prowess, Fei-Lin is the top actress in a Beijing traveling show. It’s a wonder how she manages to juggle the two worlds so well. It’s one thing to be good at both simultaneously but it’s another thing to be GREAT. After winning the tournament, she plans to tape her very own reality show “I LOVE BEIJING” (Beijing being her stage name). After all, we all know what a success “I Love New York” turned out to be. Ahem. What a talent and what a classy (albeit dramatic) lady, that Fei-Lin.
Fei-Lin proudly shows off her heritage. Sitting in the back there is the kid star from Martin Scorsese’s KUNDUN. Fei-Lin attracts all the stars. Rumor has it Jack Nicholson and Spike Lee are both sitting just off camera.
Beware her Mantis Claw, which can also be executed in mid-air. What happens when you combine Ryu’s Dragon Punch with Guile’s Flash Kick? You get Fei-Lin’s Double Swan. I love the detail of the dragon statue being breakable. Fun fact: the dragon is known as a “Foo Dog” in Chinese mythology.
RYOKO 16 years old 5’2″ 123 lbs
The smallest and youngest competitor in the tournament, Ryoko is a Judo prodigy not to be taken lightly. She’s been known to throw men four times her size! A chippy firecracker, her grandfather (a Judo champion in his heyday) began teaching her the tricks of the trade since she was just three years old. As a result of his diligent teaching and her incredible propensity to soak up knowledge like a sponge, Ryoko has achieved master status of all things Judo. She joined the tournament to be an inspiration to little girls all over the globe and to show that the ladies can do it just as well as the boys, if not better.
This is where Ryoko trains 24/7. A young boy and an old woman can be seen sweeping and cleaning in the background. Occasionally, a mischievous cat scurries about.
Jumping against Ryoko is ill-advised…
Staying grounded doesn’t provide much safe harbor, either. Pick your poison! Ryoko is rather animated with her silly cute gestures and all.
Rolling attack into her big Mountain Storm slam is incredibly damaging. Breaking the statue only adds insult to injury.
JEAN 23 years old
6’0″ 209 lbs
A French gymnast, Jean possesses fantastic flexibility. For some unknown reason, he seems borderline obsessed with roses. In fact, he even moonlights as a proud florist during his down time. Because of his gymnastic background and penchant for roses, many haters have called him SISSY BOY. They laughed… until he broke their jaws. When it comes down to it, Jean knows how to get the job done and proves that you should never judge a book by its cover. By the way, if you’re thinking he looks like a French version of Guile, you’re not alone. That was exactly my first thought when I first saw Jean back in 1993. He’s nowhere as cool, though. But hey, who is?
The tables have been cleared, transforming this elegant dining hall into a vicious battle field.
Normally, a rose is a romantic symbol. It’s associated with love, peace and forgiveness. But for Jean, he uses the rose to inflict pain. His Needle Shower can pepper the opposition and he’s agile enough to move forward while executing the move.
Hmm, where have I seen this before?… oh yeah
Have you NO shame, Data East?!
SAMCHAY 21 years old 6’3″ 168 lbs
There is only one thing Samchay loves more than the spirit of competition: his two younger brothers and little sister. Samchay’s parents are no longer in the picture so he’s been forced to take care of his three younger siblings. He’ll do anything to take care of them. A Muay Thai expert, he’s entered the tournament in hopes of not only proving that he’s the best, but also to win the “untold treasures” to ensure a future of endless possibilities for his siblings. What a guy. As for his parents, rumors swirl about where they could be or what happened to them. One thing is for sure, it must not be good. Samchay declines to comment and instead focuses only on what lies ahead.
There’s just something beautiful about the simplicity of this stage. It’s exactly what I imagine a fighting game background to look like. Samchay’s supporters cheer him on from a safe distance in this quaint Thailand village. It’s standing room only up on that bridge!
Samchay has one of the fastest fireballs as well as one of the best recovery times. His lunging knee can connect up to two times, and his Tiger Knee, I mean, Ti Kau Koon, works well as either an anti-air deterrent or a combo capper.
LEE 29 years old
5’9″ 165 lbs
Lee comes from a long family line of world renowned martial artists. He admired his father growing up and often compared himself to his dad. He put a lot of undue pressure on himself to live up to even half of his dad’s legacy. Unfortunately, Lee’s father was killed by a mysterious opponent. After hearing word that this killer is responsible for the tournament, Lee entered it in hopes of avenging his dad’s death at long last. But before Lee can make it to this mysterious organizer, he’s going to have to beat nine other skilled warriors. He believes he’s up to the task.
So peaceful and serene. This is one of my favorite stages of all time. A fisherman can be seen in the background dipping his line lazily in the water. The clouds high above float through the moss-covered hills in the distance. And those damn ducks — you can’t help but love them.
Along the lines of Ray’s “BAKED POTATO!”, Lee sounds like he’s screaming “SHE AIN’T GON DIE!” Ah, Fighter’s History, you’re such a silly game. Lee’s Silk Worm Kick knocks opponents out of the air and his Piercing Dagger sees him lunging with all of his chi focused on his fist.
Nothing like palm striking them through the sign!
MARSTORIUS 45 years old 6’8″ 331 lbs
Father Time is undefeated. It happens to all the greats. Willie Mays. Michael Jordan. Joe Montana. Every star athlete hits a point where their best days are behind them and they must call it a career. Marstorius isn’t quite ready for that moment just yet. A fading pro wrestling icon, Marstorius wants to bask in the spotlight one more time. There’s no better platform to showcase he’s still got it than in this great tournament. He is the strongest fighter in the competition but also the oldest and slowest. He’s got a tough road ahead but his dreaded Double German is the most powerful move in the entire tournament. He hopes it’ll be enough to take him to the top one last time…
Another favorite of mine, this stage is as serene as it is majestic. Striking statues dot the backdrop and a quaint water fountain flows peacefully as combatants duel to the death.
Based off the Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy, I’ve always loved it when fighting games base some of their backgrounds off real life landmarks. Another example that comes to mind is Fei Long’s Tiger Balm Garden of Hong Kong fame in Super Street Fighter II.
Despite his larger size and older age, Marstorius still has enough spring in his step to deliver two quick striking attacks: the Mule Kick and the Tiger Punch. He can also deliver an impressive Moonsault Press. Not bad for a 45 year old, eh?
“DOUBLE GERMAN!” He hopes this devastating maneuver will punch his ticket to the Promise Land.
And who says pro wrestling is fake?
MATLOK 26 years old 5’8″ 132 lbs
The man, the myth, the legend. Matlok was the first character I chose on that fateful Saturday back in ’93 when I first encountered Fighter’s History. He reminded me of a cross between Guile (Street Fighter II) and Duck King (Fatal Fury). Sold! Based off the Sex Pistols’ bass guitarist, Glen Matlock, Matlok is an aspiring rock star. But in order for him to rock out, first he must simply knock out. His unorthodox offense and unusual body movements are done purposefully in an attempt to throw off his opponent. Matlok hopes to win it all because there is supposedly a legendary bass that will play any song in the world hidden in the treasure vault.
I love that Matlok fights in the streets. A police officer tries to stop the carnage by blowing his whistle. A punk cheers on the mayhem while a man quietly walks his dog for a mid-afternoon stroll. A mom and pop book shop can be seen in the background overlooking the fighters.
Matlok’s Spinning Wave to me is a classic projectile. I remember thinking how it was almost as cool as Guile’s famed Sonic Boom. His Overhead Kick is a weird looking version of Guile’s Flash Kick. Even weirder is his Hurricane Kick, which might be the world’s worst anti-air attack. You’re better off using his crouching Fierce. Trust me on that one.
CLOWN 32 years old 5’9″ 141 lbs
Clown is the sub boss you’ll fight before taking on the almighty Karnov. You can knock off his mask (it’s his weak point) but be forewarned… his face is the stuff nightmares are made of. Close your eyes and imagine for a moment the world’s ugliest looking dog. That’s what Clown looks like underneath his creepy mask. Clown, of course, believes he’s beautiful. Rumor has it he wears the suit and clown get-up 24/7. It’s a wonder how he’s not sitting in some nuthouse with four white walls yet! He’s also a narcissist and “ambiguously” homosexual. In the original Japanese version, it’s revealed that he prefers younger men. This was removed in North America.
Fighters are secretly transported to this bizarre dreamlike alternate universe that exists somewhere between Heaven and Hell. It’s all part of his strategy to psych you out before the battle even takes place.
Clown uses his acrobatic agility to pounce on unsuspecting opponents. You know how every Tarot deck of cards has that one “death” card? That’s the only kind Clown dishes out as he screams, “PICK A CARD!” His Spin Attack can go horizontal or vertical. Shades of Blanka, except Blanka is easier on the eyes!
Clowns juggle. It’s just what they do. Clown, however, prefers to juggle the human body. A real sick bastard, that Clown.
KARNOV 49 years old 5’6″ 216 lbs
The mysterious K himself… the mighty Karnov! Karnov appeared in several other Data East games before Fighter’s History. In fact, he had his very own arcade game that was later translated to the NES in early 1988. The fire-breathing, ass-kicking Russian has gained great power and many collectible items throughout his travels. Bored, he set up this tournament to seek the strongest of the strong, offering his prized treasures as a gift to the ultimate winner. However, it won’t be easy. Though he may be pushing 50, Karnov is a formidable fighter and will burn you before you can say “BAKED POTATO!”
They say a desert drives a man insane. If it doesn’t, then Karnov is sure to beat you senseless.
Karnov has never once skipped Leg Day, and it shows with his 100 Kick. A master of conjuring fire, he can burn you to a crisp three different ways. The fiery animation is decent and reminds me of Street Fighter II.
Remember this?Good memoriesThere was even a Tiger handheld!I got this instead, though. D’oh!
ENDINGS
Some of the endings were forgettable but others were so bizarre that I gotta share… (some of which may have been handled with “liberties” taken… ahem)
RAY
Why can’t we be friends?
MIZOGUCHI
“You know, from BLOODY Akira!”
MATLOK
SAMCHAY
“It is I, your older brother! Ah, forget it…”
RYOKO
Fighter’s History came out in the arcades March 1993. World Heroes 2 April 1993. Separated by only one month, it turned out both companies created a fighter based off Ryoko Tani. What a coincidence, huh?
FEI-LIN
Hit so many times she thought she was Chun-Li…
LEE
Oi, what an embarrassing misunderstanding!
THAT HITS THE MARK
Each fighter has a different weak spot (either a garment or accessory). When hit multiple times, said article will fly off and induce a state of dizziness.
Clown: Mask Jean: Leg strap Lee: Knee pads Karnov: Turban Ryoko: Headband Matlok: Sunglasses Fei-Lin: Breast plate Mizoguchi: Headband Samchay: Arm tassels Ray: Lightning symbol Marstorius: Leg warmers
[Damnit… -Ed.]
ANOTHER DISTINCTION?
You forgot me! [Yeah, there’s a reason why I did.. -Ed.]
BE YOUR OWN BOSS
COLOR ME BADD
Each character has four different colorsNice home bonus, Data East
RANDOM SHOTS
Jean didn’t know Marstorius was into flashingBig! Beefy!Can’t help it…Here’s my personal invitation!Uhhh…
[What is this, PornHub?! -Ed.]
Actually, almost 30 years now!
[F*cking called it -Ed.][I stand corrected -Ed.]
YAKETY YAK! DON’T TALK BACK
HE WHO LAUGHS LAST…
A MACHO MAN!
ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVES
Hey, this pic was made back in 2008, ya dig?
ROLL CALL
Wow, I was a terrible artist as a kid
CAPCOM SUES DATA EAST
Hmmm…I barely see the resemblance… *cough* O_o
There was a page long Letter of the Month updating the latest on the Capcom vs. Data East lawsuit featured in EGM issue #58 (May 1994). The best part of all this?
Well played. Indeed, Capcom ultimately lost the case
WHAT THE CRITICS SAID
Did it score the big victory?
Fighter’s History fared pretty well with the critics. EGM gave it ratings of 6, 6, 7and 8. GameFan gave it scores of 80, 82 and 84%. Super Play rated it 85% and thought rather highly of the game. They were especially tough on fighting games so it impressed them well enough to earn such a good mark. Fighter’s History was complimented for its smooth control and exclusive home bonus features (four colors, an elimination mode, playable bosses and even a speed option). I personally think it’s one of the more faithful arcade to SNES translations ever made. It’s really underrated and never got the credit it deserved. Probably has a lot to do with it coming a month after Super Street Fighter II. Talk about piss poor timing. But yeah, you can’t fault Data East here. They did a tremendous job porting the arcade game into a 20 MEG Super Nintendo cart.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
This pic hits me right in the feels. The nostalgia…
As far as arcade to home ports go, Fighter’s History is one of the best the SNES has ever seen. I was amazed by the faithfulness of this translation back in 1994, and even still to this day I am impressed with how much Data East was able to mimic the arcade original. Features such as four colors, a speed option, playable bosses and a group battle mode show that this wasn’t just a half-baked effort. They really went all in. While they received some props for it, I don’t think sadly that they ever got all the credit they deserved for it. Super Street Fighter II came out a month earlier and as a result Fighter’s History got lost in the mix somewhat. Some of my best gaming memories came from that scorching summer of 1994. Playing the import version at my best friend’s house and seeing Lee’s bucolic background, with those damn ducks and moss-covered hills, seared itself into my memory bank. I still bust out Fighter’s History to play every once in a while, and whenever I do and I see Lee’s stage, I’m instantly transported back to Nelson’s living room. It’s a hot June Saturday afternoon in 1994. And I’m just taken back to a more carefree time in my life. Fighter’s History is so incredibly nostalgic for me. It’s just one of those games that scream “CHILDHOOD” beyond anything else.
But nostalgia only goes so far. Thankfully, it still holds up incredibly well. It’s nothing fancy. Being a fighting game from early 1993 meant it came out before Super Special moves became a thing and double digit hit combos were all the rage. Instead, each fighter has three special moves (maybe four) and some simple chains and combos. It’s very basic but also very pure. There’s something “magical” about that. Basically, if you enjoy simplistic fighting games from the early ’90s then you’ll probably like this. Combos and special moves are easy to perform and it’s very straight forward. But there’s a charm to it, at least for me, that reminds me of a time when fighting games ruled the scene. A more perhaps idyllic time in my life when fighting games were all the rage and playing video games with your best friend stood center stage. I have a lot of history, pardon the pun, with Fighter’s History. To me it’s a reminder of the good old days. And I’m thankful that Data East knocked it out of the park with this outstanding conversion. Not much else to say except… “BAKED POTATO!”
Yesterday marked 25 years since the original World Heroes hit arcades worldwide. Released on July 28, 1992, World Heroes was one of the earliest Street Fighter II competitors on the scene. At best, it was viewed as an amusing alternative but ultimately fell way short of challenging Street Fighter II. Exactly 10 months later, ADK released World Heroes 2 on April 28, 1993. Six new fighters were added to the fray, boosting the roster count to a whopping 14! Keep in mind this was a good six months before Super Street Fighter II came along with its massive lineup of 16 fighters. World Heroes 2 was a huge improvement on the original game. I loved it in the arcades and started counting down the days until the inevitable Super Nintendo release…
25 YEARS OF WORLD HEROES
Was it really 25 summers ago that I poured hundreds of quarters into this silly little fighting game? Wow, 25 years. I became a fan from day one. While I loved and respected Street Fighter II, there was something about World Heroes that clicked and resonated with me. Maybe because it was an underdog, or maybe it was the cheese and violent dark humor. Whatever it was, the summer of ’92 was awesome. Lines for Street Fighter II: Champion Edition ran out the door, leaving me to enjoy World Heroes without any waiting or fanfare. My bro bought Street Fighter II for the SNES that same month. So I would play Street Fighter II at home and World Heroes at the arcade. What a freaking sweet summer. 25 years… damn.
Neo Geo Nook!
May 1993. It started out as just another innocent night. Accompanying my dad to the local Safeway grocery store, my old man would buy the goodies as I would be off in the corner playing on the one arcade machine they carried — a Neo Geo MVS. Throughout the early ’90s, that spot in the corner was mine. It was there that I played King of the Monsters, Super Baseball 2020, Sengoku and World Heroes more times than I can count. On that night I was hoping to get another solid 10-15 minutes in with World Heroes. With several quarters in my pocket courtesy of my generous pop, I was good to go. I strolled over to that infamous Neo Geo nook. Looked up at the panel where they display the four Neo Geo games, hoping to see World Heroes once again.
But there was no World Heroes.
My jaw dropped when I instead saw World Heroes 2. HOLY SHIT. At the time I had *NO* idea a sequel was even in the works. It totally caught me by surprise! Then I saw the demo. I had to once again pick up my jaw off from the floor.
The star of the first game, Hanzou, was surveying the new challengers. What a brilliant way to introduce the new cast to your audience. It seemed so larger than life that it absolutely freaking blew me away.
Dramatically, the scene would shift back and forth from a close-up of Hanzou’s grill staring down the new fighters and then switch back to the new cast as seen from Hanzou’s point of view.
The speed of the shifting began picking up as we scrolled through the new lineup of contenders. It ended by taking us to the WORLD HEROES 2title screen. It was the greatest intro I had ever seen up to that point. I was so hyped! The new fighters looked so cool, especially that voodoo man and the pirate. Even the small touch of those ominous clouds was awesome!
Nowadays that intro may seem a bit tame. But back in mid 1993, as a nine year old kid who had no idea a sequel was even in the works, this was a gawd damn work of art.
So many choices…
I remember hoping that my dad would never come back! I even watched the intro twice. Then I dug into my pocket to fish out a quarter. I was overwhelmed by the choice of 14 fighters, but ultimately went with Mudman. I always had a thing for outcasts and weird fighters so Mudman became my guy. I managed to get by Shura before getting my ass kicked by the evil pirate, Captain Kidd. I played until my dad called me over. He had to pry me away from the machine. It was like crack to a kid. I remember thinking two things as I was leaving Safeway that night… 1). I can’t wait to play more and 2). I can’t wait for that inevitable glorious SNES release!
Fast forward a year. It’s now mid 1994. One night I was at The Wherehouse with my dad to rent a game for my brother. As my dad was checking out the game, I thumbed through the new GameFan magazine they had sitting on the rack. Imagine my ecstasy when I saw the World Heroes 2 preview! I even let out a small cheer under my breath. My wish from one year ago is finally coming true. Soon, I’d be able to play World Heroes 2 from the comfort of my own living room
GameFan was the shit back in the day. Their layouts were legendary. Their World Heroes 2 preview made it look like such an elite game. I was thrilled to see their hype for the game. It was the opening preview in the Planet SNES section. Guess which game was second… Super Metroid! Everything about it blew me away. 1). It was finally coming out on the SNES. 2). It beat out Super Metroid for opening preview and 3). GameFan’s ringing endorsement made World Heroes 2 look like a BIG deal. I studied that two page preview for 10 minutes and held my dad up, pleading with him that he had to buy this game later that summer. The old man was nice enough to humor me.
The hype train rolled on
A couple months later GameFan ran another piece on it. I recall reading through this once again at The Wherehouse and eagerly shoving the magazine preview into my dad’s face. As great as the summer of 1992 was, the summer of ’94 was even bigger. I had just finished 5th grade, it was the best year of my childhood, my best friend Nelson and I were thick as thieves, the SNES was at its peak, and so was the bond between me and my out of town gaming crew. Now we had a whole summer before us to enjoy all these wonderful things. I remember Nelson and I spent a large chunk of our time playing World Heroes on SNES that summer as a way to prep ourselves for the sequel. It was simply a great time to be a kid.
Yes, this is my actual Takara card!
To prep myself even more, I joined the Takara Masters Game Club. I wanted any insider news I could get on World Heroes 2 and all other future Neo Geo SNES ports. The bottom of the card states, “The bearer of this Takara Masters seal is a unique and praiseworthy gamer. Anyone who presents this card should be shown the utmost respect and offered all the privileges due to a game player supremo.” That shit always cracked me up.
Back side of the Takara Club card
I called Takara one day in the summer of 1994 to specifically inquire if the arcade intro would be included in the SNES port. After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, I finally hung up. It saddened me a bit when I first fired up the SNES port and found the intro missing. Hey, there’s only so much from a 146 MEG arcade game that you can cram into a 24 MEG Super Nintendo cartridge!
[Don’t forget us! -Saurus]1994 was indeed a banner year thanks to hits like thisIt had WAY MORE features than the arcadeTo be specific, this is for the Death Match
FUN TIP: If you choose seesaw for life gauge and you play the 2 player mode under Normal Match, it can serve as sort of a Practice Mode
New to this sequel is the ability to send an opponent’s projectile back at them by blocking at the last possible second. This can go back and forth several times until the projectile disappears into thin air.
I never liked this change all that much. It prevents you from advancing after a slow fireball. On the bright side, it gave fighters without a fireball more of a fighting chance. It added extra balance to the roster, making guys like Muscle Power and J. Carn more formidable.
COLOR ME BADD
Each fighter has six colors to choose from. This is exclusive to the SNES port. Great job, Saurus! Some of the new colors are even better than the original colors… while others are a bit more… ahem, bizarre. More on that later.
Not only do outfit colors change but some special moves match the color of your costume! For example, take a look at Hanzou and Fuuma’s Dragon Uppercuts below.
Having six costume color choices is awesome, sure. But it’s made even more awesome when some of the fighters’ special moves are color coordinated.
Saurus you crazy bastards, you!
Hanzou’s ninja stars even changes colors accordingly! Nice.
He’s green with envy [Oh no you dih-ent -Ed.]16 fighters. Six colors each. You had a whopping 96 combinations to toy around with. It was all part of the fun and something I wasted hours on back in the day!
MEET THE HEROES
Love the way the newbies stare down the originals!Anything more than 12 back then was bigSuper Street Fighter II introduced 16 in late ’93
Most fighting game sequels back in the mid ’90s featured two or four new fighters. Not so here. You get SIX. 14 fighters made this the biggest fighting game roster back in April of 1993. It felt like ADK went all out and didn’t hold anything back. This is how you do a sequel right!
Fuuma’s eternal rival
One of my favorite backgrounds, combatants battle in a bamboo forest on a moonlit night. Brown leaves drop from the sky as the warriors scratch and claw for victory. A couple gravestones can be seen to the far right. Hanzou’s parents, perhaps? A nice touch to add mystique and intrigue to this beautifully atmospheric stage.
Master of the Iga Ninja arts, Hanzou can throw a shuriken, or three. His ever reliable Dragon Uppercut and Spinning Blade are back as well. New to his arsenal is the Leg Lariat. It works well as a long range anti-air attack.
THE RED DRAGON RAGES!
Fuuma loves to show off his superior fighting expertise in front of his friends. It’s a nice stage but I do miss his funky monkey pals from the first game.
Fuuma and Hanzou’s moveset began to receive some differentiation here. Fuuma’s Spinning Blade attack now moves in a wild up and down fashion, which perfectly fits his more flamboyant fighting personality. He can also throw opponents in mid-air as well as perform his Dragon Uppercut in mid-air.
The ORIGINAL Bruce Lee clone!
Like Fuuma, I prefer Dragon’s previous stage. It’s hard to beat fighting in front of a Shaolin Temple after all. On a side note, Dragon was billed from China in the first World Heroes. ADK however changed Dragon’s birth place to Korea starting with World Heroes 2. But somehow the SNES port shows China’s flag instead of Korea’s. In my heart, Dragon will always be Chinese, damnit!
Dragon can still punch fools into oblivion as well as throw them in mid-air. As if that wasn’t enough to convince them NOT to jump, the Dragon Kick will surely make them think twice. His new attack is a nifty lunging kick. Oh, and don’t you love the Incredible Hulk version of Kim Dragon? I know I do. Bruce Banner meets Bruce Lee…
Invisible walls don’t hit backThe Ferocious Leader of the Mongol Empire
This little backdrop does a great job of evoking memories of all those classic old kung fu flicks you watched as a kid on lazy Sunday afternoons. I almost expect to see Jet Li or Donnie Yen come flying out at any moment…
Sadly, the portly Julius Carn got a bit gypped here. No new special moves to speak of, although he did receive a pretty cool new throw and his Mongolian Dynamite looks better than ever. Still irks me though that it doesn’t set his victims on fire. ADK finally fixed this in the fourth and final game, World Heroes Perfect.
She’s a real swinger. Sword swinger, that is
Travel right back to the 15th century with this great looking stage! Much prefer this over her traveling circus backdrop from the first game.
Janne’s Aura Bird comes in baby or adult form. I always loved how the World Heroes games changed the size of their projectiles based on the strength of the button pressed. It wasn’t just speed that came into play but size as well. That was pretty unique for its time! Her new move, the Justice Sword, is a solid anti-air attack that can hit up close or from a distance. Again, depending on the button you use. ADK never got credit for giving a single move multiple purposes. The classic standbys are back as well: the Flash Sword (another good anti-air attack) and arguably the most painful looking move in the game, the Sword Hop.
Told ‘cha she’s a swingerWHAT CHU GONNA DO, BROTHER?!
ADK’s attempt to reduce Muscle Power’s resemblance to Hulk Hogan didn’t stop with the slight alteration in his look. In an effort to further differentiate the two, ADK dropped the wrestling ring in favor of a construction site. Boo! The wrestling ring inside a steel cage suspended high in the air was the perfect over-the-top background for Muscle Power. Oh well. As Hulk Hogan himself would say, “What chu gonna do, brother?!”
Ever saw Hogan hit a dropkick?
The good old Muscle Bomber running elbow is back. His new trick is an impressive leaping dropkick that serves as a pretty decent anti-air attack. Proving you can indeed teach an old dog new tricks. Not sure about that pink hair color, though. Midlife crisis, hmm?
Tornado Breaker is aptly namedStrongest move in the gameSpeaking of swingers…Round and round he goesWhere he stops…NOBODY KNOWS!
Indeed I do. After the first World Heroes came out on the SNES in late 1993, my best friend Nelson held a neighborhood tournament. I played a pretty mean Rasputin in those days but decided to branch out and challenge myself. So I selected Muscle Power. Well, I got my ass handed to me pretty hard. I walked home that day thinking to myself over and over, “Just wait ’til World Heroes 2 comes home next year. His new Giant Swing will be the difference maker. Just you bastards wait!”It’s strange the memories we vividly recall, huh? And that’s the beauty of fighting game sequels. Just one new special move could be a game changer, no pun intended. Good times.
Ah, if it isn’t ol’ Raspy. You silly bastard you
Some people think the purple building in the back reminds them of the castle from Aladdin. But for me growing up, it looked a lot more like the building seen on the cover of Goosebumps book #25, Attack of the Mutant (November 1994). As a kid I liked to think that R.L. Stine was a huge World Heroes 2 fan and was inspired by Rasputin’s stage when he penned Attack of the Mutant. I know, I was weird… [Was? -Ed.]
#CHILDHOOD
Rasputin could enlarge his hands and feet, making him sort of a pseudo-stretch fighter. His classic giant hand crush returns but brand new is the hand swatter. This might be the greatest anti-air attack in the history of fighting games. Certainly back in 1993 and ’94 it was! Simply press strong punch while standing and Rasputin will knock anyone out of the air. It can also attack the opponent while they’re standing. It was a game changer for sure!
Rasputin was a trailblazer. The first World Heroes introduced air projectiles to the genre. Not only is Rasputin’s air fireball back but now he can also perform his Spinning Robe in mid-air.
Being a trailblazer, he didn’t receive just one new special move but rather two completely different moves. The first is the deadly Thunder Ball. It “feels heavy” and hits accordingly so, inflicting more damage than Rasputin’s regular fireball. It also shocks the competition, which is always a fun visual. His second new move is the Cossack Dance, which acts as a bit of an anti-air attack. Speaking of new, a magical glowing aura now surrounds him while standing still. Awesome!
Ah, the first Hero I ever used
A heavy tank comes plowing through the wall early on as the fighters duel to the death. It creates a great war atmosphere. Bonus points for the ominous red skyline as well. Good shit.
Brocken’s extendable limbs give him the best reach in the game. Brand new however is when you press down-diagonal and attack in mid-air, Brocken raises his leg upward instead. It’s nice to have that option to keep opponents honest!
Brocken can now fire missiles from his kneecap. And he’s still the only fighter that can produce both fiery and electrocuted animations. Always loved that about him. His useless but amusing Flying Torpedo is back for shits and giggles. You can see his classic Hurricane Arm in the last shot there, as well as the wall before the tank comes barreling through.
Controlling the flight is 90% of the fun!The Rowdiest Rebel of the High Seas!
An animated zombie skeleton watches the fight from a large mound of gold. He even loses his head at the end of each round. The gold glitters and glistens. It beckons to the heart of the greedy. A proven distraction, Captain Kidd uses this to his advantage.
Captain Kidd was the first fighter I can recall to have two different projectiles. And I’m not talking about a cheap high and low Tiger Shot. A shark and a ghost ship?! Blew my mind back in the day! His Shark Upper is a great anti-air deterrent and his Hyper Kick is good at surprising the opposition. Slightly reminiscent of Guile’s Flash Kick, Kidd’s Spiral Kick is a dandy two hit number.
My theory as a kid: ADK couldn’t decide on giving him a shark or a ghost ship. Both fit him perfectly. In the end they didn’t have the heart to scrap either so they said screw it we’re reinventing the rules — who says a fighter can’t have two totally different fireballs? And it’s not just for cosmetic purposes, either. Each one serves a different purpose! The Shark Knuckle is done Sonic Boom style and the jab version allows Kidd to follow up. The Pirate Ship Blast is done Hadoken style (no charging required!) and due to its insane amount of coverage can nullify both low and medium projectiles, making it arguably the greatest projectile ever. It’s no wonder everyone loved Captain Kidd back in the ’90s, even the most ardent of World Heroes critics admitted that he was a great addition to the franchise.
You can get caught in some insane projectile wars…HELL F’N YEAH IT DOESThe Raging Warrior of the North
I have such fond memories of this stage. I remember seeing this stage first thing upon walking into the arcades with my best friend Nelson. At the time World Heroes 2 and Super Street Fighter II were fighting for arcade supremacy, and I just remember walking into that arcade hall only to be greeted by the soft Norwegian tune and seeing Erik kick the stuffing out of his opponent all over his viking ship. A long line formed behind Super Street Fighter II but World Heroes 2 respectably held its own. It’s just one of those childhood memories that stick with you for some bizarre reason. So anytime I see Erik’s stage or hear that soft Norwegian tune, I’m instantly transported back to that innocent Saturday afternoon at the arcades with my best friend circa late 1993
Another fighter with a weapon, ADK wasn’t afraid to make up their own rules. I always liked Erik’s mini Tidal Wave projectile. It was the first projectile I remember executed with a kick button as opposed to the traditional punch. Bizarre! Also loved the way it crashed into opponents; hey, a tidal wave is no joke. Erik makes good use of his horns and is the only fighter in the game able to shock andfreeze the competition. A fun addition to the roster!
Japan’s Teenage Prodigy
Don’t get caught admiring the beautiful cherry blossom trees. If you do, Ryoko will throw you before you can say Bonsai.
Ryoko is a tough target to hit, being so small. Her quick Flip Kicks strike fast and have two variations. One acts more as an anti-air while the other serves as a lunging strike. It all depends on whether you press the light attack buttons or the strong ones. She can bounce off walls and is able to ignite a ball of energy from the palm of her hands.
Ryoko can throw fools with the best of them. I like how ADK flipped the script here on your typical stereotypes. This big throw is as damaging as Muscle Power’s Tornado Breaker. Probably didn’t expect that from a 16 year old girl, eh?
Muay Thai Master of Mayhem
A rather peculiar stage that perfectly epitomizes how the World Heroes franchise has never taken itself TOO seriously. At first glance it appears to be a normal looking “serious” stage until you notice the monks scurrying in the background. Not only scurrying with their quick feet (an animation that was cut from the SNES port due to lack of storage) but leaping for no reason other than to make you scratch your head and go, “Heh, OK then.”World Heroes wasn’t afraid to mix in some humor but they never overdid it to the point where it became more of a parody (see Clay Fighter). It was this fine balance they struck that really resonated with me.
Shura is a bit on the slow side, which is surprising considering he’s supposedly a “Muay Thai Master of Mayhem.” Especially given his build as well, I always expected him to be faster. Nonetheless, he has two striking attacks that are reminiscent of Balrog. He also has a running jumping fist strike that is a bit awkward and can leave him in a vulnerable state. Speaking of vulnerable, while his Tiger Kick is definitely cool looking, Shura soars to the sky and it takes him a second or two to land. This also leaves him in a vulnerable state. Maybe it’s just me but I kind of felt he was a pseudo-joke character when I was a kid. Not quite on Dan’s level, mind you!
Forget about having two different projectiles, having two anti-air attacks is where it’s at! Eat your heart out, Captain Kidd. Actually, while the Muay Thai Kick is definitely badass looking, it only counts as one hit. It looks like Shura hits them a second time but he doesn’t. It’s the longest animation in the game and doesn’t exactly leave him in a good position following usage of said maneuver. So let’s quickly recap. He’s got two different anti-air special moves, but both are flawed and leave him rather vulnerable. He’s also oddly slow for being a supposed Muay Thai master. All signs point to “joke character,” sadly. Even his ending, which I won’t spoil, treats him as a bit of a joke. Huh. A most curious creation, indeed.
The First and Only Football Fighter
Just when you thought you had seen it all, along comes J. Max AKA Johnny Maximum. A quarterback, he’s most likely based off Joe Montana (one of the greatest QBs the NFL has ever seen). Players fight on a seedy street outside a local bar. Drunken hobos cheer on the mayhem and strut the night away. Many people (myself included for a number of years) mistakenly assume that Takara developed this port. Nope. Saurus did. And they weren’t afraid to include a little sign of self promotion, either!
Johnny Maximum sold me the first time I witnessed his high and low Pigskin Thunder Shots. A quarterback not afraid to take the hits, his Shoulder Crash shows off his ruggedness. Don’t be so jump happy against him or else the Lightning Tackle will put an end to that. The Head Crash, which sees J. Max burying his head through his opponent (and into the ground even), makes me cringe each time I see it.
Mighty Friend and Ally of the Earth
Mudman’s stage is easily one of my all-time favorites. I mean, just look at it. It paints such an atmosphere scene. The dancing natives, the shining stars, that gorgeous evening skyline and the flickering fire all add up to leave a lasting impression. Mudman is such a likable character and the first fighter I used the first time I played World Heroes 2. He’ll always be one of my guys.
Perhaps the strangest “Shoto” fighter you’ll ever see, I love how Mudman incorporates his Spirit Buddies into the fight. There are two versions. The little shy Spirit Buddy or the streaking bold one. His Mud Gyro is one of my favorite anti-air special moves — I just love the way Mudman looks with his giant mask spinning around like that. The Mud Cutter is one of the most unorthodox looking Hurricane Kick variations I’ve ever seen, which suits him perfectly. One of his throws involves a ring of his Spirit Buddies dancing around the opponent. I’ve always loved that, as well as the way his projectile nullifies another. You get a glimpse at his ugly mug whenever he blocks. Brilliant!
Mudman, what is this? This isn’t the set of Thriller!
Michael Jackson’s iconic ThrillerThe MAD Morphing Man!
He was embarrassed in the first tournament but now he’s back for revenge. This time he battles in front of a captive crowd at a Coliseum in Italy. A massive Geegus statue has been erected. In his mind, there is only one true God to be worshiped and feared…
IT’S MORPHIN’ TIME!… sorry
Geegus can now blow himself up, setting his opponent on fire in the process. The drawback of this new move however is it takes him a few moments to recompose himself which leaves him wide open. This should be used strictly as a last ditch effort.
Geegus is gone so you’ve won the tournament, right? Not so fast! Meet the new final boss, NEO DIO. In the arcade, he was infamous for being one of the cheapest fighting game bosses of all time. Thankfully, Saurus scaled him way down for the SNES port. Mercifully!
The Mysterious Supreme Fighting Machine
Dio arrives in a blaze of glory. Dude sure knows how to make a dramatic entrance! If you think about it, Dio just lowkey committed genocide. The entire crowd of spectators are wiped out in the blink of an eye. Wherever Dio goes, destruction follows. The Geegus statue has been obliterated. There’s only room for one supreme being!
Having a fetish for slicing and dicing, Dio’s Sonic Saber and Gran Saber rips through the competition. The Rolling Smash shows off his graceful agility. Dio doesn’t have a fireball but he can create a static ball of energy that lasts for a couple seconds.
FIGHT TO THE DEATH
It randomly selects the mode if players don’t agreeThis mode is on fire. Sorry
The ingenious Death Match is back. Sadly, World Heroes 2 was the last game in the series to feature the Death Match. Unfortunately, the original game had better Death Matches. For example, I loved the ring with the burning ropes in the first game. The sequel had grenades on the ropes instead. It just didn’t look as cool.
See? It’s just not the same as burning ropes…Still a hoot, though. Don’t get me wrong!
Also a shame that ADK’s infamous “Aftershock Effect” is gone. That’s part of what made the first game’s Death Matches so compelling. Few things in gaming match the sheer pleasure of watching a guy get roasted in slow motion even after you’ve dealt the final blow. These are just minor gripes, though. Overall, I’m glad the Death Matches returned even if they’re slightly watered down. Let’s take a closer look at the eight different Death Matches below.
Barbed Wire Bomb MatchSpiked Wall MatchThunderbolt MatchOil MatchSaw Blade MatchMetal Mesh Match (Dawn)Metal Mesh Match (Daytime)Metal Mesh Match (Dusk)I! I LIVE AMONG THE CREATURES OF THE NIGHTLand Mine Match
ABSOLUTELY priceless. Poor Shura had to get this stage, eh?
Giving the guy with no fireball the land mine stage? Classic ADK. The new projectile deflection definitely helps, though. I always appreciated the subtle sense of dark humor that these games have.
Haircut Match
NOT SO HAPPY ENDINGS
I’ll share a few of my favorites…
FUUMA
JANNE
Gotta love all the weird Old English words ADK used
Hanzou and Fuuma have their own specific post match quotes devoted to each other. Did Ryu and Ken have this back in the day? No sir. This rivalry was LEGIT!
One last match to settle the score once and for all…
To be continued… forever. Of course
SWEET SIXTEEN
The two bosses are available in 2 Player mode
2 Player mode allows you to use the bosses up front. You now have a whopping 16fighters to select from. But there’s also a secret code that lets you use the bosses in the regular mode.
Solid cast of weirdos, freaks and bad asses!
RANDOM BITS
Poor Dragon
Whoa whoa WHOA! Um, let’s move on
BETA VERSION DIFFERENCES
Ride the wave! SURF NINJAS, anyone? [Yeah, no -Ed.]Around 2010 I discovered that the SNES beta version of World Heroes 2 differs from the final product. I was blown away because the beta version actually plays more like the arcade. There are some bugs, though. The biggest difference is that combos are easier to do in the beta version. This is where owning some kind of SNES flash cart (like the PowerPak for example) is super handy…
Hanzou and Fuuma have different Dragon Uppercuts in the beta version. In fact, they much more accurately represent their arcade forms, whereas in the final version their Dragon Uppercuts are identical. Not to mention, the animation is a bit lackluster. In the beta version, the animation on the Dragon Uppercuts looks much better
Game speed in the beta version mirrors arcade speed more
It’s possible to chain several jabs together in the beta version. You really can’t do this in the final version. Try Hanzou’s Leg Lariat followed by a Dragon Uppercut. You can pull off this sweet chain in the beta version with the greatest of ease, but you can’t in the final product no matter how hard you try.
Unfortunately, Mudman’s Mud Cutter in the beta version in an unfinished move. It works but only the first frame. Also, Geegus’ exploding attack is missing.
Endings in beta have slightly different text
There is an option to listen to the sound effects and music tracks in the beta version
WHY SO SERIOUS?
I love that this game never took itself too seriously. The Death Match was a brilliant feature and lended the first two games a subtle yet satisfying sense of black humor. Wacky fighters like Brocken, Rasputin, Mudman, a towering football titan with red glowing eyes, and a Hulk Hogan knock-off bring a certain level of quirk to the game that I’ve always appreciated.
Yet it’s also really cool how the game does take itself seriously, too. It strikes a good balance between having outlandish characters and more serious ones, such as the rival ninjas, Kim Dragon and that swashbuckling scourge of the High Seas, Captain Kidd. It’s a mix that worked really well in my book.
WHAT THE CRITICS SAID
It held its own against Super Street Fighter II
Similar to how the first World Heroes came out a month after Street Fighter II Turbo on the SNES, World Heroes 2 came out a month or two following Super Street Fighter II. Not exactly the best timing in the world, especially given how World Heroes 2 was in the arcade a good six months before Super Street Fighter II. Nonetheless, the heroes held their own and fared rather well with the critics. EGM crew gave it scores of 6, 7, 8, 8 and 8. GameFan gave it ratings of 80, 80 and 84%. Super Play rated it 80%. Most people agree it was a great port. Sure, it’s missing the intro, some animations, bonus stages, referees and so on, but it really was a fantastic port by 16-bit standards. It’s just a shame it didn’t come out a few months before Super Street Fighter II. That stole a lot of its thunder.
I agree with EGM. Great job, Saurus!MissingAlso missingBut no biggie. All in all, an impressive port!Just too bad we didn’t get the Japanese style box art
CLOSING THOUGHTS
All the cool SNES extras — speed options, six colors, four button layout and playable bosses — make this game a winner in my book. Saurus did a very good job, although I do wish it were more combo friendly. You can rip off combos in the arcade game pretty easily but it’s very hard to here. The first World Heroes on SNES was way too easy in terms of pulling off dizzying combos, but the sequel goes the opposite end. It’s really my one glaring flaw with this port. Other than that and slightly small sprites, it’s a pretty bang up job. The colors are fairly vibrant and it’s pretty amazing to consider how much of the arcade game’s look they were able to translate to the Super Nintendo. This is as good as anyone probably could have made World Heroes 2 on the SNES to be. The sound is a little weak but the death cries are awesome. The music varies from decent to very good. Some of those tunes I can still hear when I close my eyes.
At 16 fighters and 24 MEGS, World Heroes 2 was one of the biggest fighting games of its time. Yet sadly, World Heroes 2 kind of flew under the radar. In my view, it strikes the perfect balance between being serious and a little silly. Where else can you send Hulk Hogan flying into a spiked wall one moment and the next be swapping projectiles with Joe Montana? It’s cool how each fighter was based off a historical figure. Although it’s a pretty blatant Street Fighter II clone, it also did its fair share of unique things such as the Death Match, air fireballs (Rasputin was the first fighter to have one), throw counters, projectile repelling and so on. An unsung hero of the SNES library, World Heroes 2 is definitely one of the better fighting games on the SNES not named Street Fighter II.
The clock just struck midnight as of this writing. It is now July 28, 2017. That means only one thing to me: World Heroes has officially turned 25 years old. Wow. Released on July 28, 1992, World Heroes was one of the earliest Street Fighter II clones to hit the arcade market. If you don’t know by now, I kind of have a thing for World Heroes. I loved it from day one and have been a fan of the franchise ever since. In fact, when I began posting on video gaming forums in early 2001 I even used a Hanzou avatar. Ask different gamers what their favorite franchise is and you’ll hear your usual suspects: Metroid, Zelda, Castlevania, Street Fighter and so forth. But me? I would be lying if I didn’t cite my (sentimental) favorite of all time is probably indeed World Heroes. I know that sounds crazy but man, 25 YEARS. There’s no better way to honor the milestone than to look back at one of the most underrated arcade to SNES ports of all time.
IN THE BEGINNING…
Neo Geo Nook!
I’ll never forget that summer day back in 1992 when my brother came running home and told me all about this hot new arcade game. He said it plays like Street Fighter II but it has crazy “Death Matches” or something. He said there was freaking Hulk Hogan in the game! Of course, being a Hulkamaniac at the time, I was sold. Hell, I was sold at the mention of Street Fighter II.
It was love at first sight
I can’t tell you how many quarters I wasted on this game. In fact, while the lines ran long for Street Fighter II, I was more than content playing World Heroes on the opposite end of the store. It was definitely an underdog and that made it even more appealing to me. I’ve always been drawn to the more obscure or less touted games, and World Heroes was no exception. My best friend Nelson and I loved it to death. We loved Street Fighter II too but there was something about World Heroes that we really identified with. When Sunsoft released the SNES port, Nelson was all over that bad boy and we spent so many nights in late 1993 playing the game until the cows came home. Some of my fondest gaming memories came from that fall and winter of 1993 just staying over at Nelson’s and playing World Heroes until our thumbs went numb.
Seeing the title screen scroll on and on as the cheesy tune blared is forever embedded in my soul. ADK developed the arcade game but it was Sunsoft that reprogrammed it for the Super Nintendo. Sunsoft did such an amazing job with the translation and they never got the proper credit for it. But more on that later.
Advantages of having a six button SNES controller, eh? The arcade version had a funky control scheme where you had to tap the buttons to produce a light attack, but press the buttons normally to use a stronger strike. Well, the SNES fixes this and allows you to assign each attack to a specific button. This made playing World Heroes smoother than ever before.
I wrote this 10 years ago exactly. Make that 25, not 15Damn right!
THE HEROES
HANZOU 8.10.1555 5’9″ 152 lbs
Essentially Hanzou is the Ryu of World Heroes lore. Confession time: I always thought he was a lot cooler than Ryu. I mean, the Hadoken is timeless but Hanzou throws ninja stars. NINJA STARS! Ruy’s Dragon Punch is legendary but Hanzou’s version actually has a freaking dragon wrap itself around him! The Hurricane Kick is deadly but what if you added ninja blades on each end? My heart still would go with Hanzou if the two ever met in a fight, even though I know Ryu would beat him because it’s Ryu.
Love this background. Especially how the pigeons fly off at the start.
See? It’s the little details!
Hanzou can throw up to two ninja stars at a time (always thought that was so cool how the projectiles in this game vary whereas the projectiles in Street Fighter II were “static”). He uses his blades to cut deep into his opponent while spinning like the rotor blades of a helicopter. His best special move however is the majestic soaring Dragon Uppercut. It’s easily my favorite special move in the history of fighting games. I was instantly sold when I first saw it back in the summer of 1992.
FUUMA 4.2.1555 5’9″ 154 lbs
If Ken were made into a ninja, this is the end result. I love me some Ken but a ninja version of Ken? I’m so there. Fuuma as you might have guessed is Hanzou’s eternal rival. They share a similar moveset (that slowly differentiated as the series went on) but Fuuma is considered the more reckless and flamboyant of the two. You know, just like Ken. His Dragon Uppercut sees a red dragon wrapping itself around his body as opposed to Hanzou’s blue dragon. Did Ryu and Ken have that visual distinction in their Dragon Punches in Street Fighter II? No sir. Just one more reason why I favor these two ninja warriors.
A beautiful mountain (Mt. Fuji?) can be seen in this stage. Monkeys act a fool in the background. A quirky and rather endearing backdrop if I do say so myself.
Fuuma’s ninja star can be big or small depending on the strength of the punch button you use. Nice. He’s also got the same Dragon Spin and Uppercut as Hanzou. Their moveset is identical in this first game but began shifting in the sequel(s) to come.
DRAGON 11.27.1967 5’5″ 130 lbs
Long before Fei Long (Super Street Fighter II) and Law (Tekken) there was Kim Dragon! The original Bruce Lee wannabe in fighting games, Dragon strikes hard and strikes fast. His Dragon Kick is easily one of the coolest special moves in fighting game history, right up there with Hanzou and Fuuma’s Dragon Uppercuts. But perhaps most memorable of all are his Bruce Lee-like “HA CHOO!”battle cries.
Duel in front of some monks and youngsters training to be the next Dragon. Love this temple setting — it fits Dragon perfectly.
Dragon Kick is a thing of beauty. He’s got faster hands than E. Honda and he can even throw your ass in mid-air. They nailed his Bruce Lee mannerisms nicely. He can even bounce off the side of the screen! One of the most underrated fighting game characters ever made.
JANNE 4.5.1412 5’6″ 117 lbs
Honestly, growing up I was never a huge Chun-Li fan. I actually didn’t like using a lot of female fighters. But one of the few exceptions was Janne. Based off 15th century Joan of Arc, Janne was the first female fighter I can remember having a fireball (beating out Sonya Blade from Mortal Kombat by five days). Not only that but she fights with a sword — a FREAKING SWORD! ‘Nuff said.
I used to wonder as a kid, “Why the circus for Janne? What does Joan of Arc have to do with the circus?” Well, years and years later, I found out the Ringling Bros. did a “Joan of Arc at the circus” show in the early 1900s.
Weird but true…
I love it when a childhood mystery is solved!
Janne’s Aura Bird projectiles vary in size and speed depending on the punch button used. Again, I love this quirk about the game. Not many fighting games did the size difference thing, only the speed. Her Flash Sword is a good anti-air attack. Thought Chun-Li’s head stomp was annoying? Imagine a sword slashing you through the skull instead. Yup, Janne was a bad, BAD woman.
J. CARN 2.19.1162 5’7″ 265 lbs
Based off the founder and emperor of the Mongolian Empire, Genghis Khan, J. Carn fulfills the E. Honda role. As a kid I used to daydream a lot about a Street Fighter II vs. World Heroes crossover. The rosters were so evenly matched that it’s a shame it never happened. J. Carn wears spiky gloves and has a spiky ball on his shoulder that he reveals during one of his special moves. Though he lacks a projectile, he’s not one to take lightly.
I like the colors of the sky there. Carn’s cronies watch their master dole out the latest beatings here.
Julius Carn doesn’t mess around. His Mongolian Smash hits you with a spiky ball. Pounding his fist into the ground produces the Mongolian Dynamite. (It irks me though that getting hit by this move doesn’t produce a fiery animation). More agile than he looks, he can slide under fireballs and take out his competition.
MUSCLE POWER 1.1.1955 6’7″ 298 lbs
If you grew up a wrestling fan in the late ’80s then you know all too well who this guy was inspired by. Eat your prayers and train your vitamins (you know the whole spiel), this Hulk Hogan wannabe is the biggest fighter in the game. Hulk Hogan was one of my favorite wrestlers as a kid so I couldn’t help but laugh my ass off the first time I laid eyes on Muscle Power. In the sequels to come ADK made him look less and less like Hulk Hogan so that’s another reason why I’ll always be incredibly nostalgic for the first World Heroes. Muscle Power is in all of his Hulkamaniac glory!
Duke it out in a wrestling ring seemingly suspended high up in the air! The Statue of Liberty can be seen in the background. A steel cage surrounds the combatants of this war zone. Pretty gnarly.
Hmmm…Where have I seen this before?Ahhh, mmm hm
Muscle Bomber shows off his deceptive agility. On a side note, people like to say this game ripped off Capcom so much. Interestingly enough, Capcom made a wrestling game in 1993 that was known as Muscle Bomber in Japan (Saturday Night Slam Masters in North America). I guess what goes around comes around. Speaking of around, the Tornado Breaker is sure to cripple your opponent.
BROCKEN 10.24.1891 6’1″ 441 lbs
At first glance, he appears to be a ripoff of M. Bison and Inspector Gadget, but he’s actually based off Brocken Jr. from the Kinnikuman anime and manga series. Unlike the other fighters in this game, Brocken is the only one not based off a historical figure. Yes, it might be a stretch to call Hulk Hogan a historical figure but you get the picture. Speaking of stretch, that is one of Brocken’s strengths. As kid I thought he was the ultimate hybrid of M. Bison and Dhalsim. Plus he was the first character I chose when I first played this game so I will forever have a soft spot in my gaming heart for Brocken.
Brocken Jr. from the Kinnikuman series
This background scrolls vertically, reminding me a lot of Rolento’s stage.
Rolento’s stage from Street Fighter Alpha 2
Brocken is the only fighter in the game who can set opponents on fire as well as electrocute them. I always loved the animations on these effects so it made me an even bigger Brocken fan. His Hurricane Arm is a solid anti-air attack. Of course, stretching his extendable limbs made him a unique fighter. Hell, ADK even gave him a Bison-like torpedo attack. It was a lot weaker and more of a joke but I love how you can actually control his flight. Fun times with that stupid little move
RASPUTIN 12.29.1864 5’11” 150 lbs
It’s pretty obvious who Rasputin was based off of. As the games went on he was made more and more — how should I put this — homosexual, but I like how they played him pretty straight (pardon the pun) in the original game. But you could definitely see there was something different about him! He’s one of my favorite characters from the franchise. I dare say I play a pretty mean Rasputin. I fondly recall beating my friends in a World Heroes tournament back in 1993 using Rasputin. Good times.
I love how you can see mice scurrying across the ground. This is one of those haunting backgrounds that I remember seeing in the arcade over and over again.
Rasputin couldn’t stretch like Brocken but he is able to slightly enlarge his hands and feet, which made him feel somewhat like a pseudo-stretch fighter. I like the look of his fireball — it’s exactly what I imagine a fireball to look like if I close my eyes and had to imagine one. He’s also the first character in fighting game history that I know of who has an air fireball! His Spinning Robe is definitely silly but points to the fact that World Heroes was never afraid to poke a little fun at itself. It was part of the game’s charm. Finally, who could forget his classic giant yellow hand crush? That visual is seared into my memory bank even 25 years later!
MEET YOUR MAKER
Damn Doc Brown, so that’s how you get downBut of course…Oh shitHey, he did technically beat Shang Tsung by five daysMortal Kombat came out on August 2, 1992
Geegus fights in some sort of spacecraft that overlooks earth. He was based off the T-1000 from Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
The best summer blockbuster of 1991, or ever
Geegus melts into a pile of liquid-y goo after a one round defeat.
Morphing into the other fighters, he’s able to recreate any of their special moves. I love how when you beat him the crystals in the background explode into tiny little pieces.
Geegus implodes at the end. He’ll be back for the sequel…
Hmmm, now where have I seen this before?
Seriously? Those ADK lads had no shame!
Laziest ending for a fighter belongs to Brocken. “Gee, I didn’t even work up a sweat!” I bet the programmer who made this laughed thinking the same!
Fuuma’s ending pissed me off as a kid, I recall. It made me question if it was a dream all along. No, damnit,FUUMA IS FOR REAL! Ahem, sorry.
The sequel thankfully treated Fuuma as “real”And we start to see the “cracks” with Rasputin…
BONUS ROUND
Battle a giant boulder?That turns into Arnold?!Uh, OK then…
‘TIL DEATH DO US PART
Damn right!
Besides the odd bits of humor and the fighters largely based off of historical figures, what made World Heroes stood out to me as a kid were its Death Matches. My brother wasn’t lying when he called them crazy. You can fight in the regular mode (regular stages with no hazards) or you can duel to the death in the Death Match (combatants are dropped in a wrestling ring with various hazards). This is where dark humor comes into play and made World Heroes such a blast, pardon the pun…
For the victim, yes. But to the victor goes the spoils
They all have their various hazards and most of these stages have hazards that can inflict extra damage to the fighters. Only the straight up Butter Match (it’s just slippery) and the Hair Match do not cause extra damage. The Hair Match is a hoot because you get to see your defeated opponent shaved bald post-match!
Insult added to injury! The Hair Match is a classic representation of the dark humor that World Heroes has in spades. It gave you that extra jolt to trash trash your brother and friends. Made for some damn great times.
Sending your opponent into the hazard to shave off extra health always felt so damn satisfying. Best of all is the “Aftershock Effect.” Beat an opponent and watch him fly into the electric ropes post-match complete with slow motion! It’s a thing of beauty that was sadly removed from the sequel (the Aftershock Effect).
Brocken was the best to use in Death Matches because you can set them on fire right before they get electrocuted. Hey, it’s all about the small pleasures in life.
Certain moves should be avoided in the Death Match unless you have enough room. Way to go, Fuuma.
Whoever designated the Mine Match to Muscle Power was effin’ brilliant. He’s got no projectile and he’s a bit of a lumbering brute. Just stand behind a mine and watch him take himself out!
Electrocuting someone before they bounce off the burning ropes? Priceless.
Getting a little cocky there, are we, Brocken? One of the funniest things is beating someone with this flying attack but hitting the hazard with next to no health remaining. Can you say Double KO in the most embarrassing fashion possible? As a kid I remember doing this just for shit and giggles.
Thanks to his reach, Brocken was made for the Death Match. He almost had a built-in advantage due to the length of his limbs.
Nothing beats the triple whammy. Shock ‘em with Brocken. They land on a mine. Then death by electrocution. Seeing this in “Aftershock Effect” is the way to go.
Sacrifice knows no bounds.
“Aftershock Effect” in slow motion never gets old.
As someone who poured countless quarters into the arcade game, I anxiously awaited the SNES port with bated breath. My best pal Nelson was also a huge fan. I didn’t buy many SNES games back in the ’90s. If my brother and I were lucky, we got three games a year. You might think World Heroes would be one of those scant few purchases. Nope. My best pal Nelson bought a copy the week it came out and since we hung out nearly 24/7, there was no need really to buy the game. If he didn’t come over with his copy of the game then I’d be at his place. Occasionally, we had our other friends over for a tournament marathon. And like a best friend would do, Nelson graciously loaned me his copy from time to time.
In the fall of ’93, my uncle from Texas visited my folks. He was full of life. I hadn’t seen him since the late ’80s. I remember teasing him about how his favorite team the Phoenix Suns came up short that year in the NBA Finals. He didn’t appreciate that much.
That same weekend I happened to borrow Nelson’s copy. It was the first night my uncle came to town so he was a bit tired. He kicked back on the couch and watched as I fired up World Heroes. My uncle was not a gamer but he had nothing better to do so he just laid there and watched. I went with Dragon and it wasn’t long before my uncle started cheering me on as I tackled the two ninjas, Hanzou and Fuuma. My uncle really took a shine to Dragon. Probably because he was always a huge Bruce Lee fan.
I remember explaining to my uncle how the two ninjas were the main stars of the game. “What? If you ask me, THAT’S who the star should be! He’s Bruce Lee for crying out loud! How can you top that!?” Huh, being a huge Hanzou and Fuuma fan I never thought of it that way, but my uncle had a point. My same uncle who never played a single video game in his life before. What was happening here?!
It was around 6 PM or so because I remember the sun starting to set in the sky. I was set to fight Janne next when my mom called me to set the dinner table. But my uncle had other plans, apparently.
“Relax sis, we’ll be there in a second. First we gotta handle our business though, right Steve?” He gave me a wink as I looked back at him laying on the sofa. It’s an image I’ll never forget. World Heroes really captivated him. Him! Someone with NO interest in video games whatsoever. I’ve always had a special bond with the World Heroes franchise but it was at that moment in time my bond with the game went to that next level.
He sure did. We got my mom to agree to let me have this one last match, which was against Janne, and my uncle suddenly became my coach. Calling plays from the sofa, he kept yelling “Dragon Kick!” Even my mom stopped to witness the mad scene. I saw a strange smile crept across her face as she watched her younger brother and her youngest son bonding through, of all things, a video game. It’s a memory and image that has stuck with me to this day.
One last memory I have to share: it was Thanksgiving weekend 1993. I remember it so well. Back then I had my best friend Nelson, I had my other grade school friends, and then I had an out-of-town gaming group of family friends. We had some of the most epic sleepovers in the history of mankind. Just imagine three or four different families all partying under the same roof until the wee hours of the morning. The parents would reminisce about the good old days downstairs while the kids played video games galore upstairs. It was a glorious time.
On this particular sleepover bash, I had with me Nelson’s copy of World Heroes. My Gaming Crew and I had a World Heroes tournament that night. My friends were good but I was better. They owned me in Street Fighter II but when it came to World Heroes I had no equal. And that fine evening, I proved it in the tourney.
I played one mean Rasputin back then. No matter who they used or what tactics they tried, I always came out victorious. They had no counter for my Rasputin antics. I even made all of them rage quit on me. We then popped in Super Bomberman and I remember they all ganged up on me. I didn’t win a single Bomberman match that night. But was it worth it? Oh yeah, you know it
Good times
WHAT THE CRITICS SAID
World Heroes didn’t do so bad with the critics. EGM gave it ratings of 6, 6, 6 and 8. Super Play rated it 77%. However, there was some controversy created out of EGM’s less than stellar scores. Personally, I find their ratings to be fair. I can see how a fan would give this port an 8, but I can also see why someone different might give it a 6. It is a great port but keep in mind by the time this came out, Street Fighter II Turbo was already out and that game is a thousand times superior. If only Sunsoft were able to release it closer to mid 1993 then I think it would have fared a lot better. Anyway, the producer of the SNES port reached out to EGM in issue #52 (November 1993) to air his grievances.
Dan’s letter and EGM’s earnest reply filled up the whole page! Two months later (issue #54, January 1994), EGM printed a World Heroes review PRO and a World Heroes review CON letter from fans. This too filled up an entire page which was quite rare of the magazine. It was certainly an interesting read of both sides of the coin.
Well Danny my boy… if you’re out there somewhere in the vastness of cyberspace… if you somehow happen to see this, I do want to tell you… YES, you made a HELL of a port and I know when you saw the EGM ratings you felt like you wanted to…
But hey…
I could not believe the ad used the B word…
Just kidding, Dan. Great job, buddy.
[Don’t ever buddy me again -Dan MacArthur]
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Two of the coolest fighting game special moves ever
Gawd damn. 25 years huh. Where does the time go? 25 years ago today World Heroes first hit the arcades. I soon fell in love with it and it’s probably my number one sentimental favorite gaming franchise of all time. The SNES port is vastly underrated. Sunsoft did such a great job bringing home the visual stylings, the brutal Death Matches and the super easy to chain combos. A speed option would have helped but the regular speed isn’t too bad. Being able to change the controls to optimize the six button SNES pad makes this game infinitely more playable and enjoyable as a result. I feel like this port never got the credit it deserved back in 1993. Hell, it holds up rather well even nearly 25 years later.
The fighters are HUGE! There isn’t a trace of slowdown anywhere. Special moves which made my jaw drop the first time I saw them in the arcade have all been faithfully translated. Even the Aftershock Effect remained intact! Speaking of which, the Death Matches add a touch of dark humor. World Heroes strikes that lovely balance of taking itself seriously enough yet at the same time a bit tongue-in-cheek to create a memorable playing experience. Although the sound effects lack the oomph you’d like to hear from a fighting game, some of those stage tunes are jamming. Dragon’s theme is stuck in my head. The announcer does a good job and those death cries are among the best I’ve heard in the genre.
Maybe in the end World Heroes is the kind of game you had to have experienced back in the summer of 1992 to truly appreciate. If you were to pick it up today for the first time I can easily see how it may be dismissed after a few rounds and viewed as a poor man’s Street Fighter II. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea. But for me, it was my jam 25 years ago. I still play the SNES port every now and again and it’s held up remarkably well. Happy 25th anniversary, and here’s hoping there’ll be a World Heroes 3 before all is said and done. But hey, at least we got World Heroes 2.
Ah, the summer of 1994. It was bar none the single greatest summer of my life. I had just graduated from the 5th grade, the Super Nintendo was in its prime and my best friend Nelson and I were ready for one epic summer — the last of our innocence (see The Summer of Imports for more regarding that unforgettable summer). There were so many great SNES games released that summer, but none were any bigger than Super Street Fighter II. For years the Street Fighter II games dominated the market — it even became a way of life for many of us. However, the Street Fighter magic was starting to wane by the summer of ’94 but even then it remained one of the biggest games of my youth. It’s hard to believe it’s been 23 years now since that summer of 1994. Damn…
STREET FIGHTER FOREVER
And a phenomenon was born
First let’s take a trip back in time. The year was 1991. An arcade game by the name of Street Fighter II burst onto the scene, captivating arcade goers everywhere. With its 8 character choices, variety of special moves, breathtaking visuals and endless strategies, it was the perfect storm. I was 8 at the time but I remember it well. Everywhere you went it was Street Fighter mania. Whether you were at your local mom and pop rental store, a trading card store, Pizza Hut or even a 7-11, one of these bad boys was sure to be there. We spent countless quarters, devoted untold hours into perfecting our craft and it became as Americana to us as hot dogs and baseball games. One of my fondest memories was beating my brother’s cocky friend when he challenged me to a fight at a 7-11 in the summer of 1991. I used Dhalsim and ended up perfecting him two rounds in a row. I’ll never forget my brother and his friends laughing at him. He never heard the end of it. There was an innocence back then that a small part of me still yearns for. Street Fighter II launched the fighting game genre to new heights and a slew of clones soon followed thereafter, not to mention Street Fighter sequels up the wazoo. It was a special time that is hard to explain to folks who didn’t live through it. It was a great time to be a young kid, seeing all these fighting games pop up, seemingly by the week at times, all vying for your attention and affection. The thing that amazes me after all these years is that the Street Fighter series still rules the roost. Always did, always will.
Like a zombie from a horror film it refuses to die
What also amazes me is how we play Street Fighter, in one form or another, still to this day as adults now. And it’s as fun as it ever was. I break these games out to play on a frequent basis and they still put a smile on my face. It’s one of those series that I’ll be playing 50 years from now, God willing. My brother and I still play the occasional round or two together. I guess it brings us back to our childhoods… when life was simpler. When all we did was finish our homework, take out the trash, watch Saturday morning cartoons, TGIF, WWF, Power Rangers, read Goosebumps, run in the streets with our neighborhood friends and oh yeah, play a crapload of video games. And of all those childhood years, 1994 will always be the one I hold in the highest regard
SUMMER OF SNES
What a time to be alive
1994 was a golden year for me in many ways. Particularly that summer. I just finished the 5th grade — the best school year of my life due to three factors: 1). my best friend Nelson was in the same class 2). we had the best teacher ever and 3). the school’s two cutest girls were in our class. As awesome as 5th grade was, Nelson and I couldn’t wait for the final bell of the year to ring. It would officially signal our freedom. We would have 2½ months to stay up late, sleep in, hang out, watch scary movies and play video games ’til the cows came home. The summer of ’94 was a great time to be a Super Nintendo owner as two of the most anticipated home games were set to come out soon: Super Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat II. While the latter didn’t quite make it in time for the summer, oh we had plenty else to sink our teeth into. To this day I vividly remember the palpable buzz and excitement surrounding the much hyped release of Super Street Fighter II. Everyone was talking about those two titles everywhere you went. Silently, Nelson and I also kind of knew deep down that this was 16-bit’s last great summer. Things were set to change in 1995. The scene was bound to shift. You could feel it coming. There were 32-bit rumblings slowly building up. But 1994 was OUR YEAR. And man, what a way to go out ^_^
These two were firmly joined at the hipThe previews and hype machine was off the chartsIt was a happening!Summer of ’94 was special thanks to games like this
THE NEW CHALLENGE
The New Challengers presented a new challenge…
Readers of Memories of Renting may recall that my brother shipped me at will back in the day. Too shy or embarrassed to go out and rent on his own accord, he sent me to task every Saturday afternoon, rain or shine. It wasn’t so bad, though. In fact, I secretly enjoyed all those trips and mini-adventures. It gave my dad and me some quality father-son time — there were many times where my brother’s choice title was rented out at the first two or three stores. In such cases my dad would then haul ass all over town taking me to five, even six different rental stores just to suss out my bro’s flavor of the week. Just a dad and his son out on the road together on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. They were like quasi-adventures to me, or missions. There’s a part of me that will always remember and cherish those memories.
Those Saturday excursions live on forever in my soul
And after years of doing anything constantly, you begin to become a master of your given domain. Kevin once told me, and I never forgot this: “Steve, you sure do know how to rent the hell out of games.” It became a badge of honor that I wore proudly. Although there were so many times where I saw games that I wanted to rent, I almost always came home with the title my brother requested. I had a 98% kill rate. I know this may sound silly but it was something I took great pride in. And then came my greatest challenge: Super Street Fighter II on the SNES. It just came out, summer of ’94, and my dad took me to The Wherehouse. I raced to the SNES section madly thumbing through the thick glass display cases. There were a few other guys fumbling around when I got there and I knew they were after the same holy grail. In that moment instinct took over and I sprinted to the counter.
“Kid, it’s your LUCKY day…”
A pimple-faced male employee, who looked like he was three weeks fresh out of his senior prom, glanced down at me. Panting like a rabid dog, I asked him if he had a copy of Super Street Fighter II safely tucked away somewhere. I figured it was so rare that maybe they kept it behind the counter in order to avoid the inevitable bloodshed that would occur otherwise. His expression immediately changed. Flashing me a clandestine smile, as if I had just shared the secret password he’d been waiting desperately all day to hear, he reached down behind the counter in dramatic fashion. “Kid, it’s your LUCKY day. This here is the last one we have.” He revealed from behind the counter a mint fresh copy of Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers on the Super Nintendo. The last copy no less! And right there, in that moment, my childhood was made.
I was speechless. Time felt like it stood still for a brief moment. It was my greatest haul ever. I caught the biggest fish. I found Bigfoot. I was going home with the prom queen! It was the longest five minute ride home of my life. My brother opened the door and you could tell he was expecting the worst. Even if I knew “how to rent the hell out of video games,” renting Super Street Fighter II successfully on launch day was right up there with building a rocketship in your own garage. Knowing that, I had to mess with him a little bit. I told him some BS story about how I was too late, etc. He nodded compliantly. “Well, you took your best shot,” he chirped. “YOU BET YOUR ASS I DID!”I eagerly revealed the prized trophy I had kept hidden behind my back. My brother’s jaw dropped and hit the floor. It was an instant classic memory!
Firing the game up, my bro and I sat back to watch the game’s intro in stunned silence. My brother and I simply stared at each other, dumbfounded, after Ryu unleashed his Hadoken fireball. Looking back, it’s just a silly little intro. But back then… IT WAS MAGIC. The kind of stuff that LEGENDS are made of.
Super Nintendo’s very first 32-MEGmonster…And it was… ’til Street Fighter Alpha 2… *cough*
THE NEW CHALLENGERS
Four newbies: Fei Long, T. Hawk, Cammy, Dee JayAnd we thought Capcom was milking it back in ’94!
NEW MOVES
The returning cast learned some spiffy new moves[OHHH I SEE WAT U DID UP DERE -Ed.]
NEW COLORS
Select from eight colors — it was insane!Some of the new colors were amazingBlanka hands down wins for coolest color alterations
THE STREET FIGHTERS
A wandering warrior, Ryu is devoted only to the fight
Solitude. Serenity. Ryu’s dojo is just the right place for him to perfect his craft. Opponents who enter the dojo never leave quite the same. I’m happy to see the scrolling crescent moon back. We sure missed ya in Street Fighter II Turbo.
Finally, after many years of rigorous training, Ryu has unlocked a fiery version of his Hadoken. When that fails, his trusty old Hurricane Kick and Dragon Punch gives him all the backup he needs.
Ken’s friendship and rivalry with Ryu is legendary
Whereas Ryu is private, Ken enjoys showing off in front of a crowd. Talk about a showBOAT [*ba dum tish* -Ed.]
Flaming Dragon Punch fits Ken’s flamboyant flashy fighting style to a tee. All of his old tricks are back as well.
Bison killed her dad. An eye for an eye, then…
The quaint marketplace is drenched in burgundy hues signaling the coming of evening. A single mom looking to make ends meet washes dishes in the background as a worn out man begins to close shop. A lonely vendor (likely named Pee Wee Hung) chokes his chicken in public [… -Ed.] while Tung Fu Rue’s gentler and unassuming twin brother is out for an early evening pedal.
Tung Fu Rue from Fatal FurySuch a classic childhood sight!
Putting her mighty legs to good use, Chun-Li’s classic leg based attacks return. The Kikoken, now encased in a bubble, burns out after ¾ the screen length.
Easily one of Capcom’s greatest character creations
Even though Blanka has revealed himself to the public for a few years now, clear photos of the “Brazilian Boogeyman” still yield a pretty penny on the black market. Photographers who brave the battlefield and risk becoming collateral damage may have a fortune on their hands to reap.
Adding to the variety of his rolling attacks, the Beast Leap (when timed properly) allows him to leap past a fireball and land right on his opponent’s grill. If all else fails, ZAP DAT ASS!
Hungry for food, even hungrier to show he’s the best
If there’s one thing Honda enjoys more than eating and a hard-fought duel, it’s soaking in a nice hot bath.
Honda’s Hundred Hand Slap makes even Ric Flair jealous. The Sumo Smash and Sumo Headbutt shows off his deceptive agility.
No stretch [… -Ed.] to say he was a bit of a trailblazer
Elephants, the treasure of Indian culture, are proudly represented here. Four of them line the cobbled floor and they now make a racket during the fight, not just at the end of a round. A mural of an elephant god proudly hangs front and center.
Dhalsim was the first stretch fighter and many followed in his footsteps. Use this to your advantage right after you hit them with the Yoga Fire. Up close Dhalsim puts his thick skull to good use. His Yoga Teleport is good for tricking the competition. When all else fails, YOGA FLAME!
He stays in form by wrestling bears. ‘Nuff said
The Russian crowd only loves one thing more than drinking, and that’s drinking WHILE Zangief wipes the floor with an idjit foolish enough to fight the big guy.
You could say the crowd’s in good spirits! Look at this guy — still drinking like a mad man after all these years. Respect.
Zangief’s Spinning Clothesline works effectively against fireball-happy opponents. The Spinning Piledriver became de rigueur for all big wrestler types in future fighting games to emulate.
Proving it possible to teach an old dog new tricks, meet the Siberian Suplex… a bone-crunching double hitter!
Another new trick: the Siberian Bear Crusher is absolutely devastating especially when parlayed at the end of a combo.
Seeks vengeance for the death of his pal, Charlie
The grim death of his best friend and former comrade, Charlie, has left Guile with a heavy heart. Above all else, anger. Guile has been out for M. Bison’s blood ever since. His stage is one of the true classics and that music still rings in many ears after all these years.
Having two of the coolest moves in fighting game history, it’s easy to overlook that Guile hasn’t learned many new moves over the years. The Sonic Boom and Flash Kick will never go out of style.
So vicious he was barred from the boxing world
The lavish Las Vegas night life makes for a hell of a background. Battling under the bright Vegas lights, the crowd roars with each hook and uppercut thrown.
Never one to shy away from showing his physique, Balrog now enjoys doing the dirty work. Some critics think he’s a boxing HAS BEEN, but his hard hitting assorted rushing punches say otherwise. His new Shoulder Butt is effective at knocking out would be jumpers.
Don’t hit Prince Pretty’s face or he’ll jack you up
A bloodthirsty crowd has paid good money to see a grisly fight. A steel cage protects these premium spectators from the fighters. Vega has learned how to use the cage to his favor over the years. It’s a win-win for all… except for Vega’s latest victim.
Prince Pretty bounces off walls like nobody’s business. From there he has all manner of flying attacks. His claw is the great equalizer, and Vega is adept at flipping away to safety when things get too hot and heavy.
Fueled by anger, Sagat vows to finally put down Ryu
Of all the stages to get a makeover, Sagat’s is by far the best. The breathtaking sunset makes his background in previous Street Fighter games look plain by comparison. It’s also symbolic of how desperate he’s become to finally defeat Ryu. The sun will rest, but Sagat will not.
Everyone’s favorite 7 foot 4 inch tall Thailand bruiser is back and so are all his old tricks. Mix up the speed of his Tiger Fireballs and blast them out of the sky with the Tiger Uppercut or Tiger Knee.
A true psychopath, M. Bison shows no mercy
It’s so cool how Bison flings his cape right before the match begins. A small crowd is gathered to anxiously witness if the maniacal tyrant can finally be stopped. It never gets old sending Bison’s ass through his golden statues!
Bison’s Scissor Kick can connect twice as well as his somewhat tricky Head Stomp. His brand new Devil Reverse (AKA Flying Psycho Fist) is pretty tricky as well. Of course, you can never go wrong with his infamous Psycho Crusher.
Special Forces trained, this jeune fille kicks serious ass
Set under the beautiful Northern Lights, Cammy enjoys nothing more than defeating her foe and then kicking back to enjoy the majestic view. Remember the music for this stage? INSANELY EPIC.
Cammy’s Cannon Drill strikes quick while her Front Kick discourages flying assailants. Also, watch out for her two-hit Spinning Knuckle.
This kickboxer fights to the beat of his own drum
Everyone is swaying and grooving to the beat of live music. The jazz band playing under the gazebo provides for a festive atmosphere. It’s just another day in paradise… unless you happen to be the one fighting Dee Jay. “A-ROO-GAH! MAX OUT!”
Interesting to note that of the four new challengers Dee Jay is the only one with a fireball. Knock opponents silly into next Tuesday with the Hyper Fist. His Double Dread Kick is perfect to end combos with.
When it comes to martial arts, no one’s better
Inspired by the Tiger Balm Garden of Hong Kong fame, this exotic palace is where the best battle for supremacy. The music here is awesome. And is it just me or did those roars at the end of a round sound exactly like Angilas?!
Tiger Balm Garden (Hong Kong)I see, er, hear you, Angilas!
Good shit, Capcom. Such rich childhood memories there…
Striking fast and hard, the Rekka Ken can hit multiple times and even be used as a re-dizzy combo. Fei Long’s Rising Dragon Kick emits a blast of fire from his steel leg, scorching anyone caught in its warpath.
Native American Zangief! Basically
T. Hawk pleases the crowd with his amazing agility and earth shaking slams. Everyone has temporarily halted their business transactions to witness the latest T. Hawk pounding. He’s undoubtedly their favorite son!
Thunder Hawk rises like the phoenix. He also dives and swoops with the greatest of ease. His prized Storm Hammer is right up there with Zangief’s Spinning Piledriver for most damaging maneuver.
BONUS ROUNDS
Classic bonus stages are back.
Sadly, it wasn’t meant to beSome epic shit right here
BONUS MODES
Beating the clock is as valuable as beating your foeGroup Battle lets you pick Match Play or EliminationTournament lets eight players decide who’s the best!
BONUS RANDOM PICTURES
Who didn’t imagine this as a kid every single time?Good times from Mortal KombatLooks like the sun exploded and killed both men!Remember the rumors of knocking off his MASK? Cry if I want to! You would too if it happened to you!
“SOMEONE SAY PARTY?!”
Everybody’s doing a brand new dance now! C’mon baby do the Blanka-motion. I know you’ll get to like it if you give it a chance now. C’mon baby do the Blanka-motion. My little baby sister can do it with ease. It’s easier than learning your a-b-c’s. So come on, come on!
Do the Blanka-motion with me! [Not unless you’re Kylie Minogue in a bikini -Ed.]
I’ve always loved the “freaks” in my fighting gamesBut I was also a big Ryu guy. Orange Ryu all dayAll good, you still have seven other pairs to pick fromDamn, his loss to Ryu really affected his manhood…My oh my… how the mighty have fallen
GENESIS VS. SNES ROUND 3… FIGHT!!
Who takes home the winner’s trophy?
I played both versions and prefer the SNES one. That’s not to say the Genesis port isn’t good because it’s great. Weighing in at a hefty 40 MEGS, it’s the biggest 16-bit title ever released in North America. I remember as a kid thinking how can a 16-bit game be 40 F’N MEGS? Fun times, though. It was a huge deal but I always preferred the SNES port. It looked, sounded and played better. Plus it’s hard to beat that classic SNES controller.
WHAT THE CRITICS SAID
No one envisioned EGM going anti-Street Fighter
Super Street Fighter II arrived on the SNES with some controversy. While most publications swooned over the conversion, long time Street Fighter loving advocate EGM was not nearly as impressed. This was shocking. Between 1991 to 1993 EGM might as well have called themselves Street Fighter Monthly thanks to their endless coverage and Street Fighter covers. It surprised us all when they doled out less than stellar ratings of 6, 7, 7 and 8. This became the talk of the town but more on that later. Other magazines sang a different tune. GameFan scored it 90, 94and 96% while Super Play issued it the biggest mark in their history: 96%. The EGM controversy still fascinates me to this day. Let’s head back 23 years to the scorching summer of 1994, shall we?
EGM shocked us with a less than glowing review
No one ever saw EGM turning heel on Street Fighter
EGM had long been the proud flag bearer for all things Street Fighter. So it shocked the gaming world when EGM gave the SNES port of Super Street Fighter II less than stellar scores. It was made even more shocking seeing as how EGM was hyping up the SNES port for months prior. We all figured that EGM would rate the game with 9’s and 10’s. Little did we know…
EGM’s response to the critics of their reviewEGM once again takes a firm stand
Too low? Fun debating this back in ’94Leave it up to good ol’ GameFan to give a high scoreThe highest rated game in Super Play history!
WHAT YOU SAID, ER, VOTED
You can’t go wrong with any SNES Street Fighter
Over 10 years ago, February 2007 to be precise, I ran a survey asking readers to choose their favorite SNES Street Fighter game. Which SNES Street Fighter game is the consensus favorite? 10% voted for Street Fighter II. 39%voted Super Street Fighter II. Street Fighter II Turbo won the poll with a stirring 51% of the votes. I have to agree with the majority here. I love Super Street Fighter II but I do have to give Street Fighter II Turbo the slight edge. Although there’s more featured in the former, the latter simply plays a smidgen better.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
One of my favorite shots I’ve taken. MONEY SHOT!
Super Street Fighter II is one hell of a game. It’s easily one of the best arcade to SNES translations I’ve ever played. Four new fighters brings the roster to a whopping 16, three home bonus modes provide even more play options and the new colors, both in costume and stage backgrounds, are flat out awesome (Sagat’s stage is a mic drop). The combos are incredibly easy to pull off and the game controls like a dream. There’s really only one thing holding it back: those voices! It’s not the worst in the world by any stretch, but it IS a clear drop in quality from the previous two games. I’m happy Ken and Ryu now have different voices, but what happened to poor Guile? The sound effects, I’m sad to say, sound a little wimpy. Especially when you compare them to the satisfying WHACKS and THWACKS of the previous two SNES Street Fighter games. At the end of the day though, it’s easy to forgive this flaw since it plays so damn well. Thankfully, the music is still great as ever. But all in all, Super Street Fighter II falls just shy of being the complete package as a Street Fighter II Turbo.
Regardless, this remains one of my favorite SNES games. On a system that has literally hundreds of quality games to pick from, Super Street Fighter II sits firmly somewhere near the top. All of your old favorites are back along with four new warriors to master. While I’m not the biggest fan of the newbies, they do add credible value. The speed option is a nice home bonus; the fastest is not Turbo fast but is more than acceptable. It’s crazy to think it’s been over 20 years since I scored the last rental copy from The Wherehouse, and how my brother and I shitted our pants watching the arcade intro emanating LIVE from our very own living room. It truly brought home the arcade experience. Ah, those were some damn good times. Super Street Fighter II is one of the best fighting games on the SNES and it holds up incredibly well even more than 20 years later.
First there was Mortal Monday (September 13, 1993). And then there was Mortal Friday (September 9, 1994). That of course was the infamous release date of one of the most eagerly anticipated SNES games of all time: Mortal Kombat II. Following the censored disappointment of the first game a year ago, would the sequel learn from the mistakes of the past or were they doomed to repeat it? Thankfully the game was allowed to be uncensored. I remember the days leading up to the release. It was one of the biggest gaming events of the year. And I’m happy to say that they got it mostly right this time around. It was the redemption all SNES Mortal Kombat fans were waiting for.
MORTAL MANIA
The craze could not be contained
When Mortal Kombat first exploded onto the arcade scene in 1992, it made an immediate impact and became the talk of the town. Its unique digitized graphics, extreme violence and infamous Fatalities left a lasting imprint. But there were many who felt the gameplay wasn’t anything special. The following year Mortal Kombat II was unleashed and it changed everything. More fighters, more combos, more Fatalities and more secrets made even the biggest Mortal Kombat critics raise an eyebrow. Now not only did Mortal Kombat II have the novelty factor going for it but the gameplay too.
The cover that haunted my youth
In December of 1993, my brother Kevin subscribed to EGM. Our first issue was #54, January 1994. I’ll never forget coming home from school that one day, with dark clouds lingering overhead, opening my mailbox and seeing this striking cover staring right back at me. The game logo jumped off the cover as if it were in 3D. I couldn’t take my eyes off of the menacing monster, Baraka. He was an odd combination of looking cool yet also very cheesy. My mind couldn’t process which one won out, but I knew it struck an emotional chord. As much as I loved Street Fighter II at the time, Mortal Kombat was the more violent and gritty alternative. It was like ECW vs. WWF in the mid ’90s. To this day I vividly remember standing there at my mailbox holding this issue in my hand and admiring the cover for what felt like 10 minutes. Finally, I decided I better head in before the rain comes pouring down. Kevin would kill me if I got the goods damaged. I suddenly imagined him giving me his own version of a Fatality. And with that, I tucked the magazine under my arm like a running back and raced inside.
Mortal Kombat II was everywhere you looked
Just six months later, EGM put out their 60th issue in June of 1994. Once again featuring Mortal Kombat II on the cover, #60 was an absolute jaw dropper. This time it was all about the Mortal Kombat II home ports. What a time it was to be a 10 year old boy growing up in suburban America. I was smack dab in the middle of the fighting game golden age as well as the Super Nintendo’s prime. And with summer not far behind, which promised endless lazy days playing video games galore with my best friend Nelson, it was a special period of my life that a small part of me today every now and then still yearns for. The art of those Mortal Kombat characters were amazing. Inside there was a blow-out preview on all four home ports. They used a color coordinated border around each picture to indicate which home port you were looking at. I still recall it was ORANGE for SNES, which just seemed like a right fit. My brother and I read that article easily 100 times over.
What a change of heart for family-oriented NintendoAt long last, redemption was oursNote: this was originally made on September 9, 2014
THE STORY GOES…
PLAY IT LOUD AND PROUD
SNES owners breathe a huge sigh of relief when it was confirmed that the SNES port of Mortal Kombat II would be uncensored. Not only were the Fatalities left intact but each character now had two to choose from. It only made sense to make everything about this sequel superior to the first. And Mortal Kombat II delivered just that; players marveled to the sadistic joy of severing limbs and heinous acts of decapitation. It was quite the 180 for Nintendo and looking back, part of me still can’t believe that this turned out as faithful to the arcade as it did. “SUPERB!”
EXTRA FINISHING TOUCHES
Remember the Pit Fatality from the first game? The sequel has even more Stage Fatalities! The Dead Pool is my favorite one. Few things are as sweet as knocking a bastard into the green acidic ooze.
“FLAWLESS VICTORY!”
Traditional Pit Fatality for the purists out there.
I do miss the traditional spikes though
Spikes, eh? Here are your GAWD DAMN spikes!
What goes up must come down… or notTurn your opponent into… a baby?! Strange but trueDon’t behead them… BEFRIEND ‘EM!Totally bonkers but it adds some humor to the game
EXTRA HYPE
Life was good. It was a great time to be a kid ^_^
EXTRA FIGHTERS
Hope ya weren’t too fond of Sonya and Kano though
KOMBAT ZONES
Dead Pool
As a kid I thought the acidic pool looked so realistic. Even today it still looks pretty stunning to me. Best of all, it never gets old throwing someone into the burning acid.
The Living Forest
One of the all time great fighting game stages, the Living Forest gives Mortal Kombat II a ghoulish and creepy vibe. The sound of the evil trees growling is embedded in my soul. Love how menacing and unsettling those unholy growls sounded…
The Portal
Speaking of creepy, the Shadow Priests look like they jumped straight out of a deranged horror flick. I’ve always hated cloaked figures growing up and these bastards did nothing but perpetuate that childhood fear.
Seriously creepy with a capital C!The Wastelands
Welcome to the barren and desolated decaying mess of the Outworld. Cloaked in darkness and shadows, this bleak backdrop is as hopeless as it can get.
The Pit II
While Mortal Kombat II does almost everything better than the original, not so with The Pit. I miss the nice simplicity of the original pit stage. But it’s pretty cool to see a guy burning on fire in the background I have to admit. Adds that visceral punch to this stage but I still prefer the original one.
The Armory
Sorry, this stage kind of sucks
The Tower
Big Brother is watching you each step of the way, even up here. Scale the wicked Tower to continue your quest to face Mr. Big Evil himself, Shao Kahn.
The Kombat Tomb
Any stage that offers a “Stage Fatality” is automatically awesome by default. You can impale your foe on the spikes above. OUCH!
Kahn’s Arena
The emperor of the Outworld sits high on his throne, watching with great amusement as opponents rip each other limb from limb. On each side Kano and Sonya can be seen tied up. Nice cameo and fan service there!
Damn straight!
Return to Goro’s decrepit lair of despair. The big guy is long gone but in his place is the deadly hidden character, Jade. More on her later.
THE KOMBATANTS
Johnny’s projectile now curves high or low. I love how it’s got that sweet trailing action. Cage’s trusty Shadow Kick returns and his brand new Shadow Uppercut knocks fools out of the air.
Searching for your better half? So is Jax…
Similar to Sagat, Liu Kang’s fireballs now hit either high or low. His Super Kick makes Shawn Michaels jealous and his Bicycle Kick allows him to work out his abs as he’s smashing your face in.
Easily one of the most memorable and coolest Fatalities in Mortal Kombat lore.
Rayden, the Thunder God, appropriately has some lightning-based attacks. He can also teleport and launch himself torpedo style in M. Bison fashion.
Uppercut from Hell.
Scorpion’s Harpoon Spear is back in all its glory. “GET OVER HERE!”Part man and part ghost, he can teleport from one side to the other.
Ripping his mask off to reveal his true grotesque nature, Scorpion roasts his victim. They spaz out before exploding into tiny charred pieces.
Freeze your competition with his trusty Iceball. The Slide is good for a sneak attack and his new Ground Freeze makes fighting Sub-Zero a slippery slope (sorry).
Iceman Cometh.
Scraping his blades together, the Blade Spark gives Baraka a long distance advantage. Up close he can damn near take his rival’s head off as well as catch them in a bloody game of slice and dice. Baraka is easily one of my favorite new characters.
Baraka impales his victim with his razor sharp blades, lifts them high and sneers as he watches them slide down ever so slowly. As a kid I could not believe this made it to the SNES uncensored. Grisly and graphic!
Making the most out of his powerful fist, Jax’s Ground Pound sends forth a devastating blast. His Sonic Wave makes the coolest sound effect. Up close he’ll grab and pummel you senseless.
Horror film aficionados can’t help but love this one. Talk about a serious headache…
Kitana’s oriental fans contain hidden razor blades. Whether you use her fans to slice and dice or lift them up for a combo attack, Kitana has developed quite the FANboy following [FANtastic… -Ed.]
Someone once asked Kitana for some “head.” She has been happy to comply ever since.
Anyone can throw a projectile, but few can control them like Kung Lao does. Press up or down to guide his hat. His Whirlwind Spin would make Mechagodzilla proud. A quick striking kick and teleportation round out his arsenal.
Siiiiick. Speaking of sick, see below…
Shades of Kung Lao from the film Tai Chi Hero
Throw her sai either on ground or in mid-air. Mileena can tuck and roll with the best of ‘em. Her Teleport Kick is a good way to surprise overly aggressive opponents.
Reminds me of a Dateline special I once saw on young anorexic girls who binge eat and then force themselves to vomit. This repulsive Fatality reveals Mileena’s ugly kisser.
Shades of the Slit Mouth Woman!
Reptile is so cool. His Acid Spit fits the character perfectly and is one of my favorite projectiles around. He emulates Sub-Zero’s Slide and his Force Ball briefly suspends his opponent, leaving them wide open for possible combo strikes.
Reptile can also go invisible temporarily
Similar to Scorpion, this Fatality gives us a glimpse at the real Reptile behind the mask. After a hard fought battle there’s nothing quite like a tasty post-match meal…
Throw one, two or even up to three consecutive fireballs. It just keeps coming [That’s what she said -Ed.]
Shang Tsung will take your soul without consent.
Shang’s greatest power is morphing into anyone
THE BOSSES
Shao, you ever thought of writing greeting cards?He’s not very amused, I see…
SECRET CHARACTERS
During the ? screen, use only Low Kick to fight Jade.
There’s also SMOKE and NOOB SAIBOT…As kids we all thought he said “WHOOPSIE!”
IMMORTAL MEMORIES
One of my favorite memories involving Mortal Kombat II took place in the winter of 1994. My best friend Nelson and I were so obsessed with the game that one morning before school began, we took turns on the playground pretending to be Shang Tsung. One of us would stick our hands out to emulate his fireball motion and the other one would lean back and breathe out. Our breath made it seem like “smoke” was coming out of our mouths. It captured the effect that Shang’s fireballs created upon impact. Damn, we were such dorks… [were? -Ed.]
SPIN THE FATALITY WHEEL
My poor Crash Dummy
In the early ’90s I was infatuated with the Incredible Crash Dummies. Its toy line stood out to me. With the press of a button, your Crash Dummy action figure would explode with limbs flying every which way. It wasn’t long before Tyco released a giant plush figure whose head and limbs were attached to Velcro. This led to new creative ways of torturing your Crash Dummy. On December 23, 1993, I finally got one from KB Toys. But rather than destroying my plush Crash Dummy buddy, I felt a bond with Spin and started to treat him as though he were my pet. Just… don’t ask. At the same time, Mortal Kombat II was pretty fresh in the arcades and reigning atop the gaming world. One weekend my out of town Gaming Crew came down for yet another legendary sleepover. I sadly made the fatal mistake of leaving Spin out in plain sight. The guy we affectionately referred to as Sushi-X, upon seeing Spin, grabbed him and issued an ominous decree. “WATCH THIS.” I gasped in abject horror as Sushi-X proceeded to replicate Jax’s Arm Ripper Fatality.
Everyone cheered. I watched helplessly as my Gaming Crew began taking turns acting out various Mortal Kombat II Fatalities on poor ol’ Spin. I wanted to tell them to stop but I also didn’t want to come off as the weird guy who had bonded with his Crash Dummy buddy. It was quite the quandary. Acceptance of your esteemed peers, or become the laughingstock of the group? Sadly, cowardly self-preservation won out. The next 10 minutes consisted of them reenacting every single last Fatality on the poor little guy. Hey, boys will be boys.
MORTAL FRIDAY… IMMORTAL MONDAY
The actual Target my bro got Mortal Kombat II from
One of my favorite gaming memories revolves around the release date of Mortal Kombat II. It came out on MORTAL FRIDAY, September 9, 1994. I sprinted home as soon as school got out in order to make the trek to Target with my mom and brother. She had agreed to buy the game for us. It was rare in those days for her to buy us a game outside of a birthday or Christmas. Somehow even she knew the magnitude of Mortal Friday. I have many fond memories of the local Target in my childhood home town. In fact, it’s one of the few entities from the ’80s that still stands today in the same spot. Oh sure it’s been renovated over the years but even to this day whenever I pass by four or five times a year I can’t help but stare and smile. A wave of memories always come roaring back ^_^
My mom and I used to go to Target every Friday after school back in the ’90s. I have fond memories of entering through the back via the classic Garden Center. I rarely came through the front entrance. My mom always went here first too since she loved gardening. And I loved it because the entrance into the store inside the Garden Center always led you directly to the toy section! So it was a win-win for all. As corny as this may sound, I can still smell the distinct and rich smell of fertilizer whenever I close my eyes and think about Target’s Garden Center. Some childhood smells just stay with you!
It was a tradition of mine to hit the toy section first, followed by the magazine section and then the electronics department that housed the latest 16-bit titles. I always went through the Garden Center. My mom did her shopping while I ran around Target by myself. Looking back, it was such an innocent time in my life. I remembering gawking at the various giant LEGO play sets. I drooled at the latest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toys and I would always bounce those silly looking bright bouncy balls that they kept stored in a cheap black plastic rack. I would then make my way over to the magazine aisle where I could thumb through the latest EGM and GameFan issues. Finally, I’d hit the game section to admire the latest and greatest. Good times.
“GET OVER HERE!”
After buying Mortal Kombat II on Mortal Friday, my brother and I spent that entire weekend playing it to death. We were blown away by what a great port it was. But we did have one small issue with it. For whatever reason, our copy was defected. Rayden’s electrocution special move didn’t work. Sure, it was kind of a shitty move anyway that left you wide open for attack if you missed, but details! We didn’t like the idea of owning a game where even one special move didn’t work properly. But it was late Sunday night and so we had to wait until Monday. My mom couldn’t take me right after school so I had to wait for my dad to come home later that night… setting the stage for one crazy Monday night…
I was a man on a mission
My dad had to work overtime that fateful Monday night, so when he finally arrived home and finished his late dinner it was already 9:45 PM. We rushed to Target hoping to get in before closing time. The Garden Center was already closed so this was one of those rare times I headed in through the front entrance. I still remember the image vividly of power walking down that long well-lit aisle all the way down to the electronics department. I was a man on a mission as I clutched my defective copy of Mortal Kombat II. The lights reflecting off the floor passed under my feet as I power walked to the game section before they could close at 10. Once there I explained to them about the game’s defect. As I finished explaining, a voice blared over the PA system: “Attention Target customers, we will be closing in 5 minutes.” The worker I spoke to was a young buck in his early 20s. He gave me a funny look and then said, “Hey, I guess we can always check it.” I stood there waiting for him to take my game off the counter and to the back. But he never did. Instead he dropped a bombshell on me. “Hey kid, wanna come back there?”
Suddenly I had a backstage pass!
Before I knew it the young college kid guided me and my dad through the backstage area of Target. Walking through the backstage tunnel felt quite surreal. Suddenly we were getting a sneak peek behind the scenes. As he led me and pops through that long hallway, I could only think to myself how awesome the whole thing felt. Finally, we came to a cozy staff room with some couches and a TV with a Super Nintendo plugged in. He threw my copy into the machine and away we went! It was absolutely surreal being backstage at one of my favorite childhood stores. After he confirmed that Rayden’s electrocution move didn’t work (he tried holding down HP for 2 seconds, then 4, then 6, then 20… none of them worked), he conceded and allowed me to exchange it for a working copy. He then most likely broke a law as he told me and my dad to hang tight. He ran off to snag a new Mortal Kombat II copy off the shelf so we can make sure it would not be defective as well. My dad and I suddenly found ourselves sitting there in Target’s staff room all by ourselves (as non employees). I remember just thinking to myself HOLY SHIT!I don’t think this is supposed to be happening but it was! As an 11 year old kid at the time it was frigging awesome.
All because this move didn’t work in the first copy
When he finally came back, I saw that he wasn’t alone. Not only did he have a nice new copy of Mortal Kombat II but yet another Target employee walked in with him. He was also a young college kid. I looked up at the clock and realized it was now past 10 — the store had closed! They tore open the new copy and fired it up. The two of them tested to make sure that Rayden’s electrocution move worked on this copy. It did. At this point more Target employees started pouring in and the staff room was suddenly swarming and buzzing with about 10 workers. My dad and I found ourselves right in the thick of it all. Before I knew it they even asked me if I was interested in playing a few rounds. HELL YEAH!Playing Mortal Kombat II with some cool random college guys past closing hours on a school night? SIGN ME UP! I looked at my dad, who was now standing in the corner looking on, and he nodded with a smile. I ended up playing about 10 matches with various Target employees! They let me play on even if I lost. I remember my first win caused the room to erupt as they gave me hi-fives and teased the guy I had somehow beaten like there was no tomorrow. Finally, we turned the game off and they gave us the exchange.
Best customer service ever
On our way out, and I’m not sure why but I remember this SO vividly, a lovely female employee asked me if I wanted something from the vending machine that hugged the wall at the end of the staff room. She told me and my dad it’s on the house. My dad got a Pepsi and I ended up getting an ice cold Sprite. We walked out of Target at around 10:30 that night, a solid half hour after they had officially closed. In our hands were two ice cold beverages and a new defect-free copy of SNES Mortal Kombat II. It was one of those magical nights from your childhood you can never forget. After all, how many kids can say they played Mortal Kombat II backstage at their local Target with some cool college cats? It’s a memory that has stuck with me ever since.
Looks like I wasn’t the only one…Brian George from Indiana, you weren’t alone…The Target guys and I were only 240 matches shy…
WHAT THE CRITICS SAID
Mortal Kombat II fared extremely well with the critics. EGM rated it 8, 8, 8 and 9. GameFan gave it ratings of 85, 90 and 94%. Super Play rated it 90%. It was well received by nearly everyone. Tony Mott of Super Play fame said, “There’s a vast amount of playability lurking beneath its deceptive surface and in quality of conversion terms there’s little around to touch it.” K. Lee from GameFan declared “Mortal Kombat II is a 95% arcade to home translation. This is truly an Mortal Kombat fan’s dream come true.” Al Manuel of EGM called it “as close to the arcade as it’s gonna get” and Danyon Carpenter said simply, “Mortal Kombat II fans can finally shut up. Their game is here and what an excellent translation it is.” Well said, my friends. Well f*cking said.
Nintendo Power rated it as the 53rd best game ever
It was only missing the names inside the bars
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Redemption never tasted so sweet
The first Mortal Kombat was a disappointing port. Not just because it was censored but because there was a slight lag in the gameplay that kind of threw everything off a bit. Mortal Kombat II on the other hand thankfully got so much right. Crisp control and it was uncensored. It’s one of the best ports the Super Nintendo ever saw. From the moment my brother bought it on Mortal Friday, Mortal Kombat II became a permanent mainstay in our SNES collection. I think back to those times where my brother, our gaming crew and I would play this late into the night. We mastered all the Fatalities, tinkered with the Easter eggs and many evenings were spent happily glued to the glow of the TV set. Looking back on it, those were some of the best gaming days of my youth.
Twice the fun, twice the violence, twice as nice
In some cases nostalgia can blind us. But in this case, Mortal Kombat II on the Super Nintendo holds up well even 20+ years later. The visuals were amazing for its time. Hell, they still look pretty damn good. The sound is well done and very memorable. From “FINISH HIM!!” to the eerie trees growling in the living forest, it is a true arcade-like experience. But most importantly, the gameplay is about as spot on as you can hope for a tap-tap Mortal Kombat affair to be. Unlike the first game, there’s no funky split second delay in control. Every once in a while that Mortal Kombat itch strikes. While there are other sequels with much bigger rosters and even more moves, Mortal Kombat II remains the one I most often reach for. It expanded on the first game enough yet it maintained a certain level of simplicity and purity that later sequels lacked. Those sequels became a bit unnecessarily convoluted (i.e. Animality and Brutality). Mortal Kombat II on the other hand hits the sweet spot. “EXCELLENT!”
Street Fighter II arrived on the scene in 1991 and arcade fighting games were never the same again. It jumpstarted a revolution and inspired many other companies to develop their own fighting games, hopeful for a slice of the pie. Midway changed the gaming industry on August 2, 1992, when they released Mortal Kombat. Featuring a more “realistic” look, buckets of gore, eye-popping Fatalities and an elaborate backstory, Mortal Kombat became nothing short of a phenomenon. It’s crazy to believe it’s almost been exactly 25 years to the day that this game first came out. It was a different era back then. And whether you liked or hated Mortal Kombat, it was the kind of game that elicited a reaction. That year Midway, Capcom and SNK all battled for arcade fighting game supremacy. What a time to be alive.
MORTAL MONDAY!
Who could ever forget the infamous ad campaign for MORTAL MONDAY? That, of course, was the big day the home ports of Mortal Kombat were set to be released. It was one of the most memorable campaigns to any video game ever. September 13, 1993 was the day Mortal Kombat finally came home. It was quite the moment and an amazing time to be a robust 10 year old boy growing up in suburban America. Whether you liked the game or not there’s no denying that the hyped release was a HAPPENING. Yup, no 16-bit gamer who grew up back then will ever forget those two infamous words, Mortal Monday. Good times.
PS- this was originally made on September 13, 2013
Indeed, it was a special time. SNES owners had been enjoying Street Fighter II Turbo for a month, and then Mortal Kombat joined the fray. I was 10 years old, loving the 5th grade and loving my SNES. Life was simple and life was good.
THE STORY GOES…
Ah, how I miss early-mid ’90s video gaming comic art“Now I am become Death, the Destroyer of Worlds…”“MORTAL KOMBAAAAAAAT!!!!”
Love this opening sequence!
You’re not the only one who grew up in the ’90s wanting to do that to Acclaim at some point. Thanks for making our dreams come true, Goro. You’re a real hero.
Indeed, there were only a measly 7 combatants to select from, but one could argue Street Fighter II had only 7 itself as well (Ryu and Ken had matching movesets). At least the two palette swaps here, Sub-Zero and Scorpion, have their own unique, distinct fighting styles.
It previews the daunting road ahead in grand fashion
FINISH HIM!!
Nope, you certainly did not
We didn’t quite understand the infamous FINISH HIM!! part when we first encountered Mortal Kombat in the arcades as kids. It was clear though that in those 3 seconds post-battle, you had the chance to do something. I’ll never forget the first time I saw somebody pull off Scorpion’s Fatality in the arcades. It was the first Fatality I witnessed and a moment in time that I will never forget. Everyone huddled around the arcade cab started screaming and basically losing their shit. We had never EVER seen anything like THAT before. It instantly put Mortal Kombat on the map. Say what you will about the game — it’s a gimmick, it’s a novelty, it’s a far cry from what constitutes as a “good” fighting game — but there’s NO denying that being a kid and seeing your very first Fatality back in 1992 was a moment you’d never forget. It’s just one of those epic defining moments in the ol’ video game memory bank. It’s right up there next to the first time you saw the two Barons of Hell bursting out of their pods from DOOM, or the rabid zombie dogs crashing through the window in the very first Resident Evil.
Yeah it’s not the same but it’s still pretty damn cool
THE STAGES
THE COURTYARD
You find yourself on the inside but the battle has only just begun. You feel the intense burning eyes of over 20 monks tracking your every movement. In the far distance, high above, the creepy Shang Tsung looks on. I love the way the monks are all quietly bobbing away. Reminds me of all the kung fu flicks I watched as a kid growing up…
THE PALACE GATES
Ominous clouds linger overhead as you continue to prove your worth. The giant Buddha statue there is certainly a nice touch. If you can defeat your opponent here, the gates open to reveal the…
HALL OF CHAMPIONS
Only the best of the best are immortalized here with a life-sized statue. Goro’s gigantic statue eerily towers over the combatants, constantly reminding you of what terrors await at the end of the arduous road.
THE PIT
Lurking deep below in the pit are hundreds of razor sharp spikes. Many bodies have been mutilated when knocked over the precariously narrow platform ledge. It’s a very basic but effectively sadistic stage. One of the true Mortal Kombat classics. Gotta love it!
SHANG’S PALACE
Under the watchful glare of Shang Tsung, you battle to the death for his twisted amusement. It’s genuinely creepy how he claps at the end of a round. The motion of the clapping is a bit erratic and just doesn’t seem right…
Shang Tsung gets closer with each step of the way…GORO’S LAIR
The skeletons adorned to the walls and glowing red eyes flickering in the dark say it all. Many heinous acts, far too horrible to speak of, have been conducted down here in this decrepit dungeon of DEATH and DESPAIR. The foul and putrid smell of decaying bones invade your senses. You would probably puke and gag if you weren’t busy trying to stay alive. Meanwhile, somewhere nearby the hideous monster Goro lurks…
THE BONUS STAGE
Every fighting game had to have one back in the day
THE KOMBATANTS
Can’t help but love that name. Johnny Cage is a shallow narcissist who also happens to be a grand martial arts fiend. He’s capable of taking out a small army in the matter of seconds. Why did he enter the tournament? To garner more publicity toward his brand and to prove he’s truly the best in the universe. His fashion sense could use some work but hey, it was 1992.
Through years of intense training, Johnny can muster up so much chi that he’s able to unleash a lethal green flame from the palm of his hand. His trusty Shadow Kick produces so much force that you can actually see a shadow trail.
His Fatality has been sadly neutered.
Kano is nothing but a punk. Leader of the deadly Black Dragon clan, Kano believes Shang Tsung’s palace to be made of gold. He entered the tourney in order to find out if the rumor’s true or not.
Never one to shy away from violence, Kano’s Knife Throw travels fast and cuts even harder. He’ll do anything to gain the upper hand, including putting his very own body in harm’s way. This is clearly evident by his Cannon Ball where he throws caution to the wind. Eat your heart out, Blanka. Hell, Kano would.
Infamous for his vicious “rip their heart out” Fatality, Nintendo of America of course would not allow such a thing. Wish I could tell you the pillar there is blocking the heart graphic but it was sadly censored and Kano in fact doesn’t hold a heart at all. This makes the animation of him staring into his empty hand a bit awkward.
Who didn’t get a kick out of Liu Kang back in the day? This Bruce Lee wannabe is out to restore nobility and honor to the tournament, which has been tainted by the likes of madman Shang Tsung. Liu Kang once said, “Spikes don’t hit back… wait, actually, they sort of do… hmmm.”
Dragon Fire scorches its target. His lunging Dragon Kick darts across the screen in a flash, keeping opponents on their toes.
Another horribly neutered Fatality, he does a little fancy flip into an uppercut. Really?
In my gaming crew back in the day we used to joke about how one of our friends was secretly the elusive Sushi-X from EGM fame. We also thought another one of our friends, Tommy, moonlighted as Rayden. For a couple years there in the early-mid ’90s, we tried several times to sneak a rice hat onto Tommy’s head, always to no avail. I swear the dude was the spitting image of Rayden. Ah, those were the days…
Rayden’s Lightning Bolt is sure to electrify the competition (sorry). His infamous Super Man torpedo elicited many exaggerated “AH-LA-LA-AHH-LAAA!”yelps from fans back in the early ’90s.
Teleport from one side to the other to catch the opposition off guard. Start a fancy combo if you wish or simply nail them with an uppercut that sends them sky high!
Rayden electrocutes his victim into a pile of dust. It’s a bit hard to pull off but it’s one of the better looking Fatalities in this port. Don’t mess with the Thunder God.
Ah, Scorpion. My friends and I — hell, everyone I knew growing up — always thought he was badass. But when we witnessed his Fatality for the very first time and saw that hideous skull behind the cool ninja mask, Scorpion officially became alegend among legends. This hombre is frigging awesome. Besides, he is responsible for three of gaming’s most iconic words: “GET OVER HERE!!”
Scorpion’s infamous “GET OVER HERE!!” Spear is to Mortal Kombat what the Hadoken is to Street Fighter II. It’s one of the most iconic special moves in fighting game history. Scorpion can also teleport and quickly reappear attacking on the other side.
Never before 1992 had I seen anything like this. There was a palpable buzz in that arcade hall the moment the screen went dark. Scorp takes off the mask, reveals his true horrific identity which naturally elicits a collective gasp from the crowd, *POOF* does his thing and the rest is history. It’s one of those legendary video gaming moments that you never forget.
Sonya was Miday’s answer to Capcom’s Chun-Li. You may scoff at her fashion sense but back in ’92 no one knew any better. Kind of scary, when you think about it.
Before Chun-Li’s Kikoken fireball you had Sonya Blade’s Energy Rings. Sonya also loves taking to the air as well as tossing her opponents with her mighty strong legs.
Brings a whole new meaning to “Kiss of Death.”
Sub-Zero is the man. Who doesn’t love ninjas, especially ones with ice powers? His longstanding rivalry with Scorpion is well documented.
Putting the big freeze on an opponent leaves him or her frozen for a few moments. This makes them ripe for the taking. Sub-Zero also has a sliding attack to keep his opponents honest.
While it’s not his uncensored arcade original Fatality of ripping out one’s bloody spinal cord, this more kid-friendly reimagining is not too shabby.
THE BOSSES
Indeed he is. And what a sight for sore eyes. When we first saw him, like many of the Fatalities themselves, there was a palpable visceral reaction. He looked, moved, sounded and played the part of a menacing monster like we had never seen before.
Not ashamed to admit he kinda scared me as a kid…
What a creepy portrait!
Shang Tsung is a shapeshifting bastard. The idea of a boss who could turn temporarily into any of the other fighters always appealed to me. After all, if there was a boss code that meant you could pick a character who would basically serve as an in-game Russian Roulette
THE ENDINGS
The arcade had actual images. We settled for this
It was cheap and lazy but hey it is what it is
THE SONG
Remember the Mortal Kombat song? It was actually pretty damn cool. Great beat and I loved the actual Mortal Kombat announcer saying the fighters’ names and memorable phrases like “EXCELLENT!”and “TEST YOUR MIGHT!” To honor the theme song, I compiled a montage below that walks you through the first part of the song. So if you’d indulge me for a bit, click on the YouTube song and enjoy a blast from the past as you scroll through the pictures below.
Ah, what a lovely trip down memory lane
WHAT THE CRITICS SAID
There will never be another era like this ever again
EGM gave it scores of 7, 7, 7 and 8. GameFan gave it ratings of 75, 76, 78and 80%. Super Play scored it 81%. It was praised for its amazing visuals and sound but the severe censorship definitely was not a popular choice with the critics. Late 1993 was a great time to be a Super Nintendo owner as well as a fighting game fan. Street Fighter II Turbo and Mortal Kombat, released only a month apart of each other, battled for SNES supremacy. I always saw Turbo as the superior game but Mortal Kombat did stand as an intriguing alternative. The tap tap style was certainly unique, as well as the huge digitized characters. The debate would rage on that fall of ’93 as the two games graced magazine covers galore. It was all part of the fun of that magical era… a time period in which I still look back on with a real deep fondness even more than 20 years later.
The classic Mortal Kombat symbol
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Dang. it’s almost been 25 years. I’ll be damned…
1993 was a special time in my life. It’s a year I’ll never forget. I was 10, I had a best friend, my 5th grade teacher was the best I ever had, the school’s two cutest girls were in my class, the SNES and Genesis were waging war at their peak, and it was the age of the 2D fighting game. When I think back to that precious time of my life and the games that helped to define that era, Mortal Kombat inevitably comes to mind. Its bloody mayhem and rivalry with Street Fighter II Turbo was simply the stuff legends are made of. And so too was the hype train when these two games were set to make their shiny SNES debut. My brother bought Street Fighter II Turbo and our gaming crew bought Mortal Kombat. It was the best of both worlds as we hosted tournaments for both games whenever we got together back in those days. Good times!
“THIS GIRL IS ON FIRE…”
The SNES port, aside from being censored, was decent for its time. The fighters were colossal and looked pretty amazing back in 1993. The sound captured the intensity of the arcade original. I’ve always enjoyed the music and sound effects of Mortal Kombat. The gameplay, however, takes a bit of a hit. I was never the biggest fan of the arcade original in terms of sheer playability. I always felt the Street Fighter games were in another class. The original Mortal Kombat, I feel, was never a fantastic game to begin with. It was the unique novelty that drew us in. While the SNES port is fairly faithful, Fatalities and blood aside, it’s a fairly faithful port of an arcade game that wasn’t all that good to begin with. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy busting out this game even to this day for the random stroll down memory lane. But the control wasn’t all that great and left the gameplay feeling a little stiff as a result. Moves don’t flow out smoothly and it takes a while to get used to. It’s a fun piece of history I suppose, and a look back at simpler times — a magical time of childhood and the awe of witnessing your first blood-laced Fatality. But as a game, it just doesn’t quite hit the mark. Now, Mortal Kombat II on the other hand…
Mortal Kombat falls a little short in my book, not just because it was censored but because the control is not as crisp as it should have been. Still, it’s something of a guilty pleasure I have to admit and a game that I still randomly pop in for the sake of nostalgia. It’s a relic from my youth that perfectly captures those lazy, hazy, crazy 1993 days.
Nothing but cheesy goodnessThanks for the memories. Long Live Mortal Monday!
It’s been Double Dragon week here on RVGFanatic and it’s time to conclude the week by examining the last Double Dragon game ever released on the Super Nintendo. And that is, of course, Double Dragon V: The Shadow Falls. The first SNES appearance of the Lee brothers came in the form of Super Double Dragon. They reappeared for Battletoads & Double Dragon and they made their third and final SNES run in a tournament-based fighter. This was a radical change for the franchise. But keep in mind Technos (the original developers of the series) had nothing to do with this. Instead, a very small and obscure firm by the name of Leland Interactive handled the duties of this game. It was also based off the Double Dragon cartoon, which wasn’t exactly the most faithful representation of the proud franchise. To be blunt, Double Dragon V gets a lot of hate. But is it really that bad?
NOT YOUR BROTHER’S DOUBLE DRAGON
I first saw Double Dragon V in EGM issue #59 (May ’94). My first reaction: WTF, a fighting game?! After getting over my initial jolt of disappointment, I actually thought it looked pretty cool. EGM’s preview made it look like a promising game. The thing about it that grabbed me was its cartoony look (which makes total sense since it was based off the cartoon that started airing the year before). The next thing that caught my eye were all the strange fighters. I had a fetish for the Dhalsims and Blankas of the world. I always selected the weirdest fighters first whenever playing a new fighting game for the first time. And this game was chock full of oddities, which appealed to my penchant of liking the spare parts of fighting game rosters. Also, as a huge World Heroes fan, Billy and Jimmy Lee were Hanzou and Fuuma 2.0. Straight down to the blue and red colors and very similar movesets.
Where have I seen the Dragon Spin before?… Oh yeah“We were here long before you were, SO IN YOUR FACE!”Based off the cartoon that ran 26 episodes (’93-’94)GameFan always made games look like masterpieces
I’ll never forget GameFan’s AMAZING preview. Double Dragon V opened up the Planet SNES section — GameFan usually reserved the top spot for the game they wanted to champion most that month. So to see Double Dragon V get top billing made my expectations for the game soar. Not to mention how they made it look like a million freaking bucks! Remember the good old days when all we had were magazines, like EGM and GameFan, to help fuel our imagination of how our hopeful new favorites would play? There was no YouTube to stream instant footage in those days — your imagination did it for you based off a few pages and screenshots in a magazine you held in your very own hands. To some of you reading this that may seem primitive but for the rest of us that was our childhood and it was actually quite awesome. GameFan was the best at making every game look like a masterpiece thanks to their hi-res photos and creative layouts.
Yes, this was my actual childhood Hollywood Video!
Summer 1994. The new Hollywood Video by my house had finally opened. I remember running over (it was literally not five minutes from my house) and I vividly recall seeing both Fighter’s History and Double Dragon V sitting pretty next to each other. This remains embedded in my heart nearly 25 years later. Although I loved me some Fighter’s History, my best friend Nelson DID already rent the import version a few months prior (see The Summer of Imports) and so it was pretty much a no-brainer for me at that point. I excitedly grabbed Double Dragon V from its resting place and rushed to the front of the line. A sign in the window said membership was free. The clerk, a young lady, asked for my membership card. I told her I didn’t have one yet and wanted to start one. She chuckled at my innocence and replied, “Well, you would need a driver’s license and credit card for that.” My hopes crushed, I sauntered away quietly feeling like such an idiot. As the great wrestling commentator turned Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura once said, “Close but no cigar.”
My childhood Hollywood Video, taken January 2006
I took this picture on a cold rainy Monday night January of 2006. Hollywood Video was one of my favorite stores to visit as a kid. I wasted hours going up and down the long aisles gawking at the seemingly endless supply of horror movies. Those classic vintage VHS boxes haunted my youth. There were so many obscure horror movies from the ’70s and ’80s that it blew my young mind. It felt almost a little taboo even just to be browsing them. And of course, after wetting my horror movie appetite, it was on to browse the latest 16-bit games. It was a big part of my childhood, and it saddens me to think the kids of today will never know what it’s like to roam through a video store. This location finally died off in 2009. It was one of the last relics remaining from my youth. Thanks for the renting memories!
That’s gonna leave a mark
Wow did I take a tangent there! Anyway, I never did get to rent Double Dragon V. So when I bought a copy in 2006 during my SNES resurrection, boy, was I psyched to finally conquer a 12 year curiosity. And you know, despite all the terrible things people say about Double Dragon V — I’ll be damned — I actually find it to be not so bad. Hell, even halfway entertaining!
TAXI CAB CONFESSIONS
Looks like that “someday” is today!
MANUAL MADNESS
The manual is pretty neat and acts like a comic bookBilly was a little too goody two shoes, though…The art is kind of in that “so bad it’s good” territoryIt even came packed with this cool pull-out poster!
THE SHADOW FALLS
Many dislike this game but I find it oddly enjoyable
There’s a boss code to boost the roster from 10 to 12Use either Lee brother or any of these eight freaksA secret code gives you more bonus points to useLocation map highlights each stage’s set pieces. NiceYes, there are fatalities. Overkills will be listed below
To execute Overkills, you must finish off your opponent with a specific strike while they’re standing. Note that the listed Overkill for each character below is what you must do TO them as opposed to “done AS them.” Also, Overkills only work on Medium or higher difficulty and can’t be done in the Quest mode.
THE FIGHTERS
I like Billy’s stage for how incredibly morbid it is. A pair of prisoners squirm in the background knowing that their fate will eventually be that of the skeleton displayed front and center. Hmm, this stage begs the question if Billy is really a secret serial killer. Love the music here as well — it’s catchy.
Billy’s your typical fighting game main hero, which means his moveset consists of the following: a fireball, a leaping uppercut slash and a spinning attack capable of multiple hits. In addition he has a quick lunging strike to keep opponents on their toes.
Jimmy does all of his training at the Dragon Dojo where he hones his craft day and night. A giant golden dragon statue looms in the background, reminding him everyday of the untapped power of the Dragon. The statue even breathes smoke and flashes its glowing eyes. It has sometimes proven to be an effective distraction to Jimmy’s opponents, which allows him to take full advantage. Unlike Billy, Jimmy isn’t afraid to embrace a little bit of the dark side from time to time…
Jimmy shares the same moveset as his brother. Only his fireball is literally a fireball as opposed to a dragon-shaped projectile.
The Red Dragon Tea is one of Metro City’s hot spots. After all, what can beat an endless variety of tea drinks and a backlot brawl on a Friday night?
Projectile overkill much? But that’s kind of why I find this game to be a guilty pleasure. Double Dragon V feels like it was made by a bunch of 10 year old kids who couldn’t agree on one fireball so they included all three of their ideas for a fireball instead. Jawbreaker is a fun quirky fighter who can also launch himself head first, à la E. Honda.
When the hipsters of Metro City aren’t hanging out at the Red Dragon Tea, they’re most likely chomping on some greasy burgers at Cody’s Nutron Grill. Fights often break out here as well. It’s hard to top dinner and a show.
Icepick is cool (sorry) if only for the fact that he’s the only one who can freeze his opponent, Sub-Zero style. He’s also got a regular projectile just for the hell of it, because it’s Double Dragon V: Land of the Projectiles.
I like how this stage is set against the backdrop of a heavily polluted factory. It fits in well with Metro City’s whole grimy feel…
Another bizarre fighter with THREE different projectiles. Can you name another fighting game that can claim that? Certainly not from 1994. Like I said earlier, it feels like it was made by kids who came up with a bunch of “cool” fireball attacks but couldn’t agree on just one so they included everyone’s idea. I find that oddly fascinating!
The mysterious neon green bubbling liquid gives this stage a lovely glow. TMNT Mutagen flashback, anyone?
Sickle only has one projectile, believe it or not! But to make up for it he has some super cool blade attacks, including one that can safely pass projectiles.
This is a rather creepy sewer thanks to a couple of strange looking cats and rats scurrying around.
Blade’s M.Bison-like torpedo strikes hard and fast. He likes to bury his blades deep in his victim’s crotch before discarding them like yesterday’s garbage.
Trigger Happy has the coolest name but also the worst looking stage in the game. It’s a bit drab and nothing to write home about.
Luckily, he’s been compensated with an incredibly cool moveset. Two different fireballs — one hits high while the other hits low, so the multiple projectiles actually serve a function here. He also has an electric AND flame-based attack. Not to mention a very cool take on the old Dragon Punch. Trigger Happy is easily one of the more fun characters to play as.
This is one of my favorite stages from the game. It perfectly conveys the seediness of Metro City. Love the city backdrop and how the ‘E’ in HOTEL flickers in and out.
Countdown has the coolest special moves in the entire game, even more than Trigger Happy. HE TURNS INTO A MOTHER F*CKIN’ ROCKET. You just can’t top that one, folks. End scene. Done. Finito!
A forgettable stage for a forgettable fighter. Not much else to say, really.
Sekka and Blade are almost interchangeable; they have no projectiles and similar blade-related attacks and strikes. Not one of my favorites.
That Double Dragon yin yang symbol is awesome but that is about the only notable thing of this stage.
Dominique has a very meh moveset. She was created specifically for this game and feels like an afterthought. As if someone said, “Hey we should have a female boss character…”
The creepy dragon/snake statue in the background glows off and on, creating a pretty neat effect. I also like the murals adorned on each side of this stage.
Shadow Master can teleport, has a charging strike and commands both electrical and flame-based projectiles. Not too shabby for a final boss. Terrible generic costume, though.
DON THE DRAGON MASK!
Sorry… you can’t wear the dragon mask like in the cartoon, but this comes pretty close.
“Don’t you say a damn word now…”
SECRET CODES
Note: all of the following codes are done at the game selection screen.
Play As Bosses: L, R, Up, L, L, Down, R, R
Extra Continues: Left, Right, Left, Right, L, L, R, R, R
Six Extra Points: Right, Down, Down, Left, Up, Right, L, R, L, R, L, R
WHAT THE CRITICS SAID
EGM’s review is firmly embedded in my mind
For all the hype Double Dragon V got in gaming magazines, it turned out to be a bit of a flop. EGM’s review published in issue #60 has always stuck with me. The screenshot reaffirmed to me what a weird roster it had but the scores were so average. They gave it ratings of 5, 5, 5 and 6. GameFan never reviewed it despite giving it a glowing three page preview. My theory? GameFan disliked the final product and was embarrassed that they gave Double Dragon V top billing. Perhaps by not reviewing it they were hoping to wipe it from everyone’s memory. Super Play gave it an abysmal 39% rating. The majority of online retro gamers tend to trash this game whenever it gets brought up. It gets a bad rap but I don’t think it’s nearly as bad as most people say it is. I mean, it’s not great or anything but it’s definitely playable. There are plenty worse games on the Super Nintendo, that’s for sure.
Little harsh there, Super PlayOops, dyslexia! Sorry Double Dragon V. That’s a 39%These aren’t the scores GameFan secretly gave it…
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Some titles you just have a soft spot for. This is mine
Some games deservedly get a bad rap while others I feel really aren’t so bad. Double Dragon V fits the latter, for me at least. If you approach it with the right mindset, it can be mildly amusing for 15-20 minutes or so. The graphics are colorful yet “dark” at the same time, lending Double Dragon V a unique style. It’s not a particularly great looking game but in certain spots it’s alright. The sound is pretty lackluster but the music is decent especially on a few stages such as Billy Lee’s. I like how the music for each stage kicks into a frenzy whenever one opponent’s health starts reaching the danger zone. It helps add a little extra drama to a match. This game is the perfect definition of a guilty pleasure.
*cue Elton John’s ROCKET MAN…*
A fighting game is only as good as its control, roster and mechanics. The control here is passable. It’s not crisp but it’s not terribly difficult to pull off the special moves. My biggest gripe actually? The physics. They feel a little off, similar to Clay Fighter. The roster isn’t notably appealing and there aren’t many combos to speak of. It’s mainly a fireball spam fest and trying to hit each other with your special moves. Yet, there’s something about this game that compels me to play it every once in a blue moon. I think one of the main reasons why Double Dragon V gets such a bad rap is because it wasn’t a proper kick-ass beat ‘em up sequel to Super Double Dragon. Sure, the fact that it’s not a good fighting game plays a big role too of course but I think many people were never able to look beyond their initial disappointment or look beyond the game’s admittedly terrible aesthetic. I really don’t think this game is THAT bad. Give it a fair shot and I think you’ll realize it’s not in the same class as the bottom feeders. That’s not high praise but you get my point. It’s not the first SNES fighting game I would play, but I can’t deny that I find it oddly enjoyable. After all, any game where you can turn into a rocket can’t TRULY be a total loss, can it?
Graphics: 6.5
Sound: 5
Gameplay: 5.5
Longevity: 6
Overall: 6.0
The less said about the 1994 movie, the betterProps for this, thoughIt’s really not that bad…REALLYnot bad at all…
![[SHEEEEET, why didn't you warn me earlier? -Ed.]](http://rvgfanatic.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/DCrest20.jpg)
![[Reminds me of an ex... -Ed.]](http://rvgfanatic.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/DCCling1.png)
![[Just like the gawd damn in-laws -Ed.]](http://rvgfanatic.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/DCrest72.jpg)
![[Steve did it -Ed.]](http://rvgfanatic.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Gen-An-Text.jpg)
![This game is lit, fam [Stop it -Ed.]](http://rvgfanatic.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/DCBeyond17.png)
![[Get this fake 1998 Godzilla crap outta here! -Ed.]](http://rvgfanatic.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/SGNG54.jpg)
![[HAR HAR -Ed.]](http://rvgfanatic.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/SGNG63.jpg)
![Firebrand also appeared in SNES Brandish [Stop it -Ed.]](http://rvgfanatic.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/SGNG125.jpg)
![... must come back up [Uh, I don't think that's it -Ed.]](http://rvgfanatic.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/KOTM2-85.jpg)
![[What, no dig at Beijing this time? -Ed.]](http://rvgfanatic.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/KOTM2-107.jpg)
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![[What is this, PornHub?! -Ed.]](http://rvgfanatic.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/FH74.jpg)
![[F*cking called it -Ed.]](http://rvgfanatic.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/FH89b.gif)
![[I stand corrected -Ed.]](http://rvgfanatic.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/FH90.jpg)
![[YAKETY YAK! -Ed.]](http://rvgfanatic.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/FH95.jpg)
![[Hey, this pic was made back in 2008, OK? -Ed.]](http://rvgfanatic.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/FH100.jpg)
![[Don't forget us! -Saurus]](http://rvgfanatic.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/WH2Intro9.jpg)
![He's green with envy [Oh no you dih-ent -Ed.]](http://rvgfanatic.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/WH2Intro17.jpg)
![SURF NINJAS, anyone? [Yeah, no -Ed.]](http://rvgfanatic.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/WH2-107.jpg)
![[OHHH I SEE WAT U DID UP DERE -Ed.]](http://rvgfanatic.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/SSFII13.jpg)
