The Combatribes

Last updated
The Combatribes
Combatribes.png
Promotional leaflet for the arcade version (due to an error the colors for Blitz and Bullova are switched in this artwork).
Developer(s) Technos Japan Corp.
Publisher(s) American Technos Inc.
Director(s) Atsushi Tanimoto, Noriyuki Tomiyama (arcade)
Yoshihisa Kishimoto (SNES)
Producer(s) Noriyuki Tomiyama
Programmer(s) Naritaka Nishimura, Takayuki Saito, Isamu Kanakubo, Kenji Nishikawa (arcade)
Michiya Hirasawa, S. Minayoshi (SNES)
Artist(s) Koji Ogata, H. Shibata, Tsutomu Andō, Toshiyuki Ōsumi, Shinichi Saitō, Masamichi Katagiri, Takehisa Izumiyama, H. Sakamoto (arcade)
A. Hirasawa, Hidetoshi Fujioka, Yasuo Wakatsuki, S. Inoue, Takashige Shichijyo, Tsutomu Andō (SNES)
Writer(s) Atsushi Tanimoto (SNES)
Composer(s) Kazunaka Yamane
Platform(s) Arcade, Super NES, Wii Virtual Console
Release May 1990 [1]
Genre(s) Beat 'em up
Mode(s) Single-player, co-op

The Combatribes [2] is a 1990 beat 'em-up game released for the arcades by Technos Japan Corp (the developers of Renegade and Double Dragon ). A home version for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System was also released in 1992. The game centers on three vigilantes (identified as cyborgs in the SNES port) who must fight against numerous street gangs in futuristic New York City. The SNES version was released for the Wii Virtual Console in North America on November 30, 2009. [3]

Contents

Arcade version

The trio of heroes boast a variety of unique techniques in addition to the standard punch and kick combos such as stomping on an opponent, swinging them by their ankles, kicking them on the ground, slamming their faces into the pavement and even the ability to slam the heads of two opponents together. The player can also pick up certain large-sized objects (parked motorcycles, go-karts or pinball machines) and toss them over enemies.

The game can be set up so that it can be played by up to two or three players simultaneously. In the two-player version of the game, the players are asked to select their characters at the character select screen, whereas the three-player version has each player already assigned with a corresponding character.

These three heroic strongmen that are playable are identified as the titular Combatribes, here are their profiles:

The game is composed of six different stages (or "Acts" as they're referred within the game) set in unique locations, each featuring a themed gang. The majority of the stages are composed of a single playing field where the player must take on a set number of underlings before facing the gang's leader, similar to Renegade . Some stages break away from this formula by having more than one level. The gangs the player faces are in order: a biker gang in Times Square, circus performers in Coney Island, roller skaters in a dance club, a punk gang in a baseball stadium and a militia in a high-rise building.

The final stage is a boss rush against all the previous gangs while chasing a big crime boss in the harbor. After the gangs are defeated once again, the crime boss is killed by a female cyborg, Martha Splatterhead. Martha then engages the player in a final battle. If two or three players are present by the start of the final battle, an additional clone or two of Martha will appear to match the number of players. All Marthas must be defeated to complete the game.

Home version

The Super NES version of The Combatribes makes a few changes to the game. The game now features story sequences before and after boss battles, as well as an opening intro explaining the plot and a different ending. The gameplay remains the same, with the character's health now represented by a life bar instead of numeric values. There are no weapons to be picked up and thrown in the SNES version, the stages are simpler and some of the enemy characters are missing. The bikers who carried broken bottles in Act One no longer drop their weapons after being sufficiently damaged. The flame-eating boss of Act Two ("Salamander") normally loses range on his torch attack the more damage he takes, while the SNES version keeps him at full strength until he drops it.

Two player moves are also missing: the ability to pick up and carry enemies around, and the ability to repeatedly kick downed opponents. The fifth stage is composed of a boss rush against all the previous gangs before facing the Slaughter Troops. The sixth and final stage is simply the final battle against Martha Splatterhead set atop the rooftop of a high-rise building. The crime boss from the arcade version is missing in the SNES port, which establishes Martha as the leader of the gangs early on instead. Additionally, only one Martha will fight the player, regardless of the number of players present at the final stage.

In addition to the main game, there's a one-on-one versus mode similar to the one featured in the NES version of Double Dragon . The player can perform Street Fighter II -style special techniques including fireballs and block attacks with some characters. The game's enemies and bosses can also be used by inputting passwords given in the main game.

The North American version of the game was further censored, with the blood on enemy's faces during cut scenes being recolored white to look like saliva, sweat and tears. One of the bosses, a cyborg general named Swastika, was renamed "Master Blaster", to remove obvious references to Nazism. The fifth stage gang is renamed "The Demolition Troops" (instead of "The Slaughter Troops"). In the first stage, the "Steak & Brew Burger" in the background is renamed to the "Steak & Shake", to remove alcohol references (even though the original name was likely a reference to coffee rather than beer "brew", given the adjacent sign advertising coffee in both versions).

The Virtual Console re-release in North America was furthered censored, with the enemy organization "Ground Zero" being renamed "Guilty Zero".

Soundtrack

An album containing the original soundtrack for the arcade versions of Double Dragon 3: The Rosetta Stone and this game was released by Pony Canyon in Japan, titled Double Dragon 3/The Combatribes. It was released on June 21, 1991, and its catalog number is PCCB-00065. Tracks 13 to 21 are taken from The Combatribes.

Reception

In Japan, Game Machine listed The Combatribes on their August 1, 1990 issue as being the second most-successful table arcade unit of the month. [7] In the United States, it had a high-earning test market performance around May 1990. [1] Power Unlimited gave a score of 50% writing: "Combat Tribes has everything a game shouldn't have. A bad story, lousy controls, ridiculous characters and much more. Not recommended." [8]

Related Research Articles

<i>Final Fight</i> (video game) 1989 video game

Final Fight is a side-scrolling beat-'em-up video game produced by Capcom. Originally released as an arcade game in 1989, it was the seventh title released for the CP System hardware. Set in the fictional Metro City, the game lets the player control one of three street fighters: former pro wrestler and city mayor Mike Haggar, expert brawler Cody Travers, and modern-day ninja Guy. The trio set out to rescue Jessica when she is kidnapped by the Mad Gear Gang.

<i>Double Dragon</i> Video game series

Double Dragon is a beat 'em up video game series initially developed by Technōs Japan and released as an arcade game in 1987. The series features twin martial artists, Billy and Jimmy Lee, as they fight against various adversaries and rivals.

<i>Super Double Dragon</i> 1992 video game

Super Double Dragon, released in Japan as Return of Double Dragon: "Sleeping Dragon" has Awoken, is a side-scrolling beat-'em-up released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1992. It was published by Tradewest in North America and the PAL region and by Technōs Japan in Japan. Super Double Dragon is the fourth console game in the Double Dragon series developed by Technōs Japan, following Double Dragon III: The Sacred Stones for the NES. The game did not have an arcade release and was made specifically for the home market.

<i>Double Dragon II: The Revenge</i> 1988 video game

Double Dragon II: The Revenge is a side-scrolling beat 'em up produced by Technōs Japan originally released as a coin-operated arcade game in 1988. It is the first sequel to Double Dragon, released during the previous year. The sequel involves Billy and Jimmy Lee in a mission to avenge Billy's girlfriend Marian after she is shot to death by the Black Warriors leader Willy, who is retaliating against the Lee brothers after his defeat at the end of the previous game. Double Dragon II was initially developed as an upgrade kit for the original Double Dragon, but evolved into a stand-alone game due to an increase in memory size, resulting in the developers reusing assets for both games.

<i>Double Dragon Advance</i> 2003 video game

Double Dragon Advance is a 2003 side-scrolling beat-em-up released for the Game Boy Advance. It was published by Atlus and developed by Japanese studio Million. It is a remake of the 1987 arcade game Double Dragon and incorporates elements from its sequels and home versions.

<i>Double Dragon 3: The Rosetta Stone</i> 1990 video game

Double Dragon 3: The Rosetta Stone is a side-scrolling beat 'em up arcade game produced by Technōs Japan in 1990. It is the third arcade game in the Double Dragon series. Unlike the previous two games in the series Double Dragon 3 was not developed internally at Technōs, but development was instead contracted to the company East Technology, resulting in a game that looks and plays differently from its predecessors.

<i>Renegade</i> (video game) 1986 video game

Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun, released as Renegade in the West, is a beat 'em up video game developed by Technōs Japan and distributed by Taito for the arcades in 1986. In the original Japanese version Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun, the game revolves around a high-school delinquent named Kunio-kun who must stand up against a series of rival gangs frequently targeting his classmate Hiroshi. In the Western version Renegade, the player controls a street brawler who must face four different gangs in order to rescue his girlfriend being held captive by a mob boss.

<i>Final Fight 2</i> 1993 video game

Final Fight 2 is a 1993 side-scrolling beat 'em up video game released by Capcom for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the direct sequel to the 1989 coin-operated arcade game Final Fight, which was previously also released for the SNES. Final Fight 2 was developed by Capcom's consumer division with no preceding coin-op version. The game was re-released onto Wii's Virtual Console service in 2009 for the North American and European regions.

<i>Sunset Riders</i> 1991 video game

Sunset Riders is a side-scrolling run and gun video game developed and released by Konami as an arcade video game in 1991. It is set in the American Old West, where the player takes control of a bounty hunter who is seeking the rewards offered for various criminals.

<i>Double Dragon III: The Sacred Stones</i> 1991 video game

Double Dragon III: The Sacred Stones, released in Japan as Double Dragon III: The Rosetta Stone (ダブルドラゴンIII　ザ・ロゼッタストーン), is a side-scrolling beat-'em-up produced for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1991. It was the third Double Dragon game for the NES, developed by Technos Japan Corp. and published in North America and Europe by Acclaim Entertainment. Although loosely based on the similarly titled arcade game Double Dragon 3: The Rosetta Stone, it is not a port, but a parallel project that was developed at the same time.

<i>Lethal Enforcers</i> 1992 video game

Lethal Enforcers is a 1992 light gun shooter released as an arcade video game by Konami. The graphics consist entirely of digitized photographs and digitized sprites. Home versions were released for the Super NES, Genesis and Sega CD during the following year and include a revolver-shaped light gun known as The Justifier.

<i>Double Dragon</i> (video game) 1987 arcade game

Double Dragon is a 1987 beat 'em up video game developed by Technōs Japan and distributed by Taito for arcades across Asia, North America and Europe. It is the first title in the Double Dragon franchise. The game's development was led by Yoshihisa Kishimoto, and it is a spiritual and technological successor to Technos' earlier beat 'em up, Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun (1986), released outside of Japan by Taito as Renegade; Kishimoto originally envisioned it as a direct sequel and part of the Kunio-kun series, before making it a new game with a different cast and setting.

<i>Mighty Final Fight</i> 1993 video game

Mighty Final Fight is a side-scrolling beat-'em-up released by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1993. It is a spinoff of Capcom's 1989 arcade game Final Fight, which was previously ported to the Super NES. Unlike the CP System arcade classic and its SNES ports, the characters in this edition are depicted in a comical childlike "super deformed" or "chibi" art style in the same spirit as Famicom games such as both Konami's Kid Dracula and Namco's Splatterhouse: Wanpaku Graffiti.

<i>Parodius! From Myth to Laughter</i> 1990 video game

Parodius! From Myth to Laughter, released in Japan as Parodius Da! Shinwa kara Owarai e and outside Japan as Parodius, is a shoot 'em up arcade video game and the second title in the Parodius series produced by Konami. The European SNES version is also known as Parodius: Non-Sense Fantasy. The gameplay is stylistically very similar to the Gradius series, but the graphics and music are intentionally absurd.

<i>Cosmo Gang the Video</i> 1992 video game

Cosmo Gang the Video is a 1992 fixed shooter arcade game developed and published by Namco. A home conversion for the Super Famicom was released the same year. Controlling the Hyper Beat starship, the player is tasked with ridding the galaxy of the Cosmo Gang, a race of aliens that cause mischief across Earth. Gameplay involves shooting enemies and avoiding projectiles. Power-up items can be collected to grant the player additional abilities. It ran on the Namco System 2 arcade board.

<i>Undercover Cops</i> 1992 video game

Undercover Cops (アンダーカバーコップス) is an arcade-style beat 'em up video game developed and published by Irem, originally for the arcades in 1992. It is Irem's first attempt in the modern beat 'em up genre that was founded by Data East’s Kung-Fu Master. Players control "city sweepers", a police agent-like group who fight crime by taking down thugs in New York City in the year 2043.

<i>BlaZeon</i> 1992 video game

BlaZeon is a horizontally scrolling shoot 'em up arcade game released by Atlus in 1992 and was ported to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in the same year. The game's most distinguishable feature is that players come equipped with a device that allows them to freeze and control certain robots.

<i>Final Fight</i> Video game series

Final Fight is a series of beat 'em up video games by Capcom, which began with the arcade release of Final Fight in 1989. Set in the fictional Metro City, the games focus on a group of heroic vigilantes who fight against the control and various threats of criminal gangs, primarily the Mad Gear Gang. The series has sold 3.2 million units worldwide as of December 31, 2019.

<i>Double Dragon II: The Revenge</i> (NES video game) 1989 video game

Double Dragon II: The Revenge is a side-scrolling beat-'em-up produced for the Nintendo Entertainment System in the end of 1989. It is the second Double Dragon game for the NES and was published in North America by Acclaim Entertainment, who took over publishing duties from Tradewest. The game shares its title with the 1988 arcade sequel to the original Double Dragon, using the same promotional artwork for its packaging and having a similar plot, but the content of the two games are otherwise drastically different. The NES version of Double Dragon II was directed by Hiroyuki Sekimoto, with the arcade version's director Yoshihisa Kishimoto taking a supervisory role in the game's development.

<i>Captain Commando</i> 1991 video game

Captain Commando is a 1991 futuristic side-scrolling beat 'em up originally developed and published by Capcom as an arcade video game, and later ported to several other platforms. It was the seventeenth game produced for the company's CP System hardware. The game stars the titular superhero who was originally conceived as a fictional spokesman used by Capcom USA in the company's console games during the late 1980s. On September 13, 2018, Capcom announced Capcom Beat 'Em Up Bundle with Captain Commando being one of seven titles and released digitally for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows on September 18, 2018.

References

  1. 1 2 "Combatribes!". RePlay. Vol. 15, no. 9. June 1990. pp. 32–6.
  2. ↑ Japanese: ザ・コンバットライブス, Hepburn: Za Konbattoraibusu
  3. ↑ ""The Combatribes" at the Entertainment Software Rating Board".
  4. ↑ Japanese: バーサーカー, Hepburn: Bāsākā
  5. ↑ Japanese: ブローバ, Hepburn: Burōba
  6. ↑ Japanese: ブリッツ, Hepburn: Burittsu
  7. ↑ "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - テーブル型TVゲーム機 (Table Videos)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 385. Amusement Press, Inc. 1 August 1990. p. 29.
  8. ↑ "Power Unlimited Game Database". powerweb.nl (in Dutch). November 1994. Archived from the original on September 9, 2003. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.