Game:

Street Combat (1992)

Duration: 15:42

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Whelp, while I'm getting caught up on other things, it occurs to me that I haven't dug through my SNES/SFC or Gen/MD library in quite some time, so this is a good opportunity to put out some simpler videos while I work on the longer projects in an attempt to avoid a dry spell. There will be a few oddities here and there. That said...

NCS & Masaya are known for putting out some pretty great games over the years... Moto Roader(s), Star Cruiser, Assault Suits Valken (Cybernator), BS Out of Bounds Golf, Langrisser (of course)... the list goes on. That said, this is not one of their crowning achievements, as it is a mostly terrible game with few redeeming qualities (not flat-out horrible like some may put it, but still bad). For those not in the know, this game was heavily bastardized and released outside Japan as "Street Combat" by Irem. While this information isn't new in and of itself, it should be noted that Irem is not entirely to fault for the initial quality of the game (though the heavy edits is another story)... this was the first game based around Rumiko's beloved franchise for the system and NCS/Masaya were stretched thin as it is with other projects, resulting in a less-than-stellar final product. This game is marginally better than Street Combat due to the detail of the sprites, few extra graphics, and extra playable hidden character (Cologne) but otherwise plays exactly the same.

Ranma ½: Chōnai Gekitōhen (also known as "Ranma ½: Neighborhood Combat Chapter") is a fighting game that (like many others) attempted to capitalize on the fighting boom of the time by Capcom and SNK, released by NCS/Masaya in 1992. It's your typical 2D fighter with special moves, punching and kicking, bonus rounds, etc., and with slightly better than average animation, but it has two major flaws: bad collision detection and screwy A.I. (we show an example on the fourth stage). The limited roster of characters (seven if you don't count female Ranma, which was still less than average for the time) and story mode similar to Art of Fighting or Fatal Fury (but with less fidelity or playability, though you can use others through a cheat... it doesn't change the "plot") didn't help either.

Each character is distinct in their fighting styles including the two Ranma, who have subtle differences (female Ranma is faster, jumps differently and can kick off of enemies by holding back while kicking in air to help retreat) and characters get knocked down automatically if they take too many consecutive strong hits (three). Most attacks have huge delays afterwards, putting a heavy emphasis on landing blows or facing steep penalties. Some moves have such long delays (such as Ranma's "Hiryuu Shoten Ha") that he/she can be countered even IF it connects. Blocking special attacks does NOT inflict chip damage.

As far as what it does at least somewhat right? Some of the animations are decent, and a few of the stages are okay... the bridge stage ironically has some of the most impressive running water in an SNES/SFC game, and the music isn't too bad. Overall, it's an utterly forgettable game and the first of three fighters for the system.

This is a video of the game in action with an attraction at the beginning. You can compare it with Street Combat. Enjoy.

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