I used to own a Gameboy and I only finished 2 games: Super Mario Land and this Japanese single-player only fighting game. After months of internet research, I find out that the game is Tomy’s Zettai Muteki Raijin-Oh (1991). I also find out that it was related to Mecha franchise that I never heard before.
I believe that’s the logo from the original show. There’s no much thing to talk about in this title. The middle texts say “Press start button”. While the bottom texts say “Sunrise TV Tokyo” which I assume is the origin of the show. So, what’s Zettai Muteki Raijin-Oh (translate: Absolutely Invincible Raijin-oh) show is all about? According to all-know Wikipedia “The story revolves around a group of elementary school children who are given command of a mecha named Raijin-Oh and their efforts to defend the earth from the evil Jaaku Empire”. Gork damn it! Those children sure are very lucky. At their age, I only finish the GB’s game once or twice instead given the real robot against evil aliens. I very envy of them. Anyway, let’s press “start” button.
Here’s the story exposition. It’s not far from the Wikipedia’s citation that I wrote. I try using Google translate to translate this wall of text. The results are quite “varied”. My best assumption is: “In 5th century, there’s evil empire of Jerk (or Jaaku in Wikipedia’s citation. Then there’s some monsters called Arc Dharma and they’re very scary to humanity. Fight, Raijin-Oh! Let’s protect the earth!”. I leave the better translation to those who’s better at Japanese than me.
Round 1
The genre of the game is another single-player fighting game like Galactic Warriors that I wrote months ago. (Un)surprisingly, the player will bounce if they collide with enemy during jumping. Joy [Medium-sized sarcasm]. The control is D-pad to move left or right. A button to jump. B button to attack. Right of the bat, this monster named “Kabirian” likes to throw fireball. Sure, you can jump over it. But you can jump higher by holding up direction while pressing jump button which can make projectile dodging more trivial.
Pressing select button will bring you this important menu. The top option will bring the armament that your robot has. The middle option will bring you list of the robots that you can switch. So far, we have 3 robots which means this is handicap match 3 versus 1 to your advantage. However, you still have to be careful because all of the enemies have stronger both attack and defense power. On top of that, they have bigger health. Strategic plan still required to beat the enemy. As for the bottom option, don’t press it yet! I will tell you the reason later.
The Ken-oh robot has sword so let’s use it. I want to say that fighting with sword is better than using punch and kick. However, I feel like that’s not the case. The sword doesn’t give me extra melee range. Neither give me extra attack power in significant amount. I have to stand very close to hit Kabirian with the sword, which sounds unacceptable yet I still like to do it for that tiny extra attack power. To make things worse, the sword also doesn’t provide me with better hit detection. I feel like the punch and kick are more accurate to hit enemy than the sword. And also, they come out faster while the sword needs that 1 fairly-long-duration frame to swing it before actually hitting the enemy.
I manage to deplete Kabirian’s health by 1 block and Ken-oh only has 2 remaining health block which is very good reason to switch the robot. I take the one in the middle called Howoo which is…
…bird or maybe eagle robot. It has projectile attack which is significantly better than the stupid sword. It may look small but the projectile can deplete Kabirian’s health by 1 block for each successful hit. However, the bird robot can only have 2 projectile per round. If you feel adventurous enough, you can try using the bird’s melee to attack the enemy. The melee attack is just 1 frame animation of the bird flapping its wing down. Yeah, good luck trying to hit the enemy with that pitiful looking attack. On the other hand, the bird’s jump is higher and floaty which can dodge the enemy’s projectile very easily.
Next robot is Zyuoh which is lion robot. It’s the opposite of the bird. The lion sucks at jumping but when you know how to do the higher jump by holding up button while pressing jump button, it has decent jump to dodge enemy’s projectile. Much like the bird, the lion can shoot projectile from the mouth. Your projectile won’t collide with enemy’s, much like Mortal Kombat. As for the melee attack, the lion does move its legs a bit on the ground. Again, the attack looks pathetic. On the other hand, the lion is more durable than the bird.
You can’t deplete enemy’s health bar entirely. No matter how hard you try melee attack the bastard, his health won’t drop below 2 or 3 blocks. So how you win the match? Remember that bottom option on the command menu that I told you not to press yet? It’s command for Gattai/combine which makes those robots emerge into stronger robot!
It has the sequence animations and also special music which I believe is the loyal adaptation from the show. Is it just me or the Ken-oh rides the Zyuoh in the sequence?
So, we got robot that roughly the same size as the enemy now. Plus, I got free health refill. The robot’s name is the titular Raijin-Oh. Go, Raijin-Oh! Kill the enemy with the pitiful sword! I don’t know why I insist on using the damn thing which barely does something. I’m just curious to hit the enemy with it. I will switch to projectile weapon later, I promise.
There I finish him off with the better-looking projectile. Godspeed, Kabirian and his bendy spine.
Round 2
Next fight is against Dead Hair (according to Google Translate, I swear). I only can describe him as crossbred between giant teddy bear doll and gremlin. He has ability to shoot spaghetti-like laser. We fight in front of the school. I learned that every school in Japan, has large clock in the building so the students can tell how late they are while still biting toast in their mouth. I assume the time is 3:00 PM which is the end of school hour. So, the kids that control the robots can take their time fighting the monster without worrying to attend their class. Hopefully, still have time to do their homework.
The fight against Dead Hair is not different with Kabirian. I dodge his projectile by jumping. Try to chip his health with both sword and projectile. Tell the robots to combine. Later finish him off with Raijin-Oh’s attacks (including the weak sword). So, let’s move on to next fight.
Round 3
Next opponent is called “Abrar” who look like sock puppet that grows big and becomes evil. This is why you need to put your dirty socks to laundry, reader. I don’t know about you but I begin to grow tired of these bricks that could be leftover from Super Mario Bros game. I also don’t like the stacks of the brick which gives you illusion of angled fighting stage, but actually they’re considered “background” objects. Th real fighting stage is just flat.
I forget to show you that Raijin-Oh has stronger projectile: Zyuoh’s head which can decrease enemy’s health by 2 blocks. However, it’s only single ammo. I wish Zyuoh is Cerberus so I can have 3 dog’s heads as projectile instead of 1 single lion’s head.
I was careless. The damn sock puppet monster jump over that one lion’s head. Raijin-Oh has one last weapon and it’s an electromagnet projectile that can lock enemy temporarily. However, it drains Raijin-Oh’s health so what’s the point? Well done, mysterious electromagnet! You’re as crappy as Bubble Sac in Kagero.
Round 4
This place is so much better because I don’t get to see those stupid bricks anymore. Next opponent is Marshmallow Loan. I mean sure he is as portly as Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, they may have share similar DNA. This monster is quite easier to deal because he has bigger hitbox and his snowball projectile is easy to dodge. Next opponent, please!
Round 5
Next opponent is Skeleton. If the name means he’s skeleton of Xenomorph born from kangaroo because he like to jump a lot, I can see that. The stage is forest which is not associated with skeleton monster or undead Xenomorph.
Round 6
Next opponent’s name is Biolon and he looks like typical unflying Beholder. There’s a twist in this fight! You start with Raijin-Oh from get go! That means you start with stronger robot but that also mean the opponent is stronger than ever. However, he has the same routine of walking left and right with occasion shooting a projectile. Although his tentacle slap inflicts tremendous damage per tick. Keep melee fighting to minimum.
I also get new robot members: Hakuryu 1 & Hakuryu 2. I think they’re not related to IJN Hakuryu. Let’s switch to Hakuryu 1.
My first impression about Hakuryu 1 is: it looks like a whole leg of bigger robot because how slim and blocky it looks. It has drill weapon. I guess I have to make joke that related to Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. My best attempt is: Don’t believe in me who doesn’t believe in you! But believe in yourself! So, keep drilling that alien schmuck in the head!
Hakuryu 2 looks like duck-billed dragon which looks pitiful. In term of functionality, it is like Howoo but more durable and larger. I like to mention that this alien beholder like to fly that form “8” pattern which is funny behavior.
The combine gets new sequences! Medic_positivevocalization02.wav
The combined robot also looks better and stronger. I’m not sure about its name though. It’s Raijin-Oh and other words, I think. Let’s just call it Super Raijin-Oh. It sounds snazzy enough.
Super Raijin-Oh has gun. Although the gun’s position is high (due to Super Raijin-Oh’s height), the projectile can hit Biolon accurately. Anyway, bye Biolon! You typical alien with one eye and tentacles.
Round 7
Next opponent is monster called “Jerk Satan”? I mean sure, he looks like schmuck but calling him Jerk Satan sounds horrid. Anyway, he like to throw paper plane at Raijin-Oh hoping it can inflict severe paper cut on our hero robot. Sounds ridiculous but the paper plane indeed deals hefty damage so avoid it at all cost. Besides throwing paper plane, the Satan also have paper plane arm to cut our hero in melee range. Maybe it has shape of paper plane but paper plane arm sound ludicrous. So, let’s assume his arm is sharp triangle ruler instead. :P
I forget to show you that Hakuryu 1 has shoulder mounted cannon. I like the change on its sprite.
But I like the look of Super Raijin-Oh’s cannon better. It’s attached straight on its arm. Farewell, Sharp Satan! Soldier_HatOverHeartTaunt01.wav
Round 8
The next opponent is called… S. Jerk? What’s with the show names the villains jerk? That’s highly understatement naming. Kind of like calling world dictator “delinquent leader” or world destroyer demon “demolisher imp”. But then I remember that the evil alien empire has name Jerk. If you want to build evil empire, I suggest you pick imposing name like "Devastator" or "Eradicator" and avoid pick "Jerk". Anyway, this Super Jerk looks taller and tougher. I’m not sure how he’s different from previous enemies. All I can remember is: he throws rock emerald, he’s more durable yet he’s slow. Takes aside of the enemy, check out the background. It resembles cavern in planet Haides in Thunder Force III. But I don’t like that stage. *Groan*
Super Raijin-Oh is roughly as tall as the super jerk. Shot in the head and he’s dead! Engineer_specialcompleted11.wav
So, the super jerk is the final opponent. That was fast. Let’s see what’s this texts are all about…I think I leave this to those who’s expert at Japanese. In the meantime, I assume we have beaten the evil empire of Jerk/Jaaku and the world is saved thanks to those children controlling the Raijin-Oh. “Beating evil alien when still in elementary student’s age” certainly a good boost on their CV. I’m sure they can apply to Earth Defense Force very easily with that CV.
Tomy’s Zettai Muteki Raijin-Oh (1991) is quite unusual fighting game for Gameboy. It has 1 or 2 steps forward than Galactic Warriors. I give them that. The hit detection is accurate enough for projectile attacks. But regarding melee attacks, the hit detection is quite bad. Not only you have to be closely adjacent to enemy to hit the enemy but also the registration for the hit is iffy. I notice that hero’s melee attack will make enemy knocked back when the hit is eventually registered. While the projectile attack will make enemy slightly in pained animation. While enemy’s melee attack doesn’t knock you back that may result in you are getting hit multiple times in short times which is very dangerous. There’s no continue but you have multiple robot members plus the combined robot to compensate that. Besides the game only last for 6 rounds. The course of the fight is down to resource management. You try to whittle opponent’s health by switching between robot members. Spend those limited projectile and also try use melee attack as efficient/safely as you can. When you think the opponent is weak enough, you tell those robots to combine into stronger robot and finish the poor bastard off. Be careful that you can’t return the combined robot into robot members. So, make sure you have used those robot members to maximum efficiency. Don’t hesitate to switch member robots if they’re on low health because you instantly get game over when one of them destroyed. There’s no auto-switch member feature. The sound effect is pretty bland. The graphic is so-so. I still annoyed with the bricks though. They look generic and boring. The music is kind of ok and probably it’s based on the music on the show. I will like the music more if I’m diehard fans of the show, probably.
Final sentences about Zettai Muteki Raijin-Oh (1991) are: it’s not bad Gameboy game with TV show franchise ties in. It’s pretty fun single-player fighting game albeit with horrible melee attack. The game is supposed to be easy because 8-years-old me can finish it. Why can't you? Though, I’m still left to wonder why Ken-oh robot (who looks like mini Gundam BTW) that I assume has name “Sword King” has pitiful sword. Should be the sword is super strong or something like that?
One last moment if you are curious what’s my current situation that related to how late I am writing article nowadays. I’m currently in the middle of applying new job procedure. Should it succeed, it will lead to moving out to workplace. Plus, maybe I need to have my laptop repair.
Long story short, my hands are relatively tied regarding writing article. But that doesn’t mean I quit writing entirely. I still want to do this stuff, mark my words. I just humbly ask for your patience if you’re looking forward to my next writing. However, I’m doing Retroachievements stuffs. And maybe I try to make some free time to make new article. See you around!
