Captain America and The Avengers (Arcade)

I watched "Avengers: Infinity War". So the most sensible course of my action will be play a game about The Avengers and make a review about it. So today, i present you Data East's Captain America and The Avengers (1991). By the way, i most likely comment with bit spoilers of "Avengers: Infinity War ". You have been warned!

I believe i don't need to explain about The Avengers, right? Basically, it's group of Marvel's Superhero or you can say Marvel's counterpart of DC's Justice League. Many believe that Captain America is in the charge of leading this group, what's with him being WW II veteran and charismatic. Hence the title says Captain America loudly. As if saying "Captain America and his fellow". But, my idol will always be Tony Stark (a.k.a  Ironman). As if the title-screen designer as fans of Ironman as me, he makes Ironman visible there. Good job, fam!

 

After insert coin and press start, the game immediately makes you to choose these blokes. In case you have partial amnesia about Marvel superheroes, i will introduce you from left to right: Vision, Ironman, Captain America, and Hawkeye. As much as i want to play the game as Tony Stark till the end, but i have to be fair and go with all of the heroes starting with the captain himself. Because that's what the title intend me to do. I assume Thor isn't here because he's still grieving over Loki's (probably for real this time) demise. While Hulk isn't present because Bruce Banner has dissonance with him that he can't transform into the giant green guy, just like in the movie. While Black Widow, she probably takes vacation or doing covert mission alone. By the way, what's the story?

 

What's else threat that big enough for superhero group beside supervillain group? Battalions of Chitauri. Dozens of Ultron. Also Thanos. Okay. Forget about what i said there.

 

The villain are willing to cooperate with Red Skull after he showed his riches that like Scrooge McDuck's money vault. That makes sense.

 

Wait! You brainwash all of those gits after lure them with your riches, Red Skull? Isn't that overkill unnecessary? You really don't trust them, do you?

 

"Try" the narrator said. It's not like there's pressure or anything, Avengers. Just try, pretty please! Should you fail you can do it tomorrow...if there's any, that is.

 

I have played the Sega Genesis version of this game in childhood many times. And i always register that swarthy lad over there is Adam from Sega's Streets of Rage/Bare Knuckle. Thus implying: your ordinary super law enforcer can't take this on, only The Avengers can do it. Well played, Data East. By the way, you know the drill, cap?

 

Joystick to move around, 1st button to attack, and 2nd button to jump. That's fairly common. But there's more than that. Pressing both button simultaneously to unleash "Avengers Special Skill". By that, the game means The hero's shooting attack like Cap's shield throwing with sfx "WHHT!". Pressing attack button while jumping will make cap do diving kick. But pressing attack button while in 1/3 low portion of his top jumping will make him do diving shield smash. Move joystick twice left/right will make him dashing. Pressing attack button while dashing make him do dashing attack. Holding attack button to block enemy's projectile. Ok! Go for it, cap!    

 

Here we can see Captain America do "Charging Star" move on evil robots. I know that "Charging Star" name is exclusively for Capcom's fighting game that involve the captain. But it can't be helped. It sounds cool.

 

Then Steve got beaten by petty bank robbers. Okay, they're not petty burglar. They're legit supervillain with super power and such. But i don't think anyone (including me) outside America, know Living Laser and Klaw (that uses drill instead of claw, hah!). I believe it's due to my impatience that Steve get replaced soon. It's proved. Patience is virtue, you see.

 

Everyone, meet Pietro Maximoff or known as Quicksilver. I mentioned him in previous article. He runs on scene drops that circular blue thing that restore health while knocks every enemy that he passes. By the way that robot with shield can block hero's projectile attack including that small stone that Hawkeye just throw. "Why would you resort to throwing stone like small children instead of using bow?" you ask? First throwing stone is much easier to execute than tell Hawkeye to use the bow and arrow. Second, if he throws it while running the stone will hit any enemy in straight line (except for the shielded one, obviously). Third and the most important reason: iseng.  

 

Allright, fine! Here Clint Barton genuinely uses his bow and arrow. The enemies that ride on frog ship are ignorable (except their bullets). That hopping beetle robot is explosive to touch, so you have to engage it from afar. While hulking brown robot in corner will choke you if it comes near you. Again, engage it from safe distance. And the bloke in green suit over there, he just run away. We will catch him later.  

 

Here's the man and also the 1st stage boss: Whirlwind. The sod laughs a lot. As i throw him an oil drum, a "KRAK!" sound can be heard from him. Not so funny now that some of your bone snap, huh?     

 

According to in-game bio, Clint is naturally skilled with thrown weapon including this tire. He's fair enough to be 1st stage boss, he can sometime turn into -you can guess- whirlwind toward you or sweep away all throwable object because he hates them, knowing that you can use them to fight him safely. You can engage him in fair hand-to-hand combat as long as you don't get greedy with hit as he can suddenly do riposte should you hit him too many. Overall he's fairly easy to deal with.

 

Turn out the action of Whirlwind and his co, is just diversion for bigger attack on another town. You notice that Vision is the only sensible selfish one to fly instead run like others. The wretched android.

 

Apparently the big trouble is on the other side of this town. Luckily Simon Williams alias Wonder Man drop me portable one-man ship. Thanks!

 

Is that Coney Island in the background? Remember about holding attack button to block projectile attack? Now, Clint is doing that. I don't think that's reasonable blocking stance by using your bow. But what do i know. I'm not expert at archery.

 

And then i got help from a big fairy or Daiyousei. Of course not, it's one of The Avengers: Wasp. I assume she's Janet Van Dyne instead of Dr. Henry Pym, otherwise this game really lack on female character. Janet here can gladly blocks any harm toward me. Also if you press both button she will charge forward. Many thanks, Janet!   

 

So here's the big trouble. Because of its color, i assumed this robot as one of giant sentinel. But apparently it's not. Sentinel hunts mutants, you see.

 

Actually the giant robot isn't the only villain here. There's also Eric Williams alias Grim Reaper. Simon's brother here isn't so tough to defeat, as long as you can avoid/jump his predictable moves and hit him not too often.

 

Now that he's severely beaten, Eric is no longer under brain control. Even though you tell us that Red Skull is behind all this, you still deserve a room in The Vault, hoodlum.

 

Next stage takes places in open sea. I mean a ship in the open sea, for now. As you can probably guess that pressing attack button consecutively will results in combo. You can perform a throwing finish if you do combo at arm's length with an enemy. You can also lift an enemy over your head and later throw it that result in its immediate demise. To perform this insta-kill throw, you have to press attack button in the middle of the enemy and press attack again to throw it. This overpowered move is relevance with the superheroes and to shorten battle with small fry. Neat feature.     

 

Here's another sub-boss: Wizard. Nothing magical from him except shoots laser and throw dishes? Mononobe no Futo can throws plates too. He's much less magical than Dr. Strange (Marvel's standard magic caster). Learn how to pull rabbit from top hat properly before you can entertain me well!

 

After defeating the petty-magic man, Namor (Submariner) point me where's the enemy. Thanks!

 

To the undersea we go. There's floating naval mines, robo eel, and evil scuba diver. But they can be dispatched easily by my beam. Oh, and Namor helps out a bit.

 

You may be confused as why Mechanical version of Mexican food can be found deep sea and have lots of tentacle. Actually it's mis-naming by Data East. You see. Japanese for Octopus: 蛸 (read: Tako). So this is supposed to be robotic octopus and it's more difficult to deal than that "wizard". It can shoot lasers in wide-straight pattern while moving its tentacles. Should one of them touch you, your health will be drained pretty bad. So my advice: try to stay at upper part of the screen.

 

After dealing with mechanical octo, i infiltrate undersea base and immediately receive "warm" welcome. You can see that 5 out of 6 enemies carry laser rifle. But not to worry, Vision can goes "phased" if i holding attack button which will make their laser bypass him. Or you can go jumping around and attack them swiftly like what i will do here. Inelegant. Yes, i know.

 

This stage's boss: Mandarin. Who is the appropriate opponent for him? Why, it's Ironman of course. Here he punches Mandarin right in the face. What a glorious sight, huh? Mandarin can shoot ice beam, and split his image. But he's no match for Stark's Technology and my fanboyism.

 

After Mandarin lie in the floor unconscious, the giant monitor turns on and Red Skull mocks me. You're next, bastard!

 

Presumably, The Avengers search the undersea base for important documents. Later they find out that, Red Skull has Giant Laser Cannon installed on moon to destroy Earth. Should he succeed, not only America is gone but the rest of the earth too. The damned psychopath.  

 

Oh, look at that. We have Quinjet, afterall. Then Mr. Stark successfully infiltrate this outer space.

 

And we found the usual robots but in different color. Which mean they're veteran robots that have bigger health than their not-well-trained brethren. Still hoist 'em up throw move can still insta-kill them. If that difficult to do, there's the reliable repulsor ray. (:

 

Another super villain appears. It's Juggernaut who is Cain Marko, Professor X's stepbrother. As you already know that fighting toe-to-toe with Juggernaut is within deadly-reckless-thing-to-do list in Marvel Universe (While fighting The Hulk in the same manner, is within top ten of the list). Soon after Ironman whacks Juggernaut's head like this, he taste the wrath of the juggernaut terribly. Sorry, Mr. Stark. =m=

 

Cap threaten Ultron with the heavy machinery and ask Ultron where's the Laser Cannon. This is its reply. Haha! I didn't know you have humor protocol within your motherboard, Ultron.    

 

Ultron is like other bosses with addition it can shoots laser shower and have tougher health bar. With some justice perseverance at your heart, you can beat the scrap out of him relatively easy.

There! Sit there tightly on corner of shame and think thoroughly of what you have done, evil android!

Turns out, we can see it from here. I'm not sure how The Avengers know the time of laser cannon activation. But the Cap knows it and examine his watch and saying there's not much time left. Could it be the time is the exact birth time of Red Skull himself? I assume so.

 

It's another flying/swimming section that you probably tired to see. But this i didn't mention before: the jump button become another attack button and that W icon will summon wasp.

 

Apparently, some of scuba diver got promoted to guard the laser cannon. But their promotion won't last long.

 

At the base of Laser Cannon. I have to break it. But throw it with enemy robot doesn't work. So i resort to punch, shoot beam, or throw machinery/spanner that lying around here. It's important to keep your workplace tidy, or someone will use any abandoned tools for weapon, folks! 

 

There's brief slide section which lead our hero to this place. There's kind bloke tells us that this is trap. Ok, thanks!

 

Then two robots come and try to kill me. While there's razor saws move along the lines on the tile. You can shoot the saw but it will soon be replace with new ones. To escape this trap, you have to get rid of robots then you're allowed to break the right wall. The robots themselves are quite challenging yet still fair. They can punch, dropkick, or choke you. I notice some mis-design here. Both robot's name: Control. They should make 3 robots: Control, Alt, and Del. That's more assuring plan to destroy hero, right?

 

Oh, hi Pietro! Glad you give us the special avengers pudding. There's other way to recover your health beside this pudding or whatever is this. That is: insert coin and pressing start. Is this sort of micro-transaction? Anyway i can see the mechanical octo in screen. It looks fairly adorable.     

 

No. No. You must say "You shall not pass!", idiot!

 

I don't know much about crossbones. I assume his ability is quite similar to Daredevil's nemesis: Bullseye, judging by his warfare. He shoots handgun and throws knife. The silly bastard. He clearly never heard about what happen if you bring knife into repulsor ray fight.

 

He can do evasive move, ninja's shadow images, or whatever is this move. He's invincible while doing so. He can throw crawling mines around too. Wait! Has invincible move and throwing explosive...maybe Crossbones attend in the same combat school with Rolento. Surprisingly (to me), the mine can be picked up and later throw to its sender. What a blast!

 

After that Red Skull mocks us again and escape. But i will corner him. After i take care of these robots. There're 3 type of grunt robots: 1) Melee grunts who can punch, jumping kick, or hover a bit then diving kick, they're in grey or yellow 2) Snatcher grunts who shoot their extended arm to bind you and drain your health, they're in orange or green 3) Shooter grunts who wield laser rifle, they're in blue.

 

"You cannot escape! And i bring you present: Justice! But first i will throw your minion here to that red skull of yours."

 

It's not often to see game where the final boss is much much easier to beat than other bosses. Here's the fine example of it. Red skull have learnt lame Kung-Fu/Karate but that certainly don't help him much. In this screenshot, i demonstrate Ironman's combo finish which i can only described it as "Bitch Slap" 

 

Oh, wait! What's this?

 

Turns out that was a double that can transform into giant skeleton robot while real red skull is safe and sound over there. Our hero have broken through a devious trap. Certainly he can do one more time, right?

 

I complaint that Ironman's unibeam is absent. And i'm getting more annoyed that this giant robot can shoot one. Annoyed or jealous? You decide. You can easily avoid its attack here by jumping and you can retaliate it with your own shooting. All of the heroes can jump really high like Kangaroo on Pogo stick and you can control them freely in mid-air. Beware, though! Cap and Hawkeye will diving kick instead shoot downward while jumping like Vision and Ironman. Or you can shoot them straight while airborne by pressing both button . The robot can do many thing including summon tornado and shoot bullet barrage, but if you fight him by constantly shooting you'll be fine.

 

Another thing that it can do: launches its homing rocket arm, which is probably its most accurate attack. You can see it manage to slash my hip. This will leaves a mark in the morning.

 

Overall the mech. skull is one of easy boss fight. It's destroyed along with Red Skull. Justice is served with lots of explosion! Michael Bay will dig this. Wonder Man just in time arrive to pick me. I really owe you, bud!

 

The avengers have to raze the one and only city in moon to save the world. With that many explosion Red Skull won't survives.

 

Except he indeed survive. That blazing trail comes from Red Skull's super escape pod and he will do evil scheme in the other day. What a(n) (un)surprising plot twist!

 

But for now, let's celebrate on Avenger's successful deed! Where are you touching, little lady? You slut.

 

It comes to me recently that Data East's Captain America and The Avengers (1991): Dark of The Moon is polished version of Konami's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. You can see it from how similar the boss's melee behavior, color-coded grunts, and the dive kicks. But i dare say that CA&TA is much better than TMNT, especially in better boss fights and the easiness of ranged attack. The musics are good. The graphic is remarkable of that time. The gameplay is quite simple yet very engaging. The comic styles are well flourished. The story is great. The game contain many supervillains and superheroes but strangely Hydra is absent, given Red Skull is the leader. Perhaps he trusts Hydra no more.

All in all, i give Captain America and The Avengers (1991) AAA recommendation. But you most likely disappoint that there's no Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, etc. Or maybe you expect Chelnov The Atomic Runner to join The Avengers, given the game is made by Data East. No, he can't join The Avengers. I know he can runs and shoots many weapons but his durability is obviously questionable. Not gonna happen. There's SNES version and Sega Genesis Version. But i prefer you stick to Arcade version because its visual and graphic are more charming.

As per usual, i will analysis the superhero's stats. Surely you're excited about it, right? Here we go!

 

Captain America is supposed to be the first. The title encourages me to do so. He's designated to be one-man soldier and injected with super-soldier serum. The serum enhances his strength but not to the point being super buffed his main stats: Strength (at 3.5/5). His gymnastic aptitude and CQC capability are great, while he's excel at throwing his vibranium shield. Thus his another main stats: Dexterity (at 3.5/5). Great leader don't need to be superb at something except leadership and being charismatic. That's why, (i think) none of his stats exceptionally stand out among each other. He's other sample of character that has 2 main stats instead of primary and secondary stats. Good for you, cap!  

 

Second, and have the most awesome picture is Ironman. Sorry, guys! My fanboyism kicks in. Tony Stark, the CEO of Stark Industry don super hi-tech armor that can fly, boost his strength, and shoot beams. Because his powers are mainly come from the suit that's made by himself with futuristic technology and well-made design plan/blueprint. I declare his primary stats: Intelligence (at 4.5/5) and his secondary stats: Dexterity (at 3.5/5). Tony is perhaps not the idle image of superheroes but his character is interesting like being playboy and having nice sense of humor. That personality of him is well delivered by Robert Downey Jr.

 

Third is the bloke with colorful suit and bow, it's Clint Barton alias Hawkeye. Having no other ability than sharp marksmanship, he's clearly person with main stats: Dexterity (at 4.5/5). He's not only accurate with shooting arrow with his bow, but also covering his face. Judging by that screenshot. Come on, man! Don't be shy!

 

And the last is the good and relatively emotionless android, vision. He wear cape and can shoot laser just like Superman. Also according to this picture he's keen on crushing rocks like Clark Kent, especially space rocks. He lacks of emotion but has good will and is very intellect, so his main stats: Intelligence (at 5/5). He's capable of firing laser from his forehead and making himself intangible. He's considered extraordinary android unlike Ultron the bad Robots. If i'm not mistaken they have long rivaling relationship.

Last thing that i want to say, i apologize to make/publish the article late by 1 week. It's not my will to write article die or anything. It's because my laptop was under repair for 1 week. While the problem is only malfunctioning right cursor! Whatever. See you!