Captain Commando
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the fictional character, see Captain Commando (video game character).
| Captain Commando | |
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| Developer(s) | Capcom |
| Publisher(s) | Capcom |
| Platform(s) | Arcade, Super Nintendo, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Xbox, PSP, PC (via GameTap) |
| Release date | November 1991, Arcade 1995, Super NES 1998, PlayStation 2006, PlayStation 2, Xbox, PSP |
| Genre(s) | Beat 'em up |
| Mode(s) | Up to 4 players simultaneously |
| Input methods | Joystick; 2 buttons |
| Cabinet | Upright |
| Arcade system | CPS-1 |
| Display | Horizontal, Raster, resolution 384 x 224 |
Captain Commando: The Arcade Game (キャプテンコマンドー?) is an arcade game produced by Capcom in 1991, featuring the character of the same name. It is a beat 'em up set in Metro City (the same city as Final Fight) in the year 2026.
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[edit] Plot
It's the year 2026. The world is filled with crime. Captain Commando and his three faithful Commando Companions rise up to erase this crime from Planet Earth and from all the Galaxy. But the futuristic criminals they have to fight are endowed with a secret, hidden, evil power. Many of them are Super Criminals, with ability beyond that of ordinary mortals. The leader of all Super Criminals is Scumocide (known as Genocide in Japan).
[edit] Playable characters
- Captain Commando - The hero of this game and leader of the "Commando Team." Besides his natural gifts of a powerful mind and strong body, he also uses his "Energy Gloves," capable of shooting mighty bolts of fire and electricity. His sure-killing technique is the "Captain Corridor". Striking the ground with his Energy Gloves cause an electric shock which kills everyone around him. Captain Commando's dash attacks are "Captain Cannon" (also known as "Captain Fire") and "Captain Kick." Captain Cannon torches the enemy with a blast of flame. Captain Kick can hit several enemies at once. Captain Commando can also grab his opponent and kick their stomach or throw their whole body. Other things he uses are the "Captain Goggles", the "Captain Protector", the "Captain Gaunlet" and the "Captain Boots". His Captain Goggles can help him identify a criminal's face at a distance of 2 km, by comparing with data base. His Captain Protector is made of super-tough material called "Captain Ceramic", which makes it stand up to trillion degree heat. His Captain Gaunlet multiplies Captain's power 48 times, making it easy for him to smash a thick iron plate. And his Captain Boots can make it possible for him to take a 100-meter fall with no injuries to himself nor with no damage to the boots.
- Mack the Knife (Jennety (ジェネティー?) in Japan) - A mummy-like alien from outer space. "Mack the Knife", his English name, is based on the song of the same name made popular in the mid 1950's by Louis Armstrong. He is also known as the Mummy Commando in the character select screen. He always seems interesting and collected. As weapons he uses sub-sonic knives which melt any enemy he hits. His sure-killing technique is the "Spinning Attack." Spinning round like a top, his bandages lash his enemies like whips. Mack's dash attacks are "Double Trouble" and "Sky Assault." Double Trouble sticks his enemy with both knives and Sky Assault is an airborne version of Double Trouble. Mack can also grab his enemy and either stick or throw them. Other things he has are the "Captain Cap", the "Genetic Bandage", the "Genetic Knife" and the "Gravity Controllers." His Captain Cap is his hat, which is a souvenir from the first meeting with Captain Commando. His Genetic Bandage is his life-sustaining equipment for survival on Earth. His Genetic Knife melts all matter. And his Gravity Controllers are his pair of shoes that adjust the gravitational pull to where it's best for the battles.
- Ginzu the Ninja (Sho (翔?) in Japan) - A highly trained ninja and successor to Bushin-ryu Ninpo, a fictional fighting style based on Bushin Ninjutsu. "Ginzu the Ninja", his English name, comes from the Ginsu kitchen knives which were introduced in the 1970s and were made famous later by its TV advertising campaign. This explains why his signature line is "I'll slice'em! I'll dice'em!" in some versions of the arcade game. His Japanese name, Sho, is based on Sho Kosugi, who is a Japanese actor known for his portrayals of ninjas in various movies in the 1980s. Ginzu is also known as the Ninja Commando in the character select screen. His razor-sharp sword is capable of cutting an opponent in two. His sure-killing technique is his "Smoke Bomb." After creating a smoke screen around his body, the smoke explodes, killing his enemies that are adjacent. Ginzu's dash attacks are "Iaizuki" and "Flying Katana." Iaizuki pierces several enemies at once. Flying Katana cuts the enemies from above while jumping. Ginzu can grab his opponents and either kick their stomach or do a shoulder throw or overhead throw. Other things he is equipped with are his "Ninja Eyes", his "Servant Sword" and his "Ninja Suit". His Ninja Eye can support him in picking out enemies 500 meters ahead in pitch dark. His Servant Sword serves no one nor nothing but him. Named "Lightning Light," it cuts things at atomic levels. And his "Ninja Suit" is tougher than iron and softer than silk.
- Baby Head (Hoover (フーバー?) in Japan) - A super genius baby who fights using a robot of his own design. Baby Head is also known as the Baby Commando in the character select screen. His robot is both strong and quick. His sure-killing technique is his "Knee Rocket" which launches a missile from the robot's knee. Missiles are constantly manufactured within the robot. Baby Head's dash attacks are "Rolling Punch" and "Elbow Smash." Rolling Punch is a strong punch that spins like a drill. Elbow Smash crushes the enemy under an elbow blow coming off a jump. Baby Head can grab his enemies and do either a knee kick, a "Pile-driver" or a "Fling-away." Other features he uses are the "Talking Machine", the "Stable Cradle", the "Silverfist Vehicle", the "Missile Launcher" and the "Jet Hover." His Talking Machine resembles a baby pacifier. It allows him to speak the 3 million languages of the cosmo. The Stable Cradle keeps the robot from rocking, no matter how far it's tilted. The Silverfist Vehicle has 12,000 horsepower, 582 kilograms (1280.4 pounds) of bodyweight, and it mounts fuzzy-logic control. Baby Head's friends call it "Baby Carriage." The Missile Launcher is a missile production facility built inside the leg, as well as in the Silvervest Vehicle. And the Jet Hover is used for high-speed position shifting.
[edit] Gameplay
The player chooses from the four members of the "Commando Team". The Commandos must fight their way through an army of genetically engineered super-criminals, traveling through a bank, a museum, and an aquarium, among other locations. Their quest eventually leads to an interplanetary journey to Callisto, where the evil mastermind "Scumocide" (known in the Japanese version as "Genocide") awaits.
Some main differences that stood out in this game at the time of its release were: the option to play with four players simultaneously, the ability to run and launch an attack (whether on the ground or an aerial one) for some distinct techniques, and mecha that the players can ride. The characters can add some variation in their combos by pressing forward during their attacks.
[edit] Ports
A 2-player port for the SNES was made in 1995, late during the console's life cycle, with its violence intact (although without the sprites of the characters being sliced in half). A near-perfect port of the game existed as a Japanese-only PlayStation release, which on a visual and aural level was on par with the arcade version, but still lacked the 4-player option and suffered from occasional slowdowns, most notably when played by three players. An arcade-perfect port now exists for the PlayStation Portable as part of Capcom Classics Collection Remixed and also appears on Capcom Classics Collection Vol. 2 for PS2 and Xbox. Captain Commando is also available for free on GameTap for the PC.
[edit] Notes
- Captain Commando is Capcom's own homage to classic American sci-fi shows and magazines and the works of artists like Frank R. Paul. It was not the only game though; Battle Circuit is another example of enthusiasm for the genre.
- Captain Commando re-appeared as a playable character in Capcom's crossover games Marvel vs. Capcom and Namco x Capcom. In the former game, his Hyper Combos include the remaining members of the Commando Team joining him to attack his opponent. He also has several special attacks in MVC where the other characters will jump in and attack, each in a unique way. In NxC, the entire Commando Team is playable, and Sho is paired with Guy from Final Fight. All four members, plus Guy, contribute to the Commando Team's Multiple Assaults. Baby Head also shares an attack with Tron Bonne from Mega Man Legends, in which their respective robots attack simultaneously.
- Some characters of the game also appear in Ken's stage in Street Fighter Alpha 2.
- The boss of the Circus Camp level (Known as "Monster" in the American version) is a Heedra from Hayao Miyazaki's Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Whether or not this is a "borrowing" or a "homage" is unclear, but the character has unmistakable similarities to the manga monster.
- One rumor going around is that one of Captain Commando's biggest inspirations was the 1984 cult film The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension, but Capcom is yet to confirm whether or not this is true.
