This is an old beat em up game. A really really old game. I used to have a demo of it many years ago in my childhood that gave access to 4 of the robots, and the first of the four tournaments. Recently I had a totally random dream of the most recognisable and popular robot of the game - the Jaguar, mostly so because it is not only the starter robot that all players are given in tournament play, but also reliably one of the best and easiest to play.
But after reading up about the game, I found out its been freeware now for quite some time, so I spent a day of pain trying to figure out how to get it to run in dosbox, and then even more pain trying to figure out how to record it. And once I did, the menu screens were skipping / lagging in between battles, but the battles played and recorded fine so at least the gameplay can be seen.
I started out with testing a couple of the more interesting robots at least to me. Firstly I tried the Electra, for which I noted it had the highest speed ratings in the game, but also the lowest damage (and by lowest, were talking really really low damage stats compared to all the other robots). But it turned out to be incredible once fully upgraded to max speed stats as you can easily chain multi hits and combos, plus rapidly comboing into the special moves. So while each hit does piddly damage alone, you are easily able to connect 3-5 hits at a time:
Link to video.
(Longplay video - skip to 22s as there is some freeze lag at the start). Also thats exactly how fast the game runs with the speed setting set to the middle, and I really like it.
Next I tried the Flail robot. I noted that this one had the highest armour rating in the game, with averadge damage and speed stats, but while also having a very unique playstyle. However I dont find it as easy to play as the faster robots, like the electra above, as it cant combo much, but its flail and fierce punch attacks have incredible range, and I suppose the reason it has the most armour is because I was always getting beat up by the speedier robots, particularly one called the shredder (lowest range on its attacks compared to all the other robots, but easily the strongest cornering + combo robot, and the game's wiki says so too, so this will be the next one I try out). The armour rating allows the flail to withstand a beating while also being able to time its slower (or well, average) speed attacks to make most use of their range:
Link to video.
Overall, definitely the best beat em up game ever made, I still find it incredible to play compared to the latest street fighter and mortal kombat games.
But after reading up about the game, I found out its been freeware now for quite some time, so I spent a day of pain trying to figure out how to get it to run in dosbox, and then even more pain trying to figure out how to record it. And once I did, the menu screens were skipping / lagging in between battles, but the battles played and recorded fine so at least the gameplay can be seen.
I started out with testing a couple of the more interesting robots at least to me. Firstly I tried the Electra, for which I noted it had the highest speed ratings in the game, but also the lowest damage (and by lowest, were talking really really low damage stats compared to all the other robots). But it turned out to be incredible once fully upgraded to max speed stats as you can easily chain multi hits and combos, plus rapidly comboing into the special moves. So while each hit does piddly damage alone, you are easily able to connect 3-5 hits at a time:
Link to video.
(Longplay video - skip to 22s as there is some freeze lag at the start). Also thats exactly how fast the game runs with the speed setting set to the middle, and I really like it.
Next I tried the Flail robot. I noted that this one had the highest armour rating in the game, with averadge damage and speed stats, but while also having a very unique playstyle. However I dont find it as easy to play as the faster robots, like the electra above, as it cant combo much, but its flail and fierce punch attacks have incredible range, and I suppose the reason it has the most armour is because I was always getting beat up by the speedier robots, particularly one called the shredder (lowest range on its attacks compared to all the other robots, but easily the strongest cornering + combo robot, and the game's wiki says so too, so this will be the next one I try out). The armour rating allows the flail to withstand a beating while also being able to time its slower (or well, average) speed attacks to make most use of their range:
Link to video.
Overall, definitely the best beat em up game ever made, I still find it incredible to play compared to the latest street fighter and mortal kombat games.
