Aggressors of Dark Kombat
Encyclopedia
Aggressors of Dark Kombat, sometimes abbreviated as ADK, and known in Japan
as or simply GanGan, is a one-on-one fighting arcade game
developed by Alpha Denshi Corp. (ADK) and published by SNK. The English
game title is a pun
on the developer's initials and also parodies Mortal Kombat
, spelling the word combat with K instead of C.
's Violence Fight
, SNK's Street Smart and Atari
's Pit-Fighter
. Because of this, unlike many other 2D fighting games, the game uses one action button to jump, and does not use the "D" button, unlike many SNK fighting games. Only two action buttons are used for attacking (punch and kick); instead, grappling and grabbing opponents is the focus of the gameplay: opponents can counter being grabbed and break free as well. Also featured is weapon play (another mechanic akin to beat 'em ups). Weapons can be picked up and thrown, or used in special and standard attacks. Weapons are thrown into the ring by spectators in the background. Another (unusual) innovation of the game is that characters begin to sweat profusely after fighting for a while.
Characters have unusually high health for the genre with a health bar that has several layers of colors to indicate the health. There is also a "Crazy Meter" at the bottom of the screen. It is built up as characters attack; this gives the character a special – and often very bizarre – attack that will kill the opponent outright. It is called the "Gan Gan Attack" in Japan, and "Crazy Attack" internationally.
Battles are joined by irreverent, sometimes humorous pre-fight banter from characters. The dialogue differs from opponent to opponent, and the fight is immediately presaged by a clash of two small images of the combatants' eyes in the center of the screen. There are almost no differences between the Japanese release of this game and the International versions aside from the rather drastic name change, but it is worth taking notice that there is blood to be found when you use a critical hit on an opponent on the Japanese release only.
.
- Also known as the "Red Panther of Honmoku
", he is the protagonist of the story. Joe is the most powerful and famous brawler of the eastern area of Japan known as Kantō
. Bored from the lack of good opponents in his area, he hears rumors about strong fighters to the west, so he travels there to confirm them. Apart from this game, he makes a cameo appearance in one of Kisarah's attacks in Neo Geo Battle Coliseum
.
- Also known as the "Naive Tomboy
". She is an English
school girl who has a reputation for being a femme fatale
in Japanese schools. However, Kisarah falls in love with Joe Kusanagi and chases him to coerce Joe into being her boyfriend. She is the only female fighter in this game. Kisarah appears as a selectable character in Neo Geo Battle Coliseum and as an SNK character card in SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters DS.
- Also known as the "Strong Spirit from Naniwa
". Goh is the most famous brawler in the western area of Japan known as Kansai, and has his own gang. Goh got the news about the arrival of the "Red Panther from Honmoku" and is awaiting a fight against this new menace in order to further his goal of nationwide conquest.
- Also known as the "Angry Hurricane". His involvement in the story happens because that he got lost during one of his travels through time and landed in 1994 Japan, where the game takes place, and became involved in the ensuing fights. Like the rest of characters in the game, Fūma doesn't have powers (only his "EnRyūHa" signature move make the transition from World Heroes), but in exchange, he gains many combo moves.
- Also known as the "Black Bull". As a Mexican
brawler who escapes his native country becoming a refugee
, he comes to Japan to become the strongest fighter of all, no matter what for. Leonhalt is the tallest, slowest and the most powerful fighter from this game. His rival is Sheen Genus.
- Also known as the "Rising Tiger". He is a Canadian
amateur wrestler who wants to create his own professional wrestling league, and so is searching for strong people to join him. Sheen is the wrestler of the game and a rival to Leonhalt. He has recently appeared in SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters DS as an Action card.
Lee Hae Gwon - Also known as the "White Fang". A Korea
n martial artist who lives in Japan and works for a school. He seeks revenge against the brawler who has been causing disasters in his school: Leonhalt Domador. Lee is one of the fastest characters in the game, and has a good arsenal of kicks and various Taekwondo techniques.
- Also known as the "Brown Bullet". He is an African-American boy who is a basketball
player and wishes to be famous. To achieve his objective, Bobby is traverses the world, waiting to be discovered. Bobby is the fastest and smallest character in the game, and the only one who always has a weapon (specifically, his basketball
). He has recently appeared in SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters DS as an Action card, along with Sean Matsuda from Street Fighter III
, who is also a basketballer.
Game Collection released in Japan only.
, and their signature fighting title The King of Fighters, and even ADK's other fighting game franchise, World Heroes. It was not found in great numbers in arcades, nor did its home console version sell well, and it was generally considered by reviewers and fighting-game fans of the time to be a mediocre title. More recently, Aggressors of Dark Kombat is considered a cult game, recommended for players that want a different experience from SNK's more normal fighting game franchises.
Aggressors of Dark Kombat was awarded Strangest Game of 1994 by Electronic Gaming Monthly
.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
as or simply GanGan, is a one-on-one fighting arcade game
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
developed by Alpha Denshi Corp. (ADK) and published by SNK. The English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
game title is a pun
Pun
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
on the developer's initials and also parodies Mortal Kombat
Mortal Kombat (series)
Mortal Kombat, commonly abbreviated MK, is a science fantasy series of fighting games created by Ed Boon and John Tobias. The first four renditions and their updates were developed by Midway Games and initially released on arcade machines. The arcade titles were later picked up by Acclaim...
, spelling the word combat with K instead of C.
Gameplay
The game's major innovation is the ability to walk into the background, in a similar manner to some 1980s arcade fighting games like TaitoTaito Corporation
The is a Japanese publisher of video game software and arcade hardware wholly owned by publisher Square Enix. Taito has their headquarters in the Shinjuku Bunka Quint Building in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo, sharing the facility with its parent company....
's Violence Fight
Violence Fight
, is a 1989 fighting arcade game developed and published by Taito.Violence Fight was later added to Taito Memories Vol. 2 for the PlayStation 2, and Taito Legends 2 for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and Windows-operated PCs...
, SNK's Street Smart and Atari
Atari
Atari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in...
's Pit-Fighter
Pit-Fighter
Pit-Fighter is a 1990 arcade game by Atari Games, notable for its early use of digitized live actors. The Japanese arcade release was published by Konami. The graphic animation for the player character and opponents were created through a bluescreen process, where the various poses & moves of the...
. Because of this, unlike many other 2D fighting games, the game uses one action button to jump, and does not use the "D" button, unlike many SNK fighting games. Only two action buttons are used for attacking (punch and kick); instead, grappling and grabbing opponents is the focus of the gameplay: opponents can counter being grabbed and break free as well. Also featured is weapon play (another mechanic akin to beat 'em ups). Weapons can be picked up and thrown, or used in special and standard attacks. Weapons are thrown into the ring by spectators in the background. Another (unusual) innovation of the game is that characters begin to sweat profusely after fighting for a while.
Battles are joined by irreverent, sometimes humorous pre-fight banter from characters. The dialogue differs from opponent to opponent, and the fight is immediately presaged by a clash of two small images of the combatants' eyes in the center of the screen. There are almost no differences between the Japanese release of this game and the International versions aside from the rather drastic name change, but it is worth taking notice that there is blood to be found when you use a critical hit on an opponent on the Japanese release only.
Characters
The game features eight selectable characters. The characters are not named anywhere during gameplay, which is unusual for the genre. Seven of the characters are new to the series, but Kotaro Fūma returns from World HeroesWorld Heroes
is a series of fighting games created by ADK originally created for the Neo Geo MVS arcade cabinets with the assistance of SNK, though some of the games in the series were also ported to the Neo Geo AES and Neo-Geo CD platforms, as well as some non-SNK platforms such as the Super NES and the Sega...
.
- Also known as the "Red Panther of Honmoku
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
", he is the protagonist of the story. Joe is the most powerful and famous brawler of the eastern area of Japan known as Kantō
Kanto region
The is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Within its boundaries, slightly more than 40 percent of the land area is the Kantō Plain....
. Bored from the lack of good opponents in his area, he hears rumors about strong fighters to the west, so he travels there to confirm them. Apart from this game, he makes a cameo appearance in one of Kisarah's attacks in Neo Geo Battle Coliseum
Neo Geo Battle Coliseum
NeoGeo Battle Coliseum is a 2 on 2 tag team fighting game for the Atomiswave arcade board. The game features characters from several SNK and ADK titles. The PlayStation 2 version of the game has been released in Japan, North America and Europe...
.
- Also known as the "Naive Tomboy
Tomboy
A tomboy is a girl who exhibits characteristics or behaviors considered typical of the gender role of a boy, including the wearing of typically masculine-oriented clothes and engaging in games and activities that are often physical in nature, and which are considered in many cultures to be the...
". She is an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
school girl who has a reputation for being a femme fatale
Femme fatale
A femme fatale is a mysterious and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers in bonds of irresistible desire, often leading them into compromising, dangerous, and deadly situations. She is an archetype of literature and art...
in Japanese schools. However, Kisarah falls in love with Joe Kusanagi and chases him to coerce Joe into being her boyfriend. She is the only female fighter in this game. Kisarah appears as a selectable character in Neo Geo Battle Coliseum and as an SNK character card in SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters DS.
- Also known as the "Strong Spirit from Naniwa
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
". Goh is the most famous brawler in the western area of Japan known as Kansai, and has his own gang. Goh got the news about the arrival of the "Red Panther from Honmoku" and is awaiting a fight against this new menace in order to further his goal of nationwide conquest.
- Also known as the "Angry Hurricane". His involvement in the story happens because that he got lost during one of his travels through time and landed in 1994 Japan, where the game takes place, and became involved in the ensuing fights. Like the rest of characters in the game, Fūma doesn't have powers (only his "EnRyūHa" signature move make the transition from World Heroes), but in exchange, he gains many combo moves.
- Also known as the "Black Bull". As a Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
brawler who escapes his native country becoming a refugee
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
, he comes to Japan to become the strongest fighter of all, no matter what for. Leonhalt is the tallest, slowest and the most powerful fighter from this game. His rival is Sheen Genus.
- Also known as the "Rising Tiger". He is a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
amateur wrestler who wants to create his own professional wrestling league, and so is searching for strong people to join him. Sheen is the wrestler of the game and a rival to Leonhalt. He has recently appeared in SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters DS as an Action card.
Lee Hae Gwon - Also known as the "White Fang". A Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
n martial artist who lives in Japan and works for a school. He seeks revenge against the brawler who has been causing disasters in his school: Leonhalt Domador. Lee is one of the fastest characters in the game, and has a good arsenal of kicks and various Taekwondo techniques.
- Also known as the "Brown Bullet". He is an African-American boy who is a basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player and wishes to be famous. To achieve his objective, Bobby is traverses the world, waiting to be discovered. Bobby is the fastest and smallest character in the game, and the only one who always has a weapon (specifically, his basketball
Basketball (ball)
A basketball is a spherical inflated ball used in the game of basketball. Basketballs typically range in size from very small promotional items only a few inches in diameter to extra large balls nearly a foot in diameter used in training exercises to increase the skill of players...
). He has recently appeared in SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters DS as an Action card, along with Sean Matsuda from Street Fighter III
Street Fighter III
is a fighting game in Capcom's Street Fighter series, originally released as coin-operated arcade game in . Street Fighter III was produced for the CD-ROM-based CP System III hardware, which allowed for more elaborate 2D graphics than the CPS II-based Street Fighter Alpha games , while revamping...
, who is also a basketballer.
Ports and related releases
The game was later ported to the Neo-Geo AES console, then ported a year later to SNK's Neo Geo CD. In 2008 it was also ported along with a few other Neo-Geo titles also by ADK to the PlayStation 2 as part of the ADK TamashiiADK Tamashii
ADK Tamashi is a compilation of video games made and released by SNK Playmore in Japan only for the PlayStation 2 console.It includes 5 arcade/Neo Geo games which were all developed by ADK and published by SNK Playmore...
Game Collection released in Japan only.
Reception
Aggressors of Dark Kombat is a somewhat less-known title compared to SNK's other fighting franchises such as Fatal Fury, Art of FightingArt of Fighting
is a trilogy of competitive fighting game titles that were released for the Neo Geo platform in the early 1990s. It was the second fighting game franchise created by SNK, following the Fatal Fury series and is set in the same fictional universe...
, and their signature fighting title The King of Fighters, and even ADK's other fighting game franchise, World Heroes. It was not found in great numbers in arcades, nor did its home console version sell well, and it was generally considered by reviewers and fighting-game fans of the time to be a mediocre title. More recently, Aggressors of Dark Kombat is considered a cult game, recommended for players that want a different experience from SNK's more normal fighting game franchises.
Aggressors of Dark Kombat was awarded Strangest Game of 1994 by Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
.
See also
- ADKADK (company), also known as , was a Japanese video game production company founded sometime in July of 1980. "ADK" is an acronym for Alpha, Denshi, and the Japanese term for "corporation", Kabushiki kaisha...
- World HeroesWorld Heroesis a series of fighting games created by ADK originally created for the Neo Geo MVS arcade cabinets with the assistance of SNK, though some of the games in the series were also ported to the Neo Geo AES and Neo-Geo CD platforms, as well as some non-SNK platforms such as the Super NES and the Sega...
- NeoGeo Battle Coliseum
- List of fighting games