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PS2
Shin Gouketuji
Ichizoku: Bonnou Kaihou
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NCS
Game Synopsis
NCS didn't think a PS2 game
would be short shipped in this day and age but
please note that our Japanese suppliers did not
receive their complete quantities of this game this
week. Due to this problem, we won't be able to fill
all preorders today but we will fill them next week.
Apologies.
«©NCSX»
The web portal Excite adds the title of "game
publisher" to its credentials and their
first project is an update to the Neo Geo game known
as Power Instinct: Matrimelee aka Shin Gouketuji
Ichizoku Toukon. NCS blew out a little over a hundred Neo
Geo Matrimelee carts in 2004's Scrap Heap
Scramble offer and perhaps it's fortunate that we
sold them off since the PS2 update is an excellent
conversion. Shin Gouketuji
Ichizoku: Bonnou Kaihou
features an additional character named Angela, vibrant music, and
improved graphics.
For the uninitiated, Matrimelee
is a 2D fighting game where odd-lot characters
battle for the dainty purple-gloved hand of Princess
Sissy (the blonde with the hat, left). Some fighters
such as White and Kanji are marriage-minded but
others have their own reasons and motives for
reaching the Princess.
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NCS
Game Notes I
» In the intro to the game, Princess Sissy swings
and throws out invitations while images of fighters
appear on cards that flip from the center of the
screen. The fighters then appear flanking the
centerpiece of Sissy before the title screen pops
up.
» Press START and the following selections appear:
SINGLE / Battle through the ranks to reach
Sissy
VERSUS / Bout against a 2nd human player
TRAINING / Hone your skills to razor edge
against a dummy opponent
MISSION / Play 25 missions that consist of
bouts, targeted objectives
ON-LINE VERSUS / Hook up with an online
opponent and go all out
CARD COLLECTION / Unlock and view 75
character cards and artwork
OPTION / Set button config, vibration, flash,
sound, and save/load data
» The default controls are:
□ BUTTON................L-PUNCH
X BUTTON................L-KICK
Δ BUTTON................S-PUNCH
O BUTTON................S-KICK
L2 TRIGGER..............LP + LK
R2 TRIGGER..............SP + SK
L1 TRIGGER..............CARD SELECT
R1 TRIGGER..............CARD ACTION
» Sixteen fighters are selectable in Single,
Training, and Mission Modes as follows: Ume,
Kanji, Clara, Reiji, Keith, Anny, Chinnen, Angela,
Tane, Saizo, White, Kintaro, Buntaro, Shintaro, Olof,
and Hikaru. Neo Geo players will notice
that Angela's a new character. Unfortunately, the
Rage of the Dragons character code does not work
(up, up, up, up, down, down, down, left, left,
right) in the PS2 version. The Sissy playable
character code also does not work.
» In the first task of MISSION MODE, players have to
beat Ume in a 1-round bout. Beat her and the next
mission is unlocked and so on and so forth. The
second mission is against Kanji and the third
mission pits a player against Clara.
»
After winning a match, 10 Bonnou Point Bonuses are
awarded to the player which may be used to unlock
cards in the Card Collection.
» Every fighter has a double jump. Simply press up
for the first lift and then press up again in
mid-air to vault a little higher.
» In the character select screen, girls continually
chant, "HIEEEEEEEEEEEEE." We're going to sample it
and use it as a ring tone.
» To view the moves for a fighter while in battle,
press START and tap into the COMMAND LIST.
» On a Dual Shock 2 pad, only the D-pad may be used
for movement. L-Analog is out.
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NCS
Game Notes II
» The backgrounds of the stages make for some
interesting sights - there's one stage where a
concert is in progress while heavy metal music
throttles and growls. If you look at the crowd to
the right and left of the band, two separate
quartets of overly energetic sumo are rocking out.
The crowd in the background all wave light sticks.
In another stage, a male and a female are singing
karaoke while spotlights waver around them. If you
watch them sing, they'll take turns and the song
that plays matches their participation perfectly,
including the parts when both are singing. There's
no crowd in the bar but a guy seated right next to
the stage flips through a magazine and a guy in a
shirt and tie to the right of the stage seems to be
pecking away at a portable game.
» Similar to the Japanese Neo Geo version of
Matrimelee, the soundtrack of the game is well done
with many songs that features vocals. There's a
Euromix bent to the tracks. During the game, the
songs are drowned out by the din of punches,
yelling, and yelps from the fighters. To listen to
the song without accompanying sound effects, simply
pause the game and the volume of the song
automatically rises and you may listen to the entire
song as is.
» After the sixth round, Sissy sends Bobby against a
player. Bobby is a black boxer with a charming smile
who decks with a silhouette extension attack, knocks
into opponents with his butt, throws an electrifying
punch, and prances around like a butterfly. If
you're knocked down, he'll run up at you and kick
you again. He can also power up a streaming laser
which lasts for a few seconds and fills up the local
area. If you're caught in the blast late in a round,
it's pretty much over. If you beat Bobby, you'll
meet Sissy and enjoy a short cinematic sequence
followed by the game's credits.
» The fighting runs fast and fluid for a comparable
experience to the Neo Geo original. The sound is
commendable with vibrant music and sound effects
that thump through the speakers. Although Matrimelee
won't be known much outside the Neo Geo fanbase and
the players who pick up a copy from the pitifully
small print run for the PS2 version, NCS considers
the game a worthy fighting game that's unique in the
oddities found within. Where else do geriatric
seniors battle young'uns in vicious fisticuffs?
Grandma Tane throws out her teeth as a bouncing
projectile, Grandpa Kanji whips out his underwear
sash as a weapon and battles nearly in the nude.
Only when he wins does he put on a red robe. Clara
has a move where she can magically transform her
opponent into a golden duck. Olof can perform a
multi-hit kick attack where he kicks from one side
and then from the other to rob 1/3 of one's health
bar for a total of 14 kicks. Although newcomer
Angela looks like a female in her portrait, she
looks like a man with a blue wig in-game. Her
punches are so powerful that they'll take out
significant amounts of health from opponents if they
connect. Her voice is also strangely manly. |
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Default fighters and applicable alter-egos
featured in the game
Clara Hananokouji / Super Clara
Oume / Super Oume
Otane / Super Otane
Reiji Ohyama
Keith Wayne
Kanji Kokuin / Super Kanji
Saizo Hattori
White Buffalo
Annie Hamilton
ChinNen
Poch / Kintaro Kokuin
Olof
Hikaru
Shintaro aka Kunohe Matarou
Buntaro aka Kunohe Ayatarou
Angela
Four Rage of the Dragons fighters (Elias,
Jimmy,
Jones,
Lynn) are also in the game but as mentioned earlier,
the original coin-op code doesn't work.
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Differences from the Neo Geo original
» The hooded Enabler who stands in the
background is gone. Thus, all of the nifty Enabler
moves are no longer available to exploit.
» The clashing Versus animation before each match
has been removed but the static trash-talking screen
is intact.
» The graphics in the PS2 version are slightly
improved over the Neo Geo original. The speed is on
par and the sound is beautifully done.
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This document is ©NCSX 2006. All rights reserved. No
reproduction in whole or in part of this document
may be made without express written consent of
National Console Support, Inc.
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