is a 1991

beat 'em up game A beat 'em up (also known as brawler and, in some markets, beat 'em all) is a video game genre featuring hand-to-hand combat against a large number of opponents. Traditional beat 'em ups take place in scrolling, two-dimensional (2D) levels, wh ...

developed and published by

Capcom is a Japanese video game company. It has created a number of critically acclaimed and List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being ''Resident Evil'', ''Monster ...

for arcades. It was the seventeenth game produced for the company's

CP System The , also known as Capcom Play System, CPS for short, and retroactively as CPS-1, is an arcade system board developed by Capcom that ran game software stored on removable daughterboards. More than two dozen arcade titles were released for CPS- ...

hardware. The game stars the titular

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a fictional character who typically possesses ''superpowers'' or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their ...

who was originally conceived as a fictional spokesman used by Capcom USA in the company's console games during the late 1980s. The game was included in ''

Capcom Beat 'Em Up Bundle ''Capcom Beat 'Em Up Bundle'' (released in Japan and Asia as ''Capcom Belt Action Collection'') is a 2018 video game compilation developed and published by Capcom. Featuring emulated versions of various beat 'em up video games from Capcom's histo ...

'' compilation title, which was released digitally for

Nintendo Switch The is a video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. Released in the middle of the Eighth generation of video game consoles, eighth generation of home consoles, the Switch succeeded the ...

PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013, in ...

Xbox One The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox series. It was first released in North America, parts of Europe, Austra ...

, and

Windows Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...

in September 2018.

Plot

The game is set in a futuristic version of Metro City, the setting of Capcom's other beat 'em up, ''

Final Fight ''Final Fight'' is a series of beat 'em up video games by Japanese publisher Capcom, which began with the arcade release of '' Final Fight'' in 1989. Set in the fictional Metro City, within the '' Street Fighter'' universe, the games focus on ...

'', and features several loose ties with the characters and settings from that game. The year is 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 secret hidden evil superpowers. Many of them are known as Super Criminals, with abilities beyond that of ordinary mere mortals. The leader of all the Super Criminals himself is a maniacal tyrannical alien known as Scumocide (known as Genocide in Japan).

Characters

Commando Team

; He is both the team leader and the team founder. Besides his powerful mind and strong body, he also uses his "Energy Gloves", which can shoot mighty bolts of fire and electricity. His killer technique is the "Captain Corridor". Striking the ground with his Energy Gloves causes an electric shock which kills everyone around him. Captain Commando's dash attacks are "Captain Cannon" (also known as "Captain Fire") which torches the enemy with a blast of flame and "Captain Kick" which can hit several enemies at once on the ground or in the air. Captain Commando also can grab his opponent and kick their stomach or throw their whole body. Other things he uses are the "Captain Goggles" which help him identify a criminal's face at a distance of 2 km, by comparing with data base, the "Captain Protector" which is made of super-tough material called "Captanium" and stands up to trillion degree heat, the "Captain Gauntlet" which multiplies Captain's power 48 times making it easy for him to smash a thick iron plate and the "Captain Boots" which make it possible for him to take a 100-meter fall without injuries or damage to the boots. ; The Mummy Commando is a mummy-like alien from outer space. He uses sub-sonic knives that melt any enemy he hits. His killer technique is the "Spinning Attack". Spinning around like a top, his bandages lash his enemies like whips. Mack's dash attacks are "Double Trouble" which sticks his enemy with both knives and "Sky Assault" which is an airborne version of Double Trouble. Mack also can grab his enemy and either stick or throw them. Other things he has are the "Captain Cap" which is a souvenir from the first meeting with Captain Commando, the "Genetic Bandage" which is his life-sustaining equipment for survival on Earth, the "Genetic Knife" which melts all matter and the "Gravity Controllers" which are his pair of shoes that adjust the gravitational pull to where it is best for the battles. Mack's English name comes from the

Bertolt Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known as Bertolt Brecht and Bert Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a p ...

song of the same title. ; The Ninja Commando is a highly trained

ninja A , or was a spy and infiltrator in pre-modern Japan. The functions of a ninja included siege and infiltration, ambush, reconnaissance, espionage, deception, and later bodyguarding.Kawakami, pp. 21–22 Antecedents may have existed as ear ...

and successor to Bushin-ryu Ninpo, a fighting style of

ninjutsu , and are terms for the techniques and skills used by spies and scouts in pre-modern Japan known as ninja. Some of these techniques are recorded in ninja scrolls, some which have been published and translated. The study of these scrolls have c ...

that was also inherited by

Guy Guy or GUY may refer to: Personal names * Guy (given name) * Guy (surname) * That Guy (...), the New Zealand street performer Leigh Hart Places * Guy, Alberta, a Canadian hamlet * Guy, Arkansas, US, a city * Guy, Indiana, US, an uninc ...

from ''

''. His razor-sharp sword is capable of cutting an opponent in two. His killer 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" which pierces several enemies at once and "Flying Katana" which 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" which can help him find enemies 500 meters ahead in pitch dark, his "Servant Sword" serves no one but him, is named "Lightning Light" and cuts things at atomic levels and his "Ninja Suit" which is tougher than iron and softer than silk. He is the only character who is able to throw shurikens at his opponents. ; The Baby Commando is a super genius infant who fights using a robot of his own design. His robot is both strong and quick. His killer technique is his "Knee Rocket" which launches a missile from the robot's knee which are constantly manufactured within the robot. Baby Head's dash attacks are "Rolling Punch" which is a strong punch that spins like a drill and "Elbow Smash" which 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" which resembles a baby pacifier and allows him to speak the 3 million languages of the cosmos, the "Stable Cradle" which keeps the robot from rocking, no matter how far it is tilted, the "Silverfist Vehicle" which has 12,000 horsepower, 582 kilograms (1280.4 pounds) of bodyweight and mounts fuzzy-logic control, the "Missile Launcher" which is a missile production facility built inside the leg, as well as in the Silvervest Vehicle and is nicknamed by Baby Head's friends "Baby Carriage" and the "Jet Hover" which is used for high-speed position shifting.

Gameplay

''Captain Commando'' follows the same gameplay established in Capcom's previous beat-'em-up ''

''. The arcade version allows up to two, three, or even four players simultaneously depending on the game's settings. The player can select between any of the four "commandos" (Mack, Captain, Ginzu, or Baby-Head) as their character, with each player controlling a different character. The player's objective as usual is to move towards the end of each stage, defeat every adversary who gets in their way while avoiding any traps that they may throw at the player's way before eventually fighting the

boss Boss may refer to: Occupations * Supervisor, often referred to as boss * Air boss, more formally, air officer, the person in charge of aircraft operations on an aircraft carrier * Crime boss, the head of a criminal organization * Fire boss, ...

awaiting at the final area of each stage. The game consists of a total of nine stages. The control configuration is exactly like ''Final Fight'', with an eight-way joystick for moving the character left or right, as well as towards or away from the background, along with two action buttons for attacking and jumping. The player can perform numerous combinations of attacks while standing or jumping, including grabbing the enemy, as well as a special attack by pressing the attack and jump simultaneously that will drain a portion of the player's vitality. An addition to the controls is the ability to dash by pushing the joystick left or right twice. The player can perform a running attack or even a running jump attack. Like in ''Final Fight'', the player can pick up health-restoring food items hidden inside barrels and other destructible objects to restore their vitality, as well as other bonus items to increase their score. Weapons also can be picked up, such as three different types of firearms, as well as shurikens that can only be used by Ginzu. Players also can ride certain robots by dismounting their riders and then jumping over the robot. The robots have their own vitality gauge and if they sustain enough damage, they will be destroyed. There are three types of robots in the game: a punching robot, a flame-throwing robot, and a freezing robot. Unlike ''Final Fight'', weapons can be carried when the player makes the transition to a new area until the stage is completed.

Development

The origin of Captain Commando as a character predates his appearance in his self-titled game, in the packaging and manuals of many of Capcom's earlier titles for the

Nintendo Entertainment System The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on 15 July 1983 as the and was later released as the redesigned NES in several test markets in the ...

and

Commodore 64 The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International (first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, January 7–10, 1982, in Las Vegas). It has been listed in ...

in North America released between

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. ** Spain and Portugal en ...

and

1989 1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...

. All of Capcom's games released for the NES between

and

1988 1988 was a crucial year in the early history of the Internet—it was the year of the first well-known computer virus, the Morris worm, 1988 Internet worm. The first permanent intercontinental Internet link was made between the United State ...

(''

1942 The Uppsala Conflict Data Program project estimates this to be the deadliest year in human history in terms of conflict deaths, placing the death toll at 4.62 million. However, the Correlates of War estimates that the prior year, 1941, was th ...

'', ''

Commando A commando is a combatant, or operative of an elite light infantry or special operations force, specially trained for carrying out raids and operating in small teams behind enemy lines. Originally, "a commando" was a type of combat unit, as oppo ...

'', ''

Ghosts 'n Goblins ''Ghosts 'n Goblins'', known in Japan as , is a series of Shoot 'em up, run-and-gun Platformer, platform video games developed and owned by Capcom. The first entry in the series was ''Ghosts 'n Goblins (video game), Ghosts 'n Goblins'', release ...

'', ''

Mega Man ''Mega Man'' (known as in Japan) is a video game franchise developed and published by Capcom, featuring the Mega Man (character), protagonist of the same name. The Mega Man (1987 video game), original game was released for the Nintendo Enter ...

'', ''

Trojan Trojan or Trojans may refer to: * Of or from the ancient city of Troy * Trojan language, the language of the historical Trojans Arts and entertainment Music * '' Les Troyens'' ('The Trojans'), an opera by Berlioz, premiered part 1863, part 18 ...

'', ''

Section Z is a 1985 side-scrolling shooter video game developed and published by Capcom for arcades. A home version was published for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987. The arcade version was re-released as part of '' Capcom Classics Collection ...

'' and '' Gun Smoke'') were released as part of the "Captain Commando Challenge Series" and featured a drawing of the Captain on the back of the packaging, which depicted him as a "futuristic" space hero wielding a

raygun A raygun is a science-fiction directed-energy weapon usually with destructive effect.Jeff Prucher, '' Brave New Words: The Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction,'' Oxford University Press, 2007, page 162 They have various names: ray gun, d ...

on each hand and two large medallions around his neck with the letter "C" engraved on each. Each game's instruction manual also featured a "Special Message" from the Captain addressed to the owner of the game, congratulating the player for purchasing one of Capcom's products. Additionally, the instruction manual for ''Section Z'' has the otherwise nameless

player character A player character (also known as a playable character or PC) is a fictional Character (arts), character in a video game or tabletop role-playing game whose actions are controlled by a player rather than the rules of the game. The characters tha ...

uniting with Captain Commando himself, although it is unclear if that means they both control the spacesuit or if Captain Commando is a separate character. A revised version of the Captain Commando character appeared again in Capcom's NES lineup in

('' Strider'', ''

Mega Man 2 ''Mega Man 2'' (stylized as ''Mega Man II'') is a 1988 action game, action-platformer, platform game developed and published by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was released in Japan in 1988 and in North America and PAL region ...

'', ''

Willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, of the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 350 species (plus numerous hybrids) of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions. Most species are known ...

'', and '' Duck Tales''). The artwork on the rear packaging of those games featured an illustration of Captain Commando wearing a pilot suit in front of a fighter jet, holding a helmet under his right arm, with an alien chimp sitting on his right shoulder and the Capcom logo in an airbrushed style above them. The text above the artwork featured a message from the Captain advising the reader to "look to (him) for up-to-date reports for all the exciting action games from Capcom", followed by the Captain's apparent handwritten signature. The character was redesigned for the arcade game by

Akira Yasuda (born July 21, 1964) is a Japanese animator, character designer, game designer and mecha designer, who works under the pseudonym "Akiman". Yasuda is a former employee of the video game company Capcom (joining in 1985) and has worked on many Capcom ...

(AKA Akiman), who thought the original Capcom USA version looked "uncool".

Home versions and related releases

* A

Super NES The Super Nintendo Entertainment System, commonly shortened to Super Nintendo, Super NES or SNES, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan, 1991 in North America, 1992 in Europe and Oceania a ...

16 Meg port was released in 1995. This port only allows up to two players, shows less on-screen enemies and lacks the mech-suit. It is also censored on several aspects. * A

PlayStation is a video gaming brand owned and produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), a division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. Its flagship products consists of a series of home video game consoles produced under the brand; it also consists ...

port was released in Japan only on September 17, 1998, by New Inc. This port allows up to three players with the use of a multiplayer adapter (4 players with Cheat / GameShark). * The original CPS game is included in emulated form in the compilations '' Capcom Classics Collection: Remixed'' for the

PlayStation Portable The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PA ...

, ''Capcom Classics Collection Volume 2'' for the

PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October, in Europe on 24 Novembe ...

and

Xbox Xbox is a video gaming brand that consists of four main home video game console lines, as well as application software, applications (games), the streaming media, streaming service Xbox Cloud Gaming, and online services such as the Xbox networ ...

, both released in 2006, ''

'' for the

and

Microsoft Windows Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...

in 2018, and ''

Capcom Arcade Stadium ''Capcom Arcade Stadium'' is a 2021 video game compilation developed and published by Capcom. It includes 32 arcade games originally published by Capcom between 1984 and 2001; the game itself is free to download with a single free game, while the ...

'' for the

and

in 2021. * A

Sega CD The Sega CD, known as in most regions outside North America and Brazil, is a CD-ROM accessory and format for the Sega Genesis produced by Sega as part of the fourth generation of video game consoles. Originally released in November 1991, it ca ...

port for the game was planned, but was cancelled.

Legacy

Captain Commando would return as a player character in the

fighting game The fighting game video game genre, genre involves combat between multiple characters, often (but not limited to) one-on-one battles. Fighting game combat often features mechanics such as Blocking (martial arts), blocking, grappling, counter- ...

Marvel vs. Capcom is a series of Crossover (fiction), crossover fighting games developed and published by Capcom, featuring characters from their video game franchises and comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series originated as coin-operated arca ...

'' in

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...

, as one of the characters representing Capcom. The Captain has a transformation sequence prior to each match which depicts him in a suit (or in a cowboy outfit) before donning his superhero costume. His "Commando Strike" special move, as well as both of his Hyper Combos (the "Captain Sword" and the "Captain Storm"), has him summoning his "Commando Companions" to attack his opponent. The Captain's victory quotes consist of random Capcom trivia, while his ending in ''Marvel vs. Capcom'' is an homage to the ending in his original game. This incarnation of Captain Commando also appears in the sequel, '' Marvel vs. Capcom 2''. Besides the ''Marvel vs. Capcom'' games, Captain Commando also appears in four other cross-over games: ''Capcom World 2'', ''

Namco × Capcom (pronounced as "Namco Cross Capcom") is a tactical role-playing (RPG) crossover video game developed by Monolith Soft for the PlayStation 2 and published by Namco in 2005. The gameplay combines tactical RPG and action sequences during battl ...

'', ''

Project X Zone 2 ''Project X Zone 2'' is a crossover tactical role-playing video game developed by Monolith Soft for the Nintendo 3DS and Bandai Namco Entertainment. Despite the game being the sequel to ''Project X Zone'', the plot is a homage to the events of ...

'' and the '' SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters'' series. A two-volume manga was also published in Japan in 1994 in ''Gamest Comics'', which was translated and published overseas by

UDON Udon ( or ) is a thick noodle made from wheat flour, used in Japanese cuisine. There are a variety of ways it is prepared and served. Its simplest form is in a soup as with a mild broth called made from dashi, soy sauce, and mirin. It is usual ...

Reception

In Japan, ''Game Machine'' listed ''Captain Commando'' on their December 1, 1991 issue as being the most-successful table arcade unit of the month, outperforming titles such as '' Street Fighter II: The World Warrior'' and ''

WWF WrestleFest is a professional wrestling video game developed and released by Technōs Japan for arcades in 1991, featuring stars of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). The game was distributed by Technōs in Japan and North America, and by Tecmo in Jap ...

''. The November 1991 issue of ''

Sinclair User The ''Sinclair User'' was a magazine dedicated to the Sinclair Research range of home computers, most specifically the ZX Spectrum (while also occasionally covering arcade games). Initially published by ECC Publications, and later EMAP, it was pub ...

'' gave it the shared award for "Games Most Likely To Save The Universe" as one of the best

games, along with '' Spider-Man: The Video Game'' and '' Captain America and The Avengers''. On release, ''

Famicom Tsūshin , formerly , is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage (previously known as Gzbrain), a subsidiary of Kadokawa. ''Famitsu'' is published in both weekly and monthly formats as well as in the form of special to ...

'' scored the Super Famicom version of the game a 21 out of 40. In 2013, the arcade original game was ranked as the 21st top beat 'em up video game of all time by

Heavy.com Heavy (stylized as Heavy.com and heavy.) is a sports news website based in New York City. It publishes sports news and information for an American audience, with a focus on the NFL, NBA and MLB. History Heavy was founded by Simon Assaad and Da ...

. In 2018, ''

Complex Complex commonly refers to: * Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe ** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...

'' rated ''Captain Commando'' 79th on their "The Best Super Nintendo Games of All Time" list.

Notes

References

External links

* *
Captain Commando
' at arcade-history * {{Street Fighter 1991 video games Arcade video games CP System games Capcom beat 'em ups Capcom Power System Changer games Cooperative video games Multiplayer and single-player video games Video games about ninja PlayStation (console) games Science fiction video games Side-scrolling beat 'em ups Super Nintendo Entertainment System games Superhero video games Censored video games Video games adapted into comics Video games developed in Japan Video games set in 2026