''Shatterhand'' is a side-scrolling

action game An action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes a large variety of sub-genres, such as fighting games, beat 'em ups, shooter games, and platform gam ...

for the

Nintendo Entertainment System The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redesigned version, was released in America ...

developed by Natsume and published by

Jaleco was a corporate brand name that was used by two previously connected video game developers and publishers based in Japan. The original Jaleco company was founded in 1974 as Japan Leisure Company, founded by Yoshiaki Kanazawa, before being renam ...

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in 1991 and in

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in 1992. ''Shatterhand'' was originally released by Angel (

Bandai is a Japanese multinational toy manufacturer and distributor headquartered in Taitō, Tokyo. Its international branches, Bandai Namco Toys & Collectables America and Bandai UK, are respectively headquartered in Irvine, California and Richmond ...

) in Japan in 1991 as a licensed game for the

Family Computer The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit Third generation of video game consoles, third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redes ...

based on the live-action superhero series .

Plot

Set in the year 2030, a group of military renegades known as Metal Command, led by General Gus Grover, are seeking to conquer the world by building an army of

cyborg A cyborg ()—a portmanteau of ''cybernetic'' and ''organism''—is a being with both organic and biomechatronic body parts. The term was coined in 1960 by Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline.

soldiers. Steve Hermann, a young police officer from the

Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...

, ends up losing both of his arms during a skirmish with members of Metal Command. After the incident, Hermann is offered two specially developed

cybernetic Cybernetics is a wide-ranging field concerned with circular causality, such as feedback, in regulatory and purposive systems. Cybernetics is named after an example of circular causal feedback, that of steering a ship, where the helmsperson ma ...

arms developed by the Law and Order Regulatory Division (L.O.R.D.) to replace the ones he lost. Hermann accepts the offer and becomes an agent codenamed "Shatterhand," who is now tasked with the mission to defeat Metal Command.

Gameplay

''Shatterhand'' is a side-scrolling action game that follows many of the established conventions in the genre. The main character's primary attacks are his very own fists, which he can also use to intercept enemy bullets. There are two type of

power-up In video games, a power-up is an object that adds temporary benefits or extra abilities to the player character as a game mechanic. This is in contrast to an item, which may or may not have a permanent benefit that can be used at any time chosen ...

s that can be retrieved by destroying the

item Item may refer to: Organizations * ''Instituto del Tercer Mundo'' (ITeM), the Third World Institute * ITEM club, an economic forecasting group based in the United Kingdom Newspapers * ''The Item'', an American independent, morning newspaper ...

containers scattered throughout each

stage Stage or stages may refer to: Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage" * ''The Stage'', a weekly British theatre newspaper * Sta ...

: coins and letter icons. The coins are used as currency that allows the player to obtain additional power-ups by standing over a certain platforms and crouching over it. These platforms will indicate which power-up the player will receive, along with the cost of the item. There are three types of power-up platforms: the first will restore the

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and costs 300 coins, the second will increase the player's attack power (changing the color of the player's vest from green to brown) and costs 100 coins, and the third gives out an extra

life Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energ ...

and costs 2000 coins. The letter icons are shaped in the

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letters α and β. When a robotic part appears, the player can change the letter by punching it. However, punching it too much will turn it into a large gold coin. After collecting three parts, a "robotic satellite" will appear floating alongside the player. The robotic satellite will attack alongside the player and can also be used to hover into the air by crouching and holding the A button. There are eight possible robotic satellites, depending on the combination of the letters collected, each with a different attack. For example, the ααβ robot fires laser beams, while αβα attacks with a sword. The robot can take damage from enemies and if it sustains too much, it will eventually be destroyed. If the player already has a robotic companion and picks up a new combination of letters, the new robot will replace the previous one. However, if the player picks up the same combination twice in a row while still maintaining the robot, the player character will combine with the robot and will have more powerful attacks for a limited period before reverting to his standard form. There are a total of seven stages dubbed "Areas". Area A, a factory stage, serves as the game's introductory stage, while the game's five subsequent stages, Area B to Area F, can be played in any order. The final stage, Area G, becomes accessible after the six stages are completed. The player starts off the game with two extra lives and can obtain more throughout the game. If the player loses all their lives, the game will be over, but the player is provided with unlimited chances to continue.

Robotic Satellites

The eight robotic satellites and their letter combination are as follows:

Regional differences

The Famicom version, ''Tokkyū Shirei Solbrain'', was published by a company called Angel, a now-defunct subsidiary of

which specialized in the publication of licensed titles. The Famicom version follows the same storyline as the ''Solbrain'' TV series and features a different opening sequence from the one in ''Shatterhand''. The graphics for most of the characters and items were changed as well. The most notable change is Area C, a carnival level in ''Solbrain'', which was changed to an entirely different submarine level in ''Shatterhand''.

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1991 video games Action video games Angel games Fictional cyborgs Jaleco games Metal Hero Series Natsume (company) games Nintendo Entertainment System games Platform games PlayChoice-10 games Science fiction video games Side-scrolling video games Single-player video games Tokusatsu video games Video games about police officers Video games based on television series Video games developed in Japan Video games scored by Iku Mizutani Video games set in 2030