Vendetta (1991 video game)
| Vendetta | |
|---|---|
 Arcade flyer featuring (clockwise from top left): Hawk, Sledge, Blood, Kate and Boomer. | |
| Developer(s) | Konami |
| Publisher(s) | Konami |
| Composer(s) | Michiru Yamane |
| Series | Crime Fighters |
| Platform(s) | Arcade |
| Release date(s) | July 1991 |
| Genre(s) | Beat 'em up |
| Mode(s) | Single player, 2-4 player Co-op |
| Cabinet | Upright |
| Display | Raster, 304 x 224 pixels (Horizontal), 2048 colors |
Vendetta, known in Japan as Crime Fighters 2 (クライムファイターズ2), is a 1991 side-scrolling beat-'em-up arcade game developed and published by Konami. It is the sequel to the 1989 Konami game Crime Fighters.
Storyline
The hero gang, called The Cobras, numbers five members: Blood (former prizefighter, with a passing resemblance to Mike Tyson), Hawk (former professional wrestler, with strong resemblance to Hulk Hogan), Boomer (a martial artist, possibly based on Jean-Claude Van Damme), Sledge (a military ex-convict with passing resemblance to Mr. T), and Kate, the damsel in distress, described as Hawk's protegee and wearing blue clothing similar to his.
One day, Kate is kidnapped by the Dead End Gang under the leadership of Faust. The four men go save her, fighting through the waves of enemies that are sent against them.
Gameplay
As with most beat-em-ups, the game featured primarily side-scrolling action, with the score dependent merely on number of opponents eliminated, regardless of strength—a faceless drone and an end boss would both score as one. This characteristic was present in most arcade beat 'em ups by Konami. However,the game featured some differences in gameplay. One was that an enemy who had been knocked down could be subjected to further abuse; this feature also appeared in the first Crime Fighters a well as Konami's X-Men. This would be done with the kick button, although the actual manoeuvre used was a punch, an elbow drop, a short kick/stomp, or a quick kneedrop, depending on the individual fighter.
The other difference was that instead of the conventional 'attack' and 'jump' buttons, this game used 'punch' and 'kick'. The only aerial manoeuvre was the special punch-plus-kick (P+K) manoeuvre, and only when the joystick was pointed forward. This also rules out the beat-'em-up standard desperation attack (an attack during which all enemies in a small radius around the player are knocked away and down, at the cost of player's health), forcing the player to be even more cautious.
Another difference is the possibility to team up, both for the players and enemies. With two or more players involved, one can grab an enemy from behind, rendering them motionless. Another player then could exert quick and brutal punishment on the helpless victim. This also works the other way - a careless player can be grabbed from behind and suffer a similar fate.
Bosses
- Buzzsaw Bravado: A vicious mohawk punk in a black leather jacket wielding a huge buzzsaw. Fight occurs on board a speeding semi-truck flatbed.
- Missing Link: A monstrous, animal-like hulk with a wild beard and dreadlocks hiding his face. His wrists and chest are adorned with iron chains. Appearance probably based on Bruiser Brody.
- Joe Ohsugi: An American-Japanese man wielding a kusari-gama and star shuriken. His name is possibly derived from that of martial arts star Sho Kosugi. Fight occurs on the construction site uptown. Appears as a mid-boss.
- The Rude Brothers: Two twin brothers and owners of an underworld casino in a seedy part of Dead End City. The bigger of the two brothers is a brawler, while the smaller brother is a skillful acrobat and knife-fighter. Both work as a team whenever possible.
- Kruel Kurt: A bald thug who lurks aboard a barque in the harbor district. His preferred weapon is a heavy iron anchor. His fighting style resembles Buzzsaw Bravado's.
- Faust: The supreme leader of the Dead End Gang. He likes to blow a green dust into his enemies' eyes to incapacitate them, and in his hideout he has a submachine gun which he uses against enemies if he is close to being defeated.
One enemy character was removed from releases outside of Asia. The enemy dresses in leather and grabs hold of the playable character, proceeding to dry hump and lick him. The enemy would continue if a character is down, and would often perform same on lampposts if they were in the stage.
On the sixth (final) level, after defeating Faust and rescuing Kate, players will have to go through pairs of bosses: Bravado and Link, Ohsugi and the Rudes, and Kurt and Faust.
Weapons
There are various weapons that can be found, whether from a fallen enemy, hidden in the environment, or lying out in the open. They can only be used a number of times before being lost:
- Club: Knocks most enemies against the far upper wall of the stage, breaking windows and shelves if encountered.
- Knife: Each character swings this in a different way; attack range varies accordingly.
- Chain: Short range, but can be used to hit downed enemies.
- Bottle: Eliminates any non-boss enemy in one hit, but can be used only once.
- Brick: Has the same criteria as the bottle, but is thrown instead of swung.
- Whip: Has a long attack range.
- Molotov cocktail: Inflicts damage both when thrown, and after exploding on the ground.
- Shotgun: Eliminates almost any non-boss enemy in one hit.
Other objects which can be used as weapons:
- Box: You can either kick it to instantly reveal the content of the box or grab it and throw it onto enemy.
- Trash can: Same as Box. Trash cans have usually random equipment or food inside.
- Bucket: Doesn't damage affected enemy, but blinds it. Bucket is removed on attack or when reached edge of the screen
Enemies
- Standard villain: Most basic enemy, appears in every stage. He attacks by kicking and punching. He sometimes appears riding a motorcycle. Different colored variations of him appear in later stages.
- Baseball bat villain: Basic enemy with baseball bat, low hitpoints but long range. Appears in stages 1 to 4. He attacks using his baseball bat, but he also use it to hold players, making them open to attacks.
- Hockey goalie: An advanced enemy who wears hockey goalie gear, and spiked shoulder pads. He seems to have an irrational fear of cats, as he screams whenever a cat is on screen. Appears in stages 1, 2, and 5. He attacks using punches and kicks, he can charge at the player, and he can also throw the player. Occasionally, upon entering the screen, he charges at the player while holding a log.