In 1993, the fighting game craze kickstarted by Capcom's Street Fighter II was very much still in effect, and Nintendo wanted a piece of the pie. Utilizing a unique art style and pushing the limits of the Famicom, Joy Mech Fight delivered a steaming plate of juicy robot-boxing goodness to ravenous Japanese gamers. The characters are comprised of several small segments that float independently of one another, allowing them to be larger in-game while still retaining a smooth framerate. Some say it has the smoothest animation of any Famicom game.

The story is simplistic, and maybe a bit derivative: two partner roboticists, Dr. Little Emon and Dr. Ivan Walnuts, build a series of powerful robots. Mr. Walnuts's genius went unrecognized, and he lived constantly in Dr. Emon's shadow, until he finally went mad with power. He stole away their precious creations, and reprogrammed them to help him take over the world. His old partner, in desperation, turns to his last remaining creation, a comedy robot named Sukapon (or Skapon in the unofficial dub). Now rebuilt as a speedy wrestler-bot, Sukapon sets out to take Dr. Emon's creations back and stop Dr. Walnuts' scheme. A little overdone, sure, but the plot is really a side dish. Let's talk gameplay.

There are eight playable characters initially, with 24 unlockable by completing all story content. Each one fights on a 2-D plane using basic high and low punches and kicks, plus four special moves. Lose three stocks, and you're out! Sukapon in particular wields a rather unorthodox set of skills. He throws his head as a projectile (Tondeker), lunges forward to nab his foe from afar (Konaniran), suplexes the enemy and chucks them over his head (Sukapon Toss) and his signature move launches him into a whirling dervish of destruction known as the Sukapon Roll!

All in all, Joy Mech Fight is a wonderful way to pass the time, and my little brothers and I still get a kick out of this hidden gem. Give it a try! I main Sukapon, if you couldn't tell~

ALTERNATE PALETTE: P2!