Lost Classics Special: Capcom’s other brawlers (SNES, Genesis, PS1, Saturn, PS2, Xbox, Arcade)

I know you all know about Final Fight, Captain Commando, and maybe even Alien vs Predator, but whatchu know about King of Dragons, The Punisher or even the two Dungeons and Dragons games? Sit back and let me tell you of the secret history of one of the masters of the brawler.

Long before Capcom start pumping out remakes of Resident Evil, Mega Man updates, and new versions of Street Fighter 2, Capcom put out tons of brawlers. They made use of licensed properties, created original twists on the genre, and added something more to the standard “bash your way to the right side of the screen” formula.

One of the most memorable games of this genre was King of Dragons. As one of 5 nameless fighters (the Cleric, Wizard, Fighter, Elf, and Dwarf), you bashed your way across 16 levels in a fantasy setting not unlike Sega’s Golden Axe. The slick thing about this was that your characters leveled up in an RPG-like fashion. Although the character sprites were small and many of the levels were short, this game had some very good music and cool boss battles against creatures like minotaurs and dragons.

This leveling up feature was also featured in another Capcom brawler, Knights of the Round. Loosely based on the age old tale of King Arthur, this game was pretty much the Medieval Final Fight. You had Lancelot, who was the weak but fast guy, Percival, who was the big, strong and slow guy, and of course Arthur himself was in the middle. When characters leveled up in this game, they actually changed form, making your character even more of a bad @$$ later on in the game. Both this game, and KOD are available on Super Nintendo, as well as Capcom Classics Collection volume 2 (PS2 and Xbox) and Capcom Classics Collection Reloaded (PSP).

The RPG elements in a brawler were taken to new heights in a pair of releases based on the popular Dungeons and Dragons pen and paper game. The first one, Tower of Doom featured 4 playable characters, while it’s sequel, “Shadows over Mystara” contained 6. Enemies often had the same abilities as the players, and the game featured multiple routes, increasing replay value somewhat. You could name your character shortly after selecting them, and the game emphasized item collection, equipment, and exploration. Capcom released these games as a 2-disc Saturn compilation that was released in Japan only. There was supposed to be one for the Playstation, however Sony of America didn’t approve of 2-d gaming much those days.

Next up are a pair of releases based on a few comic franchises, one considerably more well known the the other. First up is Cadillacs and Dinosaurs, based on the short-lived comic series Xenozoic Tales and cartoon franchise that were about, well, Cadillacs and Dinosaurs. As one of four playable characters, you battled the enemies of a post-apocalyptic earth, including thugs, poachers, and well, dinosaurs. In one level you drove a Cadillac as you battled Dinosaurs. That’s it. There really isn’t a whole lot more I can say about this game. Oh, I need not remind you that this game is not to be confused with the Sega CD FMV game.

When Capcom had a hold on the Marvel franchise in the mid 90s, it spawned several good games, such as X-Men Children of the Atom, Mutant Apocalypse, and Marvel Vs Capcom. However, they also put out a game based on the Punisher. As Frank Castle, (and Nick Fury if you brought along a second player) you brought your ever-lasting war on crime to the streets. You faced the Kingpin, Bushwacker, the Reavers, and other villains from the comic. Along with the standard set of fighting moves, you could also pull out your gun. There was also a genesis version, but it wasn’t nearly as good as the arcade.

Well, that’s it. Capcom may not have invented the brawler, but they sure perfected it. We may never see many of these games again for a while, but if you see them in your local arcade, give them a shot. Of course there are some games I missed, so feel free to come on to the forums and discuss them.