[box type=”bio”] Matt “Pixxel” Papa is a retro-game enthusiast, collector and touring bead sprite artist. He will be joining VideoGameDJ every Thursday to highlight an under-appreciated retro game.[/box]

Avengers assemble!

With the hours counting down to the release of the new Avengers movie, I’m sure many of you are itching for sweet, sweet Avengers goodness to tide you over until your butt is planted in a cushy movie theater seat. It is with this in mind that for the very first edition of Throwback Thursday, this one is gonna be about none other than Captain America and the Avengers!

Released in 1991 by Data East in the arcade and later ported to the Sega Genesis in 1992 (it was also ported to the SNES by Mindscape, but that version sucks), Captain America and the Avengers is a classic side scrolling brawler par excellence.

The gameplay is very polished and solid, with classic beat-em-up stages that are mixed in with some side-scrolling shooter segments. This is a nice balance of varying types of action that not only keeps the game exciting, but it also prevents it from getting too repetitive.

CAatA features some of the most prominent Avengers throughout history such as Captain America, Iron Man, and Hawkeye. Filling out the roster with 4 characters, Data East threw us a little bit of a curveball by rounding out the cast with everyone’s favorite “synthezoid” baddie turned good guy, The Vision.

Seriously, Vision is just a weird choice. The dude walks around with his arms crossed for cryin’ out loud! That’s just silly.

But, I digress.  As with many games from way back when, there is usually one thing that stands out about a game that makes us remember just how totally kick-ass rad a game was, and still is to this very day. With CAatA, it can be a tough call.

Is it the fact that it is a fantastic game that features beloved comic book characters that otherwise did not get a lot of love in the video game world? Hmm, yes, that’s possible.

Or, is it the fact that is it’s a finely crafted brawler, in which you can utilize the superb combative prowess of some of America’s finest super heroes?  Cap’s tried and true shield toss, Hawkeye’s pin-point accurate arrows, Iron Man and Vision’s pew-pew laser beams are all to be found. Pretty awesome, right?

Yes, but, if you have ever played this game, chances are there is one key element to this game that stands above the rest. It’s something that when you revisit the game, you can’t help but remember and recite with the derpiest of grins on your face.

That’s right people, we’re talking about the one-liners.

Oh my stars and garters, the one-liners!!

Like pretty much every game back in the day, this game was developed in Japan, and having spent 2 years of my life there, I can tell you that English is still a language that is very misunderstood there.  The end result is hilariously bad dialogue that you simply can’t help but love.  Better yet, there is almost no variation in the voices, and it truly sounds like it is one dude who is changing the pitch of his voice a little bit. Observe:

This game is rife with linguistic gems like this one, and others such as:

The Mini Bosses: Don’t disturb us!

Avengers: Why should it go well?

Why should it indeed…

Avengers: What’s this?

Red Skull: It’s another trap! You stupid men! Ha ha ha!

Avengers: We’ll teach you the meaning of “Justice

Ahahaha, stupid men. That’s a thing of beauty.

Mandrin: See my power!

Fwooo man…there’s plenty more where this came from, but it really needs to be experienced to be enjoyed to the fullest.

 

I hope y’all enjoyed the first of many sessions of Throwback Thursday. Check back next week, where you can once again SEE MY POWAAAAH!

Oh, Mandrin, you loveable scamp.