Don’t Push It, Or they’ll Give You A War You Won’t Believe- in Bloody Wolf!

Hey Arcaders!

The game we are talking about today is one of my favorite run and guns- and I didn’t play the arcade version first! Fun fact- this game is one of the few that was released by another company!

I’m talking about the amazing Bloody Wolf!

You’re one of a pair of a death-dealing commando on the mission of your life… rescue the President from an army of terrorist guerrillas. Only you have the guts and firepower to blast through their jungle strongholds… to take out their choppers, snipers and missile launching subs. Make them eat the heat of your flashbombs and explode in the fury of your magnum grenades. The President holds his breath as you begin your final desperate assault. So does the entire world.

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“The president has been kidnapped. The enemy is a mad terrorist army. Proceed with caution.”

The fate of a nation rests in your courage and strength.

Bloody Wolf. Known as the “Rogue Combat Unit”, these men were born to fight.

released in Europe as Battle Rangers, Bloody Wolf is a run and gun arcade game. Two commandos take on an entire army with many weapons, and defeat bosses to advance levels. The game uses a side-view and employs a multi-directional attack method similar to many other arcade games of the run and gun genre, including Guerilla War, Ikari Warriors, Mercs and Data East’s own Heavy Barrel.

Allowing up to two players to play simultaneously, once players create their own codename using up to three initials, they receive a quick mission briefing before the mission ensues. Players automatically begin the game with a machine gun containing unlimited ammo and a knife used exclusively for close quarters combat. The mission’s levels are separated into “scenes” and usually consist of one or more players running through various terrain, attacking hordes of enemy soldiers, and reaching the end of the stage to battle a boss. Players have the option to rescue various hostages scattered throughout the levels to obtain new weapons or items.

The arcade game was released in the US by Romstar- They were known for licensing arcade games from major makers for distribution. Among Romstar’s clients include Taito, Capcom, SNK, Toaplan, and Seta. They also made games for the Nintendo Entertainment System, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and Game Boy.  Check the arcade game out!

There was only ONE home port.

The game was ported to the PC Engine and the TurboGrafx-16 by Data East in 1989, and published a year later in the US by NEC. The PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16 version retains much of the same gameplay elements, level designs, enemies, and items as the arcade version. However, simultaneous two player play is removed. In fact, the home port is a single player only experience. what is awesome about this port- the story line is amended so that you switch and take control of the other commando midway through the game, after the one you originally chose is captured by the enemy. This twist rocked my world when I first played it! If you haven’t experienced this game- do yourself a favor and check it out!

There a few changes and enhancements as well!

• Player names: Both versions allow the players to create their own codenames as a name entry. However, the default codenames of the two commandos in the PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16 version are Eagle and Snake, respectively.
• Numbers of players: The arcade version allows up to two players to play whereas its PC Engine/Turbografx-16 counterpart offers only a single-player mode with the option to play as either Snake or Eagle.
• Levels: The PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16 version contains one additional level, making its total to eight.
• Mission objectives: The mission briefing in the PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16 port differs slightly by attempting to provide some type of backstory and changing the scenario. The player receives information that the enemy has kidnapped the President and the mission is to rescue him.
• Dialogue: Interaction between the player and hostages generates much more dialogue in the PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16 version. There is also an added political reference in the beginning.
• Music: Though the PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16 had a more limited soundtrack, the music was greatly enhanced to support full length catchy tracks. Toto’s “White Sister” was redone in arcade game style and used in one of the sequences of gameplay when rescuing the fellow mercenary.
• Items: The “Rosary” from the arcade version was renamed to “Lucky Rabbit’s Foot” in the TurboGrafx-16 version.
• Level design: The PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16 version contains much larger levels.

So- what do you think of Bloody Wolf? Did you ever play it?

Think the best part for me- when you rescue the president, he follows you out of the stronghold- no weapon and in handcuffs. I thought had protect him- then I realized- he’s indestructible! Just get through the gauntlet and get to the chopper!

Keep Playin’ Like It’s 1981!